christian movie review 12 mighty orphans

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12 mighty orphans, common sense media reviewers.

Corny, uneven sports drama has good cast, strong language.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Themes include empathy, perseverance, teamwork. Li

Rusty is an extraordinarily devoted coach and lovi

Hardy shows up at the orphanage covered in blood.

Innuendo about masturbation ("son, if you don't st

Cursing includes one use of "f--k" as well as "s--

Doc drinks a lot and is publicly called a drunk. C

Parents need to know that 12 Mighty Orphans is a Depression-era sports drama based on the true story of one of Texas' most storied coaches, Rusty Russell (Luke Wilson), who led a football team from an orphanage to the state high school championships. The movie explores both prejudice against orphans and the…

Positive Messages

Themes include empathy, perseverance, teamwork. Like most sports movies, emphasizes people from different backgrounds learning to work together toward a common goal, whether on the field or personally. Reinforces idea that individuals can contribute to an effort bigger than themselves, that people shouldn't underestimate others because of humble origins or circumstances.

Positive Role Models

Rusty is an extraordinarily devoted coach and loving husband and father. Doc is loyal to the students and football program. The boys all persevere despite odds stacked against them. Representation-wise, movie focuses solely on White characters, even though two players on the team are presented as Latino (their real-life counterparts are mentioned in the end credits).

Violence & Scariness

Hardy shows up at the orphanage covered in blood. The boys are hurt (sometimes repeatedly) if they disobey orders. The boys get into fistfights, pushing one another. A boy is purposely hurt and sustains a compound fracture. A mother repeatedly slaps her son at the orphanage when he doesn't want to go home with her. Peeping Tom incident.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Innuendo about masturbation ("son, if you don't stop shucking your corn, your cob is going to fall off"), overt comments about women's bodies ("here comes mama," "she has a nice rack"). A married couple hugs and kisses, as does an engaged couple.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Cursing includes one use of "f--k" as well as "s--t," "ass," "bastard," "trash," "son of a bitch," "damn," "dumb," "fat ass," "god-dang," "dirty," "stuttering Sasquatch," etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Doc drinks a lot and is publicly called a drunk. Characters smoke cigars and cigarillos.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that 12 Mighty Orphans is a Depression-era sports drama based on the true story of one of Texas' most storied coaches, Rusty Russell ( Luke Wilson ), who led a football team from an orphanage to the state high school championships. The movie explores both prejudice against orphans and the universal manner in which sports bring people together to work toward a common goal. There's occasional strong/insult language (one "f--king," plus "s--t," "ass," "son of a bitch," "dirty orphans," etc.), as well as sexual innuendoes, a couple of quick kisses, and a Peeping Tom incident. The players get into fistfights and are the victims of abuse from orphanage authorities and, in one case, a mother. Families who watch together can research the history of the real Mighty Mites from Forth Worth, Texas, and talk about the movie's themes of empathy, perseverance, and teamwork (as well as the problematic fact that the team's two Latino boys are kept completely in the background). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (5)
• Kids say (2)

Based on 5 parent reviews

Simply a GREAT movie

Predictable with expected twists, what's the story.

Director Ty Roberts' fact-based sports drama 12 MIGHTY ORPHANS compresses the story of the Mighty Mites, an untraditional high school football team formed in the Masonic Home & School in 1930s Fort Worth, Texas. As the movie starts, it's 1938, and teacher/football coach Rusty Russell ( Luke Wilson ) and his fellow teacher and wife, Juanita ( Vinessa Shaw ), arrive at the Masonic Home with their young daughter. The kids are treated abominably by abusive print-shop foreman Frank Wynn ( Wayne Knight ), who routinely beats the boys and scoffs at Russell's presumptuous desire to start a football program. No one has ever played the game before, but Coach Rusty, with the help of volunteer physician Doc Hall ( Martin Sheen ), gathers the boys -- most notably, resentful new resident Hardy Brown (Jake Austin Brown) -- teaches them the basics, and starts taking on other school teams, all of which are richer and more experienced, including the team of nastily rude Coach Luther ( Lane Garrison , a. co-writer).

Is It Any Good?

