12 Mighty Orphans

Triumphant sports stories about underdogs banding together to achieve victory are about as long in the tooth as Jerry Jones. As a trope, they can be an eye-rolling cliché. Done right, with honesty and sincerity, any of that artificial sweetener can be blinked away.

The inspired-by-true-events football movie 12 Mighty Orphans hits every one of those tropes with spectacular two-point conversions but the nobility of the story and the impressive lensing has this one avoiding any fumbles.

Luke Wilson plays coach Russell as the quintessential coach/surrogate father: quiet and thoughtful and totally Ted Lasso positive. The remainder of the cast is ably filled out by Martin Sheen reprising his role of President Bartlet, Wayne Knight as the deliberately-bad baddie, and a host of character actor and familiar faces like Treat Williams, Ron White, and a-blink-and-you'll-miss-him Robert Duvall.

Based on a book by Jim Dent, the story is stirring and serious enough to rise above the usual sports rhetoric.

The story in "12 Mighty Orphans" is true....or at least mostly true. But like so many other films based on true stories, huge liberties were taken here and there to make the story more cinematic. So, while it is true that the orphans' home did field a team with only 12 players and they EVENTUALLY were champion calliber, much of the timeline has been condensed and things 'adjusted' (Franklin Roosevelt never had any involvement in the story and there was no evil rival coach).

If you look past the changes as well as a couple cliches typical of sports films, the story still is inspirational and fascinating. I just wish films presented exactly what happened...warts and all. But despite this, the film still makes a nice family inspirational picture.

This is a feel good movie, a movie that ups your spirit and inspires you never to give up in tough and dejected times. This is probably a story that most people haven't heard of and the fact that it brought hope to a nation during the great depression.... I'm very glad it's now on big screen. Great direction of wonderful characters most of which I've never seen and I really admired their performances in this movie. This is a must watch movie to appreciate where most of the things we know or teach originated from.... not forgetting this movie has one of the best inspirational quotes told in a story.

This is a mostly true, historically based story. Ft Worth Texas, late 1930s, families still suffering from the Great Depression, some were orphaned because of that. A new teacher and coach shows up, former athlete and WW1 hero, decides that playing high school football will help the boys cope with their somewhat hopeless situations. It seems that none of them knew how to play.

Some details were changed for dramatic effect but the movie is mostly accurate. Several of the boys went on to college and even pro football careers. Luke Wilson, himself a Texan, is good as the coach.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library. We found it worthwhile.

This is one of those movies that you can tell what you are getting by the poster and the tittle.

Some orphaned young men in the 1930's are waiting to come of age.

They have little prospects, no family and are too old to realistically be adopted.

In a time of high morals and little else the boys have a bleak future.

Until Rusty Russell and his wife turn up and see if they can give them a future through American football.

This has great performances, is well produced and has all the heart warming elements you would expect from a story of this type.

An excellent Sunday afternoon watch - hang around for the real life bio's at the credits.