We are ready...

Rating: 5/10 (5 March 2007)

Just about every actor gets at least one big moment to cry. That's a given in a story of this nature, and some of them are better than others. Mackie's stoic attempt to take punches in an injured shoulder is full of passion, but Fox's random breakdown is, well, just like a flashback from Lost. He is better on the field, showing us a side to his personality we haven't seen yet. Strathairn seems the most sympathetic as the pained authority figure making tough decisions. Mara (Brokeback Mountain) looks so innocent you just want to hold her hand and stroke her hair every time she wells up. Aside from that, there's also a lot of personality in the film. McConaughey leads the team with a gleam in his eye and a smirk on his lips, but it never comes across as insensitive. He's hip, so of course he's the one who can lead them out of tragedy. And as an ensemble film, the cast comes together as a community, in which a single tragedy can affect them all, and a single victory can give them hope.