This corny underdog football drama has decent performances but doesn't quite live up to the inspiring history lesson or deep character study it could have been. Based on sportswriter Jim Dent's same-named book, the movie features the predictable feel-good aspect of most historical sports films: a team of ragtag players, a devoted coach, and all the odds stacked against them. The antagonists -- both Knight's Frank and Garrison's rival coach -- are ridiculously over-the-top, making nonstop cruel comments and coming across as sadistic in their desire to see the orphans completely downtrodden. All that's missing is some exaggerated mustache twirling to make their campy villainy complete. Their performances are so outlandish that it detracts from the dramatic arc of the team's season.

Despite Wilson's and Sheen's standout portrayals, the story doesn't focus enough on the individual players, aside from how Hardy arrives at the orphanage covered in his dead father's blood, or when Wheatie's unstable mother appears and starts slapping him. Several players barely get any lines, notably the two Latino boys who are present but kept completely in the background. Audiences learn more about these players at the end when photos of their real counterparts pop up on-screen. Even Rusty's character, whom we learn was an orphan himself, isn't as fully developed as other famous movie coaches. It's hard to decipher what really happened (reportedly, the movie condenses into one season what it took nearly a decade for Coach Russell to build, and it's unlikely that President Roosevelt would've been that invested in Texas football policies), but the movie may successfully compel audiences to learn more about the scrappy orphans who defied the odds both on and off the field.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why sports movies like 12 Mighty Orphans are so popular -- and often inspiring. What are some of your other favorites?

Discuss how the movie represents class and social status. Is it believable how overtly cruel the other players, coaches, and even announcers were? Did you notice any problematic representations?

What did you learn about the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression? Did the movie make you want to learn more about the time period? How can you research what's real and what's fictionalized? Why might filmmakers change the facts in movies that are based on true stories?

How do the characters demonstrate empathy , perseverance , and teamwork ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : June 11, 2021
• On DVD or streaming : August 31, 2021
• Cast : Luke Wilson , Martin Sheen , Vinessa Shaw
• Director : Ty Roberts
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Sony Pictures Classics
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : Sports and Martial Arts , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models
• Run time : 118 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : violence, language, some suggestive references, smoking and brief teen drinking
• Last updated : June 20, 2023

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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12 Mighty Orphans

Dove review.

This team was never supposed to be any good. They were certainly never expected to challenge the upper echelons of monied, aristocratic football in Texas. But behind two men who believed in what they could do and be as men and football players, the two-way-playing twelve orphans proved experts wrong and gave hope to the impoverished communities around Fort Worth.

Luke Wilson plays Russell as the hardscrabble mastermind behind the spread offense, the revolutionary way that a group of smaller, faster players could neutralize the bigger, stronger players on better established teams. Russell’s wife Juanita (Vinessa Shaw) and daughter provide emotional support he needs, while Martin Sheen’s Doc Hall serves as the narrator, humorist, and sage advisor to Russell and the rest of the team. The fact that Russell was an orphan, too? That only served to connect the boys to their coach, and remind audiences that sometimes, knowing how it feels to suffer gives us the ability to empathize with others.

Yes, the movie has football but this isn’t about football. It’s about resilience, and never giving up. It’s about standing up for the underdog, those without a voice, those forgotten about by society. It’s about choosing to take all of the hurt you’ve experienced and using it to serve others and to make yourself empathetic to people who act differently than you do. It’s about family that isn’t by blood but by circumstances and shared experience.

The Dove Take:

Due to prevalent language and some violence, 12 Mighty Orphans falls short of Dove approval, but certainly has strong messages about justice and self-worth for more mature audiences.

Dove Rating Details

Russell teaches the orphans to focus on hope and peace.

Flashbacks to war violence; football-related violence; boy found next to his murdered father covered in blood; orphans fight; orphan manager beats orphans; mother slaps orphan when he refuses to go home with her; compound fracture on the football field; orphan beats abusive adult.

Allusion to masturbation by teenage boy, sexual references about girls by the orphans.

Frequent uses of s***, h***, d***, h***, a**, son of a b****; piss; nuts; b------; God’s name is misused twice.

Dipping, drinking, teens drink.

Orphans shown shirtless in locker room.

More Information

Film information, dove content.

