The Rugby Player

Mark Bingham was flying to the wedding of a friend. The day was September 11, 2001. Mark was traveling on United Flight 93. This is not the story of 9/11, but of Mark's remarkable life and the equally remarkable mother who raised him. Through his mother's remembrances and plentiful home videos, we see Mark grow from an awkward boy to an athlete who threw himself into life with zeal and courage. Whether defending friends from assault or coming out as a gay man, Mark never backed down. Nor did his mother Alice. A flight attendant, after the horrific events of 9/11 she turned her grief into a public crusade to tighten airline security. As a spokesperson for Marriage Equality, she honored the memory of a son who, as this moving and joyful film convinces us, was likely one of the heroes who broke into 93's cabin and prevented a greater tragedy. THE RUGBY PLAYER celebrates the Great American, growing not from a Party or Church, but from acceptance, courage, and love. —C.R.