12 Mighty Orphans

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.

"12 Mighty Orphans" is one heartfelt feel good stand up and cheer like film as it looks at the life and times of a dozen Orphans in Texas during the 1930's and the great depression era. Set near Forth Wort, Texas an academy and school for the poor and forgotten has opened up and coming in is the start of a football team. Rusty Russell(Luke Wilson) and his teacher wife have came with open arms as he's a coach with a winning resume, and he gets the praise from the school's doctor Doc Hall(the good veteran Martin Sheen). Along the way as the boys enter no matter how troubled or different they bond and learn plenty about life, love, sharing, teamwork, and commitment. Though tough and rocky at first these boys learn the basic fundamentals of blocking and tackling and after some and a few loses the speed and hard work starts to pay off and wins start to follow one by one all the way up to the Texas state championship game! Well done film of how faith and hard work and determination can change life, really a fine film to few with friends or family as when watching all will feel the values of bonding and working together.

Rusty Russell moves his family and takes a job at a home for orphans and learns as much from them of hope, opportunity and family as he ever imagined. Solid family film with plenty of teaching moments.

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.

I love movies that are based on real events and I read the book that the film is based on.

It's too bad that there wasn't enough time to pack in more from the book. Still, a very moving and enjoyable film. Don't miss it.