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• DVD & Streaming

12 Mighty Orphans

Content caution.

In Theaters

• June 11, 2021
• Luke Wilson as Rusty Russell; Martin Sheen as Doc Hall; Vinessa Shaw as Juanita Russell; Jake Austin Walker as Hardy Brown; Slade Monroe as C.D. “Wheatie” Sealey; Levi Dylan as Douglass “Fairbanks” Lord; Jacob Lofland as Leonard “Snoggs” Roach; Woodrow Luttrell as Leon Pickett; Bailey Roberts as Miller Moseley; Michael Gohlke as Cecil “Crazy” Moseley; Tyler Silva as Amarante Pete “A.P.” Torres; Manuel Tapia as Gonzolo “Carlos” Torres; Sampley Barinaga as Clyde “Chicken” Roberts; Preston Porter as DeWitt Coulter; Austin Shook as Ray Coulter; Wayne Knight as Frank Wynn; Mike “Rooster” McConaughey as Pop Boone; Robert Duvall as Mason Hawk; Lane Garrison as Luther Scarborough; Ron White as Sheriff Red Wright; Lillie and Josie Fink as Betty Russell; Natasha Bassett as Opal; Carlson Young as Annie; Larry Pine as President Roosevelt

Home Release Date

• August 31, 2021
• Michael Rianda, Jeff Rowe

Distributor

• Sony Pictures Classics

Movie Review

“Life’s difficult. Hard work leads to great beginnings, knowledge is power and education … well, boys, that’s the key.”

Coach Rusty Russell speaks these words to the orphans living at the Masonic Home in Fort Worth, Texas just moments after pulling them out of a sweat shop.

Rusty came to the home with his wife to teach and coach football. An orphan himself, he believes that by teaching the kids there how to play football, he can inspire them to respect themselves and to hope for a better future.

“You can work the field or play the field,” he says.

It won’t be easy. Most of the boys are stubborn and haven’t had much reason for hope before. Not to mention the fact that a lot of people don’t want the orphans to play. They see the boys as “inmates”—derelicts who will only cause trouble if they’re allowed to mix with other children.

But if Rusty can go from being an orphan to being a war hero to being a respected football coach, then who’s to say that they can’t too? He tells the boys that they are valuable, they are worthy, and they are mighty warriors . And soon, the whole nation cheers for these 12 mighty orphans: the Mighty Mites.

Positive Elements

Rusty and Doc (the Masonic home’s doctor) know that they are father figures not just to the boys on the team, but to every child living there, and they strive to live up to the name. Doc quits drinking to set a good example. Rusty refuses to let fear and anger control him despite his PTSD. And whenever one of the boys on the team messes up—whether it be on the field or off—Doc and Rusty teach him to learn from his mistakes, to be better next time.

Though it takes some boys a bit longer to come around than others, they all learn what it means to be part of a family. They build each other up, support one another and love their newfound brothers. They learn what it means to have hope, to never give up and to choose to do the right thing in spite of impossible circumstances.

Rusty’s wife, Juanita, is upset when they first move to the orphanage because he made the decision to move without her. However, as time passes and as she sees the good that she and Rusty are able to do in the lives of nearly 150 children, Juanita puts her reservations aside. Through every trial the home and the team face, she supports Rusty and reminds him of that good influence, demonstrating their strong marriage in the process.

Rusty is an attentive father to his own biological daughter, always making time for her even with his busy teaching and coaching schedule. He also defends his boys, stopping Frank (another teacher at the home) from punishing them. Rusty offers to be suspended himself when the team faces expulsion from the state football championship.

The Russells work hard to teach the boys math, science, history, reading and writing so they can all pass the state’s scholastic exams. A football player from a rival team shows good sportsmanship when he congratulates the Mites on a good game. We learn that Doc never accepted money for his decades of service as a doctor to the Masonic home.

The Mighty Mites ultimately inspire not just themselves and the other children living in the Masonic home, but the entire nation. Because of the Great Depression, the story of a war-hero orphan coach who overcame blindness to coach a team of 12 orphans to the state championship gives people hope.

Spiritual Elements

Someone compares the orphans playing football against bigger teams to the story of David and Goliath from the Bible. Someone says, “Speak of the devil.”

