Bottom Of The Barrel

Invincible: A Movie Review

Invincible is the "based on a true story" movie about Vince Papale as a walk on player for the 1976 Philadelphia Eagles. Mark Wahlberg plays the down-on-his-luck [wife just left him, lost his part-time job as a teacher, can't make the rent and only has a part-time night bartender job for work] loveable loser so well. He is seen as everyman who has nothing to look forward to and has no real self-esteem. Greg Kinnear portrays newly hired head coach Dick Vermeil who holds open tryouts for the Eagles mostly to create interest in a team that had been playing sub .500 football for most of the late 60's and early 70's. Elizabeth Banks of The 40 Year Old Virgin [Beth] and Spiderman [Betty Brant] fame is the very likable Janet, who is a Giants fan and Vince's new love interest. The film is another feel-good true-to-life sports story by Walt Disney Pictures, who also brought you The Rookie, Miracle, and Glory Road.

While the film is entertaining, is very well written and filmed and does really make you feel good about this man turned local sports hero, some of the filmmakers liberties can not be over looked. The real Vince Paple had a full time job teaching and was playing semi-pro football, which is what really caught coach Vermeil's eye back in 1976. Also when then 30-year old Vince was at training camp, he was given the nickname Rocky since the movie was popular at the same time. I actually commented after the film that it would have been a great [and funny] nod to Rocky to have added a person running in a grey sweat suit in the scene where Vince appears to run all over the city in a Forrest Gump like sequence. Run Vince Run!

posted by TheWino @ 9:19 AM