The movie's title is a clever word-play on the name of the protagonist, Vince Papale. The film is based on Papale's true rags-to-riches story of becoming, against all odds, a Philadelphia Eagle.
The year is 1976. Vince Papale (Wahlberg) is a substitute teacher who also works as a part-time bartender to make ends meet. Things in South Philly, where Vince lives, aren't going well -- factories are closing and jobs are scarce. Soon Vince loses his teaching job and his wife leaves him. Through the hard times, his refuge is his love for football, his buddies, and his devotion to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Unfortunately, the Eagles are not doing well either, and soon they bring in a new coach, Dick Vermeil (Kinnear) from UCLA, to fix the team. To energize the team, as well as the city, Vermeil holds an open tryout. Vince, not wanting to be a failure anymore, decides to try his luck. His raw talent gets him into the training camp. That's only the beginning. To make the final team, Vince has to work hard. As an outsider and at age 30, Vince doesn't jell with the other teammates, and they're not cutting him any slack either. Vince has a lot of self-doubt about himself, even though his father Frank (Conway) and his buddies have faith in him, as does Vermeil, who decides not to cut Vince from his team. He knows Vince needs his team just as Philadelphia needs Vince. Against all odds, Vince has to prove to the people he loves, as well as himself, that he is indeed an Eagle, and that dreams do come true through hard work and determination.
Wahlberg (Four Brothers) have matured over the years as an actor. He excels in playing downtrodden blue-collar guys (Boogie Nights, The Perfect Storm). As Vince Papale, Wahlberg exudes a genuine earnestness that makes his character relatable. Vince Papale is not a flamboyant hero -- he's quiet, taciturn, introspective and resolute, and Wahlberg does a respectable job in portraying him. Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine) has a relatively smaller role, albeit a pivotal one. It's clear that the story is about Vince Papale, and not Dick Vermeil. But Kinnear handles the role with heart, humor and dignity. He complements Wahlberg.
As a bartender who falls in love with Vince Papale, Banks (Slither) reminds me of Rachael McAdams or a young Elizabeth Shue. She is sweet with just the right kind of spunk and intelligence for us to really root for her. Conway (The Promise) is solid as Vince's father, and Rispoli (Lonely Hearts) is wonderfully jolly as Vince's supportive boss, Max. Acevedo (24) holds his own as Vince's best friend, the person who always believes in him. The large cast in general does a great job in portraying the down-to-earth people in Vince's neighborhood. The actors who play Vince's fellow Eagles don't have much to do but to play ball, with the exception of Fisher (The Longest Yard), who leaves a good impression as Denny Frank.
Based on Papale's true Cinderella story, writer Gann (Black Irish) creates a solid script, avoiding the schmaltz that is typical of a feel-good story about sports. Gann is able to eliminate the use of foul language and overt sexuality (this is a Disney film, after all) and still effectively develop the characters and show us the time and place. Granted, there are scenes that remind us of other period, true-life sports movies such as Miracle or Friday Night Lights: the father-son prep talks, the buddy scenes, the coach's inspirational speeches, the gruesome practices, the boy-meets-girl subplot, and the obligatory sports action. There are certainly cliches here, but I don't really mind. That's the kind of feel-good formula that actually works for the genre. We come to expect these cliches; no, we demand them. And Gann delivers with emotional punches.
Doubling as cinematographer, director Core (Daredevil) complements the script with a no-frill production. He aptly shows the time period without resorting to cheesy costumes and make-up. The details are subtle but persuasive. The cinematography has the customary hard edges and gritty looks for a sports film. The rotoscoping effect and close-ups during the action shots add to the excitement. While the production does follow a by-the-book plot line and has a crowd-pleasing climax complete with a heartfelt epilogue, it manages to stay afloat without overt sentimentality and sap. Best of all, it has real heart. Its uplifting themes are truly inspirational. It may not be as good as Miracle or Friday Night Lights, but it's a worthy addition to this invincible genre.
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks, Kevin Conway, Michael Rispoli, Kirk Acevedo, Dov Davidoff, Michael Kelly, Stink Fisher, Michael Nouri, Paige Turco
Director: Ericson Core
Writer: Brad Gann
Distributor: Buena Vista
MPAA Rating: PG for sports action and mild language
Running Time: 105 minutes
Ratings:
Script – 7
Performance – 8
Direction – 8
Cinematography – 7
Music/Sound– 8
Editing – 8
Production – 8
Total – 7.8 out of 10
The little road trip takes on some unexpected turns. Richard finds out his business partner Stan (Cranston) has canceled their deal. He gets into a big argument with Sheryl, while Frank is stuck in depression-land. Then something happens to grandpa and jeopardizes the whole trip. Finally, they arrive in Los Angeles and the family must learn to stick together for Olive's sake.