Sexual Content

We see teenage boys in their underwear and covered by towels. One boy accidentally drops his towel, and we see his exposed rear end. We see one boy in the shower from the shoulders up. A few couples smooch and dance together.

There are several verbal allusions to masturbation, and at one point, Doc advises one of the boys to stop after he contracts “jock itch.” The boys often talk about seducing women, sometimes crudely. We hear references to the male and female anatomy. There is a crude joke about incest.

One boy is punished after he gets caught spying on the girls in the home, though Rusty says the behavior is normal for a 16-year-old. The boys see a poster about a gentlemen’s club, and they also look at an adult magazine.

Men and boys are called “ladies” twice. A man jokes that another man’s shoes are meant for a little girl.

Violent Content

Frank, one of the teachers at the Masonic home, is a cruel and violent man. He beats the boys with a wooden paddle both for serious offenses (such as spying on the girls) and for minor ones (such as accidentally spilling ink on his shoes). He also drags them around by their ears and shoves them. It’s clear that Frank enjoys inflicting pain. He beats Snoggs (one of the boys) so badly that the boy can’t walk on his own, and Doc has to stitch him up.

In retaliation for Frank’s actions toward Snoggs, Hardy (the team’s toughest player) goes to Frank’s office and beats him with the wooden paddle until it breaks, leaving Frank bleeding and weeping in self-pity.

There is violence on the football field too, of course, which results in plenty of blood, bruises and broken bones. We see one person reset a broken nose, and a boy snaps his own finger back into place. One player, Hardy Brown, clocks several others, rendering them unconscious. [ Spoiler Warning ] In his ensuing career as a football player, he actually became known for knocking at least 50 men unconscious while playing.

During one game, a rival football coach instructs his player to take Hardy out of the game. Though the boy protests, he eventually obeys, breaking one of the Mites’ legs so badly that we see bone and the injured player never plays football again. (The boy who caused the injury regrets his actions after, and he apologizes profusely.)

We see flashbacks to WWI, where Rusty’s brother, George, was killed. We learn that Rusty was injured and went blind during the war but that he eventually healed. However, he occasionally has panic attacks due to his post-traumatic stress disorder. Hardy also experiences some episodes of PTSD, since he watched his own father get shot and killed right before his eyes. (When the sheriff first brings Hardy to the Masonic home, he is covered in his dad’s blood from sleeping next to the corpse.)

When the mother of a player named Wheatie (the team’s quarterback) shows up after abandoning him at the home 10 years prior, she slaps him while trying to convince him to come with her. She also flinches when her boyfriend shouts at her to hurry, indicating that there might be some domestic abuse there, as well. Wheatie throws a football at their car as they leave and then wrecks his bed in sadness and frustration after they’re gone.

The boys get into scuffles both on and off the field, sometimes with each other and sometimes with other teams. Doc throws a bottle of alcohol at a bus in anger. A man’s leg is set on fire and burned. A man stomps on another man’s foot. People threaten each other. One man sarcastically says he’s thinking about shooting the parents of his players to inspire them like the orphans. A man with a missing arm stands on the side of the road.

Crude or Profane Language

We hear nine uses of the s-word, and it appears that one man starts to say the f-word. There are about 30 uses of “d–n,” 20 of “h—,” 10 each of “a–” and “b–ch,” four of “b–tard,” three of “d–mit” and two of “p-ss.” God’s name is taken in vain six or seven times, sometimes paired with “dang.” Christ’s name is also abused once.

There are a few instances of adults telling children not to swear. Someone makes a crude hand gesture. The boys call Frank “Fat A–” behind his back.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Doc is an alcoholic, and someone calls him a “drunk.” Rusty counsels him to quit drinking several times, telling him that the boys will mimic his behavior if they see it. Rusty even pours Doc’s flask out one time. And sure enough, the boys sneak out one night with a jar of moonshine—though their hangovers the next day are punishment enough for this infraction, it’s suggested. However, by the end of the film, Doc empties his own flask and gets sober.

People drink alcohol and smoke cigars and cigarettes. Rusty says his father was a drunkard.

