As the world's biggest sucker for uplifting jock movies, I can heartily endorse the skillfully manipulative "We Are Marshall," which recounts a West Virginia university's ordeal by tragedy.

On a chartered flight back from a game, the 1970 Thundering Herd and dozens of its coaches and supporters were wiped out when the plane hit a mountain. After some debate, the school decided to go ahead with the '71 season, and the film is an account of new coach Jack Lengyel's battles to field a team.

Matthew McConaughey plays the go-getting leader, an inspiration blaster and self-belief booster, and the movie, directed by "Charlie's Angels' " McG, is swift and generally effective. Besides, who could resist a film that documents one of the great last-play, come-from-behind athletic contests of all time, as the mostly frosh team struggled, in September of '71, against Xavier's Musketeers. If you're not cheering as that last long pass settles into the hands of a streaking receiver as the clock ticks toward 00:00, you should check your pulse.

"Lost" star Matthew Fox pitches in with a strong performance as a coach who, by the laws of whimsy, didn't take the final flight home and had to struggle with survivor's guilt.

-- Stephen Hunter (Dec. 22, 2006)

Contains adult themes, mild profanity, scenes of a plane crash.