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My first job was working at a 1700 seat movie theater. A full theater on a Saturday night was quite an event as, whether a comedy or a drama, the audience expressions were palpable. I've never forgotten those shared experiences and how they have shaped my life's work.
Alas, Saturday was a quiet evening at home watching "We Are Marshall" and I can only imagine what the audience in Huntington, WV experienced at the 2006 premiere. Based upon the true story of a tragic DC-9 crash which killed the Marshall University football team as they returned to Huntington, the story focuses on efforts to rebuild the team. As anyone can imagine, it was a difficult experience for all who survived but through the grieving process, the triumphs were abundant, too.
The movie addresses the local story and events. But, there is the larger story about the flight, about the design of the DC-9, its operation, the communication and control systems, the weather and so much more. There had to have been an NTSB review, FAA investigation, a McDonnell-Douglas review and lawyers galore. I'll wager that most of us just don't want to know about all those details.
One of the characters shares with another that, "Grieving is a messy business." It is. And, for the rest of us who can peer into such a tragedy, we have the opportunity to absorb the experience and to try to make the world a slightly better, more joyous place.
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Re: We Are, MARSHALL: "Grieving is a messy business"