Other Negative Elements

Many of the orphans staying at the Masonic home were brought there by their own parents. Some parents were unable to afford to keep their children due to the Great Depression. (A flashback reveals that Rusty’s own mother promised to return when she left him and his brother at the orphanage.) Some were single mothers who simply didn’t want their children after their husbands left or died. But none of the parents ever return for their children—though we do see a few younger children getting adopted, much to the disappointment of the older kids.

The orphans are stigmatized as misfits and outcasts. People like Frank believe they’ll never amount to anything more than factory workers. They mock the kids for not having parents and treat them like second-class citizens.

Frank, especially, takes advantage, using the orphans to run his own personal sweat shop, violating child labor laws and purposely stopping them from getting an education. He also tries to get Rusty’s football program shut down, since it causes him to lose workers. He encourages the rumors that Hardy is too old to play on the team (and provides false evidence stating such), lies that Rusty is over-practicing the players and gloats whenever the kids are prevented from playing.

We see a man using a urinal. One boy vomits from nerves before each game. When someone accidentally spits a cigar butt onto a boy, the boy vomits.

Someone says letting orphans play football is “as dumb as letting women vote.” We see several homeless people living in a camp. Someone embezzles money from the orphanage. People bet on football games. We learn that a man lost his wife and baby during childbirth.

The most inspiring message that Rusty teaches the Mighty Mights is that they aren’t worthless. Instead, he counters, they are valuable. They are loved. They are mighty warriors. And the boys carry this message their whole lives, going on to successful careers in various fields and proving that orphans aren’t second-class citizens.

This true story is often heart-wrenching. We learn the various reasons the boys have become orphans—often because they weren’t wanted—but Rusty never gives up on them. And in turn, they learn not to give up on themselves.

Perhaps it’s to be expected in such a rough-and-tumble story, but we also have to point out that the film is filled with foul language. There are a few crude sexual references, and one boy is severely punished after he gets caught spying on girls living in the home. And while discipline in that case was certainly warranted, the method was not. The boy is beaten by Frank until he can’t walk. And sadly, Frank gets away with these cruel beatings throughout the film until the home’s director finally turns him over to the sheriff for child abuse, embezzlement and running an illegal sweat shop.

Because of those concerns, 12 Mighty Orphans certainly isn’t a film for younger children. And even families with teens should be cautious about its more violent moments.

Despite some shortcomings, however, this film still delivers a strong and powerful message about fatherhood. Because Rusty didn’t just bring football or academics to the Masonic home but a feeling of what it means to finally be part of a family.

Emily Tsiao

Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.

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3 Things to Know about 12 Mighty Orphans , the Underdog Movie Based on True Events

• Michael Foust Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
• Updated Jun 21, 2021

Rusty Russell is a brilliant but reserved man who has a new job and a new task: teach a group of high school-age orphans the game of football.

Russell has moved his wife and children to Fort Worth, Texas, in the middle of the Great Depression with the goal of launching a football program at the Masonic Home and School.

It will be fun, he says. It will teach them self-respect, he says.

It will also be difficult. The players have never played football. They aren’t motivated. They have no shoes, no jerseys and no pads. They also don’t have a football.

At first, the players push back on his efforts, refusing to learn the game. But then they begin to enjoy it. And then they get pretty good at it. And then they win their first game in a blowout.

Maybe Russell can succeed at the Masonic Home and School after all.

The film 12 Mighty Orphans (PG-13) tells the uplifting story of Russell and the Masonic Home and School, who find success in football and give the town something to cheer about in the midst of discouraging times.

As the narrator tells us, the orphans were the “classic underdog” story that the “common folk could get behind.”

Luke Wilson stars as Russell, while Martin Sheen stars as the school’s doctor and assistant coach.

Here are three things you should know about the film:

Photo courtesy: ©Greenbelt Films

1. It’s Based on a True Story

The plot may sound like an “only in Hollywood” tale, but in reality, it’s based on real-life events.

The Mighty Mites won games even though they were competing against teams with double and triple their enrollment.

The true story was re-told in a 2007 book by Jim Dent, Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football . (Dent also authored the popular book Junction Boys .)

Unfortunately for Masonic Home and School, its dominance ended when the U.S. entered World War II in 1941. They lost many of their best players, and Russell – seeing his hopes for a title dashed – moved to another school, Highland Park (where he coached the legendary Doak Walker).

