With Super Bowl weekend coming up this weekend, I wanted to check out a football-related movie. So, I decided to give the 2006 Disney movie “Invincible” a look - which ended up being perfect since the Eagles are a part of this story and they’re in the big game!
Lifelong football fan Vince Papale sees his wildest dreams come true when he becomes a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The thirty year old gets a chance to try out for his favorite team and, except for kickers, becomes the oldest rookie in NFL history who never played football in college.
The 2006 biopic of Vince Papale is a simple, endearing story that is highly inspirational, and not only is it a good football movie, it’s also a great watch for the entire family. “Invincible” also delivers some uplifting and heartfelt moments that will make everyone cheer - even if you’re not an Eagles fan!
Sure, this Disney sports movie is simply another underdog sports story that has been done several times over the years. But, just like a few other underdog stories, sometimes the underdog stories are the best sports stories to tell. “Invincible” does an amazing job delivering a feel good story that will leave you rooting for Vince Papale right until the very end.
Just like most sports biopics, despite the uplifting moments scattered throughout the movie, it can feel a bit cliched at times. There are times where the other players end up telling Papale that he won’t make it and still ends up on the team (which is part of numerous sports movies). I’m sure some of the cliched moments were added for dramatization, but it actually helps keep the movie uplifting.
“Invincible” also shows you that with hard work and lots of determination, anything is possible and you can make your dreams come true. Mark Wahlberg and Greg Kinnear (he’s not in a lot of films these days) also give tremendous performances and worked extremely well together.
The 2006 movie also does a great job at showing how rough things were getting in South Philadelphia during those times when jobs were hard to find and everyone was having a difficult time financially.
So, if you and the family are looking for an inspirational football movie to watch over Super Bowl weekend, I highly recommend this movie!
Cast: Mark Wahlberg (Vince Papale); Greg Kinnear (Dick Vermeil); Elizabeth Banks (Janet); Kevin Conway (Frank Papale); Michael Rispoli (Max); Kirk Acevado (Tommy); Dov Davidoff (Johnny); Michael Kelly (Pete); Nicoye Banks (TJ Banks); Turon Kofi Alleyne (Ronnie Sampson); Michael Mulheren (AC Craney); Paige Turco (Carol Vermeil)
Writer/director: Brad Gann (Soul Surfer) (writer); Ericson Core (director) (the Disney Plus film Togo; Point Break - 2015 remake)
Trivia: Vince Papale’s real children have a cameo appearance in the film. His son, Vincent, Jr., runs out in front of Wahlberg’s car to pick up a football, wearing the homemade number 83 jersey. His daughter, Gabriella, is the quarterback in the kid’s football game and throws the ball to her brother, Vincent, Jr. Papale played three seasons for the Eagles, and was the Special Teams Captain in 1978.
In November 2002, NFL Films showed Papale’s story on ESPN during Monday Night Football. It was part of a special to commemorate the 26th anniversary of “Rocky.” The four minute piece about Vince Papale captured the attention of Hollywood, and soon a film was in the works.
MPAA: PG for sports action and some mild language (running time 105 minutes)
Where to find the movie? You can currently stream “Invincible” on Disney Plus and also rent it through various PVOD services.
In the Giants game, when Mark Wahlberg is running down the sideline in special teams coverage, a Giants player hits him hard and knocks him down. This Giants player was a football player at the nearby University of Delaware, and was not supposed to contact Wahlberg, let alone knock him down. As a result of this, the player was told to leave the set, but the scene was kept.
Vince Papale's real children make cameos in the film. His son, Vincent, Jr., runs out in front of Mark Wahlberg's car to pick up a football, wearing the homemade number 83 jersey. His daughter Gabriella is the quarterback in the kid's football game and throws the ball to her brother, Vincent, Jr.
Although listed as wide receiver, Vince Papale played almost exclusively on Special Teams. The only reception in his career came in 1977 on a fifteen-yard pass from Roman Gabriel. This would be the final pass ever thrown by Gabriel, who was a four-time Pro Bowler and the 1969 NFL Most Valuable Player.
Greg Kinnear researched his role by spending time with Dick Vermeil during his final year as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.
In November of 2002, NFL Films showed Vince Papale's story on ESPN during Monday Night Football. It was part of a special to commemorate the 26th anniversary of Rocky (1976). The four-minute piece about Vince captured the attention of Hollywood, and soon a film was in the works.
The stadium that was used to depict the Eagles 1976 home of Veteran's Stadium was in fact the previous Eagles home stadium from 1958-1970, Franklin Field. Veteran's Stadium had been imploded in 2004 prior to the movie's production. While the shots of the exterior were CGI, the interior shots were filmed at Franklin Field. It can be recognized by the jogging track surrounding the field and bench seating rather than individual seats like at Veteran Stadium.
Many of the former Eagles gave permission for Disney to use their names for this production.
This picture was made with the support of the Philadelphia Eagles and the National Football League.
The climactic touchdown that Vince Papale scores against the Giants, off the fumbled punt, is based on a real play. The actual play can be seen during a montage in the closing credits. However, Papale was not awarded a touchdown for his effort. The referees called the play a "muff," not a fumble, and thus the ball cannot be advanced beyond the drop.
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