Another F'ing movie about an underdog white guy

shotglass · Aug 14, 2006

I'm a little surprised our crowd isn't as familiar with this story as it might be. Papale, as I recall, played a good bit, and his story was pretty well-chronicled.

Columbo · Sep 21, 2006

Bubbler said:

Dude said:

The guy who played Harold Carmichael (who was 6'8") is 6'1".
Click to expand...

That's a serious fuckup right there.

Harold Carmichael is remembered for three things ...

1. Having the consecutive games with a reception streak for a long ass time.
2. Wearing the at-the-time unusual number 17 as a receiver (when the NFL was more militant about its number assignments, he was grandfathered in before all receivers had to be in the 80s)
3. Being big as a fucking tree.

Jeez, they probably cast Bill Bergey as a black guy.
Click to expand...

I saw it today.

Very good little film.

The movie has Carmichael as 6" taller than Papale.... as was the case in real life.

There has never been a sports movie made that hit so many little details that movies always skip over.

Mike Quick's voice is in the movie as radio analyst.

Kinnear nails another role, too.

Columbo · Sep 21, 2006

poindexter said:

According to this BLOG (and deadspin), the movie premiere didn't go well, due to the undersized white receiver's wife:
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?t=22388

Papale's wife, who I don't know, is a loud, aggressive woman. I'd guess in the neighborhoods someone like this gets by on spunk. As she entered the room, she was engaged in conversation with a young man, probably an Eagles fan. "Who are you?", she said. Those are interesting words. I defy anyone to define themselves on the spot. Or respond to such an inane question when you are the receiving end of it from someone with alcohol on their breath. The guy left the theater saying "Who are you?" She was now playing to the crowd, "I'm the wicked witch." And her family and friends chuckled. I didn't.

The next few moments in that theater were ugly. She made the absurd announcement that this screening was for family and friends. Everyone else get out. I doubt that I've ever heard a P.R. pitch similar to that at any free screening that I'd ever been invited to. I took public transportation to get here. I had gone through hoops to get into that place. I followed every directive that I received. But you know, getting a free ticket shouldn't ever cost me my self-respect.

And then it gets really ugly.

She proclaimed to the audience, "anyone that isn't a friend or family of Vince Papale raise your hand." I've never seen so many people sit on their hands. While that technique proved only the obnoxiousness of the orator, it was an ineffective way of rooting out the plague on this event, the real fans. This woman decided to go on her personal crusade. She started to go around the room. First victim, the black couple and daughter that stood out like a sore thumb at this event of middle-class white suburban wannabes ... Her family and so-called friends weren't telling her stop her tirade. After all, they just wanted seats. They were late, or drunk, or they were people like me sitting on their hands because they didn't want to be humiliated in front of a crowd of strangers. The black family, who were among the first people to come to this event, were kicked from their seats. I heard the educated and well-spoken lady say, "this isn't fair." Papale's wife made mention of the fact that "not everything is fair". I guess not.
Click to expand...

They tracked down Kyra Phillips' sister-in-law, huh?

buckweaver · Sep 21, 2006

Don't have time to look for the ESPN.com "Reel Life" article about it, but "Glory Road" was another that got pretty Disney-fied on the facts.

Still a great movie. Josh Lucas was treee-mendous.

But they fudged a few things. Hard not to notice.

***

(On the same token, I'm glad they *couldn't* get too Disney-fied with "Miracle" because the story was SO well-known. Made for a much better movie. The best of the Disney sports movies, IMO.)

heyabbott · Sep 21, 2006

Dude said:

http://www.northeasttimes.com/2005/1208/papale.html

The biggest problem (pardon the pun) is Wahlberg's height or lack thereof. He's 5'7". Papale is 6'2".

The guy who played Harold Carmichael (who was 6'8") is 6'1".
Click to expand...

That's why they call it "ACTING"

Columbo · Sep 22, 2006

I was struck at how the Cowboys in Invincible wore a red stripe as the third stripe over the top of their helmets for the 1976 opener, instead of the traditional second blue stripe.

The names all matched uniform numbers on the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants.....

And the recreation of the Vet had some nice touches, like the Liberty Bell at the top of the rim.

I love when a movie takes that sort of care.

Log in or Sign up

Another F'ing movie about an underdog white guy

shotglass Guest

Columbo Active Member

Columbo Active Member

buckweaver Active Member

heyabbott Well-Known Member

Columbo Active Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Another F'ing movie about an underdog white guy

shotglass Guest

Columbo Active Member

Columbo Active Member

buckweaver Active Member

heyabbott Well-Known Member

Columbo Active Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches