Synopsis
Inspired by the true story of Vince Papale, a man with nothing to lose who ignored the staggering odds and made his dream come true. When the coach of Papale's beloved hometown football team hosted an unprecedented open tryout, the public consensus was that it was a waste of time – no one good enough to play professional football was going to be found this way.
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Cast
- Mark WahlbergVince Papale
- Greg KinnearDick Vermeil
- Elizabeth BanksJanet Cantrell
- Kevin ConwayFrank Papale
- Michael RispoliMax Cantrell
- Morgan TurnerSusan Vermeil
- Dov DavidoffJohnny
- Kirk AcevedoTommy
- Michael KellyPete
- Sal DarigoMick
Recommendations
- 83
Entertainment Weekly
Wahlberg, with shaggy hair and a pumped bod he wears more convincingly than any actor, plays Vince as a guy who truly doesn't expect to win. That makes his rib-bruising triumph all the more believable and touching. - 75
The A.V. Club
Sure, the unlikely ascendance of 30-year-old Vince Papale from working-class suds-pumper to Philadelphia Eagles benchwarmer is a victory for the little guy, but it's still more of a personal victory, and that's what makes it touching. - 75
Chicago Tribune
The actors make it work. Greg Kinnear's Coach Vermeil exudes Southern California good vibrations without a lot of fuss or attitude. - 70
Village Voice
Invincible joins "Rocky" or "Hoosiers" or "Breaking Away" as one of the few satisfying sports movies in which the foundation built upon a heap of clichés holds strong. - 70
Variety
Handling both directing and cinematography duties, Core invests both with a clearly impassioned sense of place, period and perspective regarding this fanfare for common men. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
A neatly packaged Walt Disney Co. picture with bone-crunching football action; a nice sense of the blue-collar, male-dominated milieu that nourishes football fanaticism; and a few too many tugs at the heartstrings. - 70
L.A. Weekly
Core has a touch with actors, too, and there are surprisingly fine performances here. - 60
The New York Times
Invincible counters its predictably inspirational trajectory with close attention to historical detail and blue-collar hardship.
