We are bored

n 1970, possibly the greatest sports tragedy occurred when a plane crash killed 75 people, including most of the Marshall University football team. But what seemed like an absolutely hopeless situation turned into an inspiring one. The following year the Marshall Football team returned to the field under new coach Jack Lengyel, and while playing with nothing but freshmen and scrap players, it went on to win two games and inspire the people of Marshall and restore the town. Unfortunately, while this is a very moving story, it is delivered poorly and does not capture the spirit of Marshall on screen. \n"We Are Marshall" has a very unconventional story line for an inspirational sports movie, in that it starts in the middle of the 1970 season and ends at the beginning of the '71 season. Most of the movie takes place off the football field, from the tragedy 'till the beginning of the next season. While this irregular plotline would seem like an out-of-the-box sports movie, it ends up fitting into the old mold of the inspiring football film. Whether it's the "football is everything" small-town mentality that is a main focus of the movie, or the feel-good oldies soundtrack, the movie feels very old-hat and reminiscent of movies such as "Remember the Titans" or "Friday Night Lights."\nAnother issue is the acting, which at times is unconvincing. Matthew McConaughey stars as oddball head coach Lengyel. While he is right for the part, his performance comes off simply awkward at times. Also, there is Matthew Fox of "Lost," who stars as Red Dawson, Marshall's assistant head coach. He plays the same role that he does on "Lost" -- the leader who battles with inner conflict. I couldn't stop thinking that it was Jack on a football field. Other characters and subplots (such as the relationship between the fiance and father of a deceased player) don't amount to much and serve as nothing more than distractions from the main plot. There are, however, a few moments of brilliance, such as Coach Lengyel's understated speeches, that keep the movie out of the dumps. \nThere are only really two features, one worthwhile and the other worthless. The legendary coaches feature is a segment approximately 20 minutes long that includes interviews with various coaches, from Marshall's Lengyel to Tennessee's Pat Summit. The extra proves to have nice insight into what makes these coaches great. However, the only other extra is a short segment on Marshall University today, which is more of a short advertisement for the university than anything. \nThe story is truly inspiring; the movie is not worth your time.