Movie Review: Invincible

by Dan Gattuso

Disclaimer: I'm originally from the Philadelphia area, and while I was only four years old during the events portrayed in Disney's latest feel-good sports movie, Invincible, my life-long support of the Philadelphia Eagles is well documented and should be noted before proceeding with this review.

Make no mistake about it: You've seen this movie before. Be it the last two Disney sports films from the same producers (Miracle and The Rookie) or the first tale of a South Philadelphia boxing nobody who triumphs in the face of overwhelming sports-related adversity (and its many unfortunate sequels), Invincible is treading a very worn-out path.

Cinematographer Ericson Core makes his directorial debut and turns Philadelphia into a garbage strewn, inhospitable dump, successfully capturing the mood and feel of a blue-collar town in the throes of stagflation. It's not a good showcase for a city (and football team) in much better shape these days. The 1970s were hard times for Philly and its beloved Eagles; the proud owners of three NFL championships in 1948, 1949 and 1960 had only one winning season from 1962 to 1977.

Along came new head coach Dick Vermeil in 1976 who, in a stunt to ingratiate himself with notoriously tough Philly fans and kick the complacency out of his players, held open tryouts. A 30-year-old, down-on-his-luck, part-time bartender named Vince Papale impressed Vermeil enough to win an invite to training camp and went on to make the squad and play three seasons with the Eagles on special teams, becoming the oldest rookie with no college football experience to play in the NFL.

Sound familiar, even if you've never heard of him?

The real vulnerability of Invincible is a disjointed script born from the sad truth that its subject's life isn't interesting enough to fill out 105 minutes, even with the considerable liberties the film takes with his story. Filling in those gaps is the even less flushed out life of Vermeil, a guy whose story would actually make a more compelling film. (Vermeil is a very emotional man who literally burned out as an NFL coach only to return 25 years later and win a Super Bowl.)

So whose movie is this? If it's about Papale, why are we delving briefly into the personal life of Vermeil? Who cares about conversations with his wife on how tough it is to coach in Philadelphia? What does that have to do with Papale? Was Greg Kinnear contractually obligated to have X minutes of screen time? If the movie is about Papale AND the head coach who had faith in him, then beef up the role of the coach. If not, don't pad his part in the film just because Vermeil and Kinnear are recognizable names and faces.

And as long as ill-conceived time is being spent on characters, there was definitely a missed opportunity in the form of Eagles owner Leonard Tose, a gregarious drunk who eventually gambled away his fortune and thus the team, and whom Vermeil financially supported until Tose's death in 2003.

Invincible's identity crisis ruins some nice work in recreating the action on a pro football field. It's a war zone out there, with players running and slamming into each other at incredible speeds, and the intensity of these scenes is tangible. Papale's pain is our pain.

When it comes to the angst and frustration of America's most infamous sports town, however, verisimilitude is a tough task in the confines of a PG-rated movie. Re-enacting the legendary antics of the 700-level in Veterans Stadium (which was finally put out of its misery two years ago) wouldn't attract many families to this Disney production, so gone are the salty language and fistfights.

While I'm on the topic of my hometown, just once I'd like to go to a movie or watch a TV show about Philadelphians and actually hear actors who sound like they're from Philly, not the Bronx. (I know it's a tough accent, but isn't that why producers pay dialect coaches?) Compounding the problem in Invincible are noted Italian-American actors Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Conway, who play Papale and his father, respectively. (By the way, that's sarcasm from a guy named Gattuso.)

But much like the film, I digress. What I'm trying to get at here is that there are actually a lot more interesting stories behind the scenes of Invincible than Papale. Show me the account of a workaholic coach who ran himself into the ground, only to rise again later in life; or the flamboyant, alcoholic owner who frittered away tens of millions of dollars on booze, women and gambling.

Anything but another inspirational movie about an athlete beating the odds — even if he was an Eagle.

This story was submitted by a member of the TexasGigs community