AshestoGlory

FinallygottoseeWeareMarshallhereinHuntington,WV,theverytownthismoviehasasitssetting.Ilikeitalot,butItisverydifficulttoseeitasbeingjustamovie,becausethemoviesissomuchaboutthetown,theuniversity,andevensomebodyyoumayknowormeethere.Youcannotmaintainthedistancethatcouldbeaffordedtoothermovieswhenappreciatingthem.Yetthisfeelingisspecial.Themovieisemotionallychargedmostofthetime,asitshouldbe,giventhefactthatsomanypeoplediedandateamrosefromashes.Itoscillatesbetweenbeingpoignantandfunny.ThepainpartwasverywellcapturedbyMathewFox,whoplaysRedDawson,theassistantcoach,whowastormentedbythefactthathehappenedtohavemissedthedisasterwhiletherestofhisteamdied.TheotherMathewwhoplayedtheheadcoachseemedtolacksomeemotionaldepthintheroleheplayed.Thatmightbenatural,becausetheroleheportrayedhadhadnothingtodowithMarshallbeforeacceptingtheroleasheadcoach.Yetatothertimes,itisjustMathewthequot;starquot;comingout.Thateffectcouldbediminishedifthecoachisplayedbyalesswell-knownguy.OrhaveIbeenwaytoosaturatedwithallthecoverageaboutMathewthesuperstarthatitisnowimpossibletoscratchtheactortoseetheacted?EvenassomeonewhospeaksEnglishasaforeignlanguage,Icantellthathislanguageissomewhatbanalassomecriticshavepointedout.Itistoo“movie-like”,sotospeak.However,therearealsoburstsoffreshness.Forinstance,whenhegetsPresidentDedmontovisitNCAAinpersonbyaskingDedmonhowheproposedtohiswife.Buttobefair,Mattewdidagoodjobshowingthedevelopmentofhischaracter.Jacktheheadcoackisactuallytheonetransformedbythewholeexperience.Whenhemakesthatspeechinthecemetery,oneseesthetransformationreachaclimax.MyfavoriteisthecharacterofDonDedmon.Heisportrayedintoarounded,developed,andrichcharacter.Inhimyouseethemixtureofthesomewhatclumsyacademic,areallyhard-workingleader,andaconvertedHerdfan.Theriseofthefootballteamseemedtohavehadthegreatestimpactonhim.Attheendofthemovie,itismentionedthattheYoungThunderingHerdlostmoregamesinthe70sthananyotherfootballprograminthenation.However,theglorycomesinthe90s,whentheteamwonchampionshipsandproducednationalfootballstars.Thatlinehasthepotentialofbecomingsomethingreallygreat.Butitwasdismissedtooquickly.Thereisreallyagoodpointinthere:Ittakestimetoactuallymakeaprogramwork.Moreimportantly,ittakesincubation,nurturing,andevenpatienceinyearsandyearsoftirelesswork.YetthesearenotmaterialsforHollywood.Thereislessdramainthem.Instead,themovieturnstoaspikeofgloryinthoseyearsthatwerenotactuallychracterizedbywinninggames.Therealthunderingglory,Ibelieve,isthelayingoffoundationsintheseearlyyearsinspiteofpressuresandlosses.Hemmingwaysayscourageisgraceunderpressure.Soisglory.