Invincible
Movie, 2006, The 2000s, Set in The Philadelphia Eagles
Invincible is #22 of 35 in release order and #22 of 35 in chronological order in the Sports Movies.
The story
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.
Invincible recap
Invincible (2006) follows Vince Papale, a 30-year-old Philadelphia bartender and substitute teacher who makes the Eagles through an open tryout in 1976. Ericson Core directs the football drama, based on Papale's real story. Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg) loses his teaching job, and his wife Sharon walks out, leaving a note saying he will never amount to anything. New head coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear) holds a public tryout to drum up interest in the losing team, and Vince, egged on by his friends at the bar, is the only walk-on invited to camp. The veterans resent him, and the coaches doubt him, but Vermeil gives him the last roster spot. Meanwhile Vince starts dating Janet Cantrell (Elizabeth Banks), the new bartender and a New York Giants fan. The Eagles lose every preseason game, and Vince plays badly in the opener at Dallas. Invincible comes after Cinderella Man and before The Blind Side in this list.
Invincible ending explained
Invincible ends with Vince scoring a touchdown on a recovered fumble to seal a home win over the Giants. Before the game he tears up Sharon's note. He makes a tackle on the opening kickoff, and late in the game he races down on a punt, forces the returner to fumble and carries it into the end zone. Closing text says he played three seasons with the Eagles and married Janet, and that Vermeil took the team to Super Bowl XV.
Post-credits scenes
No. Invincible has no post-credits scene, though highlights of the real Papale's Eagles career run during the end credits.
Where to watch Invincible
Invincible is streaming on Disney+, Philo, YouTube TV, and Starz in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.0/10, Rotten Tomatoes 71%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Cinderella Man, before The Blind Side.
- Chronological order: after Cinderella Man, before The Blind Side.
Cast
- Mark Wahlberg as Vince Papale
- Greg Kinnear as Dick Vermeil
- Elizabeth Banks as Janet Cantrell
- Kevin Conway as Frank Papale
- Michael Rispoli as Max Cantrell
- Kirk Acevedo as Tommy
- Dov Davidoff as Johnny
- Michael Kelly as Pete
- Sal Darigo as Mick
- Nicoye Banks as TJ Banks
- Turron Kofi Alleyne as Ronnie Sampson
- Cosmo DeMatteo as Dean German
Directed by Ericson Core.