We Are Marshall

Fact vs. Fiction

Characters

The characters of Annie Cantrell and Paul Griffen were not real people. They were both composite characters used to tell the stories of many community members

touched by the crash.

Characters

The characters of Chris Griffen and Tom Bogdan (the player who overslept) were both fictional and not based

on any real members of the 1970 Marshall team.

Characters

Dr. Donald Dedmon was not fired by Marshall. He was the interim president at the time of the crash and served until a new president was named the following spring.

Characters

Jack Lengyel was not as quirky of a person as Matthew McConaughey portrays. McConaughey played up his

mannerisms and speech.

Events

The plane was not identified as being the Marshall plane based on finding a Marshall playbook. In actuality, it was first identified by a wallet found at the site. Newspaper reporters recognized the name as belonging to a Marshall player.

Events

The scene where Red Dawson comes home to his wife who thinks he is dead is fictional.

• Red Dawson was always scheduled to go on the recruiting trip and not fly back on the plane.

• A graduate assistant gave Deke Brackett his seat on the plane and drove back with Dawson.

Events

The scene where Nate Ruffin interrupts a Board of Governors meeting is completely fictional.

•The “We Are Marshall” chant was not used in the early 1970s

• There was no Board of Governors at that time

Events

Jack Lengyel was not the first coach that Marshall hired after the tragedy. Another coach accepted the job and backed out after two days.

Also, President Donald Dedmon did not hire Lengyel. The school’s new athletic director Joe McMullen (who is not in the film) actually hired Lengyel.

Events

The game-winning play in the Marshall victory over Xavier was changed. The Thundering Herd scored on a screen pass and not a crossing route.

Also, after the game, the fans did not come on the field, but instead stayed in the stands crying.

Chuck Landon article

Read “We Are Marshall is anything but a true story” by Chuck Landon

Why do you think the movie producers said “This is a true story” instead of “Based on a true story”? What would you have done?

Movie Fiction• Knowing these changes, does it affect the

way you feel about the movie?

• Why do you believe the movie producers made these changes to the story?

• If they had kept to the truth of the story, do you think it would have changed the impact of the movie?

Answer these questions in a journal. Write at least half a page.