The cast works extremely well together. As Olive, Breslin (The Princess Diaries 2) is herself a little Miss Sunshine. Her cherubic chubbiness and affecting cheeriness are perfect qualities for the role. Kinnear (Invincible) is interesting as the straight man, the motivation guru who is quite a mess himself. Collette (The Night Listener) is impressively subdue as a character who tries to keep the family together but is not as strong as she seems.
Written by first-time scribe Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine is a cross between Napoleon Dynamite and National Lampoon's Vacation. Its quirky characters and funny circumstances strike a chord with the Sundance audiences. However, I think Arndt tries too hard to be peculiar, and in the process, the plot and the characters come off as somehow artificial. The characters hit all the marks on the quirk chart: neurotic mother, self-righteous father, brooding teenager, suicidal gay man, and a junkie grandfather; but sometimes they feel more like caricatures than real people.
The road trip plot has its hilarious, brilliant moments, and the dialogue is sharp. The VW microbus is itself a darn good character. However, part of the plot also feels contrived. For example, although they devote a whole scene to reveal the dysfunctional family's decision to take the trip, the scene just isn't all that believable. The ending almost seems too bizarre, but at the same time eerily familiar. We've all seen these pageants with little girls in heavy makeup and big hairs and frilly Las Vegas showgirl sequins. Ridiculous! Which leads us to realize how "normal" Olive and her family actually are compared to these circus freaks. That's the irony, and in that sense, the film is spot on.
Nora's whole dream depends on finding the perfect partner for her senior showcase. Tyler, being a gifted street dancer, volunteers to help. Their different backgrounds and world views clash immediately. Nora takes her craft very seriously, while Tyler thinks everything is a joke. They fall for each other anyway. Eventually, Tyler realizes that there is more to life than he ever imagined, and he has only one chance to prove that he can step up and take it.
Tatum (She's the Man) has the required good looks and physical agility to pull it off as Tyler. Dewan (Take the Lead) is sweet and cute, but she lacks a genuine emotional core to make us really care about Nora. Radcliff (Glory Road) is mostly wasted in a minor role, and newcomer Washington has the unthankful job of playing an irritating character whose fate is sealed from the very first scene. Sidora (White Chicks) doesn't have much to do except playing cute. Musician Mario (Destination Fame) is a standout. He brings a genuine quality to his basic role and makes us care about his character. The only name in the cast is Griffiths (Six Feet Under), who somehow turns a cookie-cutter role of the school's director into something realistic.
The dialogue is cheesy, and there are scenes that evoke groans and unintentional laughter from the audience. The characters are cut-outs and they lack genuine emotions or motives. Even their names -- Tyler, Nora, Miles, Lucy, etc. -- are generic. It's not to say they're unlikable; most of the time, they're just puppets instead of real people.
Even though this movie is totally unnecessary, it is not a complete disaster. What saves the film is its energy. While the actors and their characters are mostly clones, they do give off excellent vibes and jell very well with each other. Fletcher and her cast show real talent in the musical and dance sequences -- there are energy and joy, and they liven up the screen. For its target audience (mostly teens and young adults), its simple, artificial plot and likable clones of characters might just be enough to entertain and inspire. Still, if the filmmakers had devoted more time and effort in creating real characters and real situations and a real story, it could have been a step up from this Hollywood rehash.
Gabriel Noone (Williams) is a nationally heard radio show host who tells stories about his life every night. As he puts it, he "loots my life for stories, keep the exciting parts and discard the rest." He comes across a manuscript written by fourteen-year-old Pete Lodgand (Culkin), who is a big fan of Gabriel's. Pete's gripping story of abuse rivets Gabriel, and they continue to communicate on the phone. Pete is dying of AIDS, and he's recently moved in with his aunt, Donna (Collette). As Gabriel's relationship with his HIV-positive partner, Jess (Cannavale) crumbles, Gabriel becomes attached to Pete, feeling a strange bond to a boy he's never met.
Pairing Williams with Cannavale (Snakes on a Plane) as a couple does give some insight into the dynamic of that relationship. Cannavale plays Jess as an dying man who has been given a second chance, and his performance is spot on, even though his role is minor. Culkin (The Zodiac) has a good turn in a minor role playing the AIDS-ridden teenager, who may or may not be a figment of someone's imagination. Oh (Grey's Anatomy) is very natural as Gabriel's assistant, but she's not given much to do, except to add some lightness to the material. Morton (Stealth) is solid as an editor whose faith is shaken by a would-be fraud.
Writer Maupin (Tales of the City) adapted his own novel to the screen. The story is loosely based on his true experience, having befriended a teenager, whom he has never met in real life, via phone conversations. What transpires is actually a coming of age story masquerading as a psychological thriller. Unfortunately, except for a few disturbing moments, there aren't a lot of thrills. Not a lot of laughs, either. The heaviness of the film is insurmountable, coupled with Williams' somber characterization and Collette's intense portrayal of a manipulative woman. The multiple plot threads never really come together, and we question the motivation of these characters. These questions are rarely completely answered.