2. It’s an Uplifting David vs. Goliath Tale

The best sports movies involve underdog stories with a compelling non-sports story as the backdrop. 12 Mighty Orphans has both.

On paper, Masonic Home and School had no business competing with the best football teams – much less fielding a team. At times, they didn’t even have a football. (The female students at the home sewed together a homemade cloth “football” and filled it with flour.) But once they were given uniforms and equipment (thanks to donations), they formed a remarkable bond.

The core of their bond was their shared status as orphans. (“No one cares about us,” one of them says.) Shunned by society, they considered each other part of their family.

Russell, in the film, labels it a “David vs. Goliath story.”

The uplifting, intriguing plot helps the film overcome a handful of hyperbolic moments. Martin Sheen, who plays the school doctor and also serves as narrator, helps carry the film.

3. It Has Biblical Undertones

Scripture commands us to care for the orphan and the widow ( James 1:27 ). Even though 12 Mighty Orphans isn’t a faith -based film, it nevertheless leaves you shouting “amen” when Russell takes up for his players.

“This is supposed to be a place to nurture the broken and the weak – the ones with nothing left,” Russell tells the school’s headmaster when the latter is considering kicking out one of the boys.

Russell tells his players they are unique and special. At another moment during the film, his wife tells him there is a “purpose greater than football.”

The film’s biggest downside for families is its PG-13 content. It has too much language for a film of this Disney-like genre (details below) and a couple of uncomfortable scenes of students getting paddled (by a character who is later arrested).

But if you can overlook the PG-13 rating, then 12 Mighty Orphans is an inspiring historical tale worth watching.

Rated PG-13 for violence, language, some suggestive references, smoking and brief teen drinking. Content details: Language includes d--n (25), h-ll (13), a-- (5), s--t (4), misuse of “Jesus” 1, misuse of “God” (1). The film includes a couple of jokes about sex and a brief scene (at night) of a nude male player from behind.

Entertainment rating:  3 out of 5 stars

Family-friendly rating:  3 out of 5 stars

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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12 Mighty Orphans

Haunted by his mysterious past, a devoted high-school football coach leads a scrawny team of orphans to the state championship during the Great Depression and inspires a broken nation along ... Read all Haunted by his mysterious past, a devoted high-school football coach leads a scrawny team of orphans to the state championship during the Great Depression and inspires a broken nation along the way. Haunted by his mysterious past, a devoted high-school football coach leads a scrawny team of orphans to the state championship during the Great Depression and inspires a broken nation along the way.

• Lane Garrison
• Luke Wilson
• Vinessa Shaw
• Wayne Knight
• 157 User reviews
• 39 Critic reviews
• 44 Metascore
• 2 nominations

• Rusty Russell

• Juanita Russell

• Hardy Brown

• Rodney Kidd

• (as Mike 'Rooster' McConaughey)

• Amon Carter

• President Roosevelt

• Sheriff Red Wright

• Leon Pickett
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Bailey Roberts ' character, Miller, wrote a book about his experience being an orphan and being a part of the iconic team.
• Goofs During the UIL hearing scenes, the flag of Texas is hung upside down. The red portion of the flag should be at the bottom, not white.

Rusty Russell : Oh, Doc, you should not have done that.

Doc Hall : I know. It was half full.

• Connections References It Happened One Night (1934)
• Soundtracks Do Re Mi Written by Woody Guthrie Performed by Luke Wilson and Martin Sheen Published by Ludlow Music Inc./Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc.

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• Runtime 1 hour 58 minutes

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Wholesome in the most “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” brand of mythical Americanism, “12 Mighty Orphans” is engineered to rouse emotions with uncritical pride, never reaching the less immaculate corners of the historical period it employs as canvas.

As schematic as they come, this is a movie about football innovation and good people helping parentless teenagers transition into more self-confident young men. Reworked from Jim Dent ’s novel, about the real 1930s-1940s Mighty Mites team from the Masonic Home and School of Texas, this on-screen reformatting directed by Ty Roberts is competently pedestrian.

A country emerging from the Great Depression serves as backdrop. President Roosevelt has put the New Deal in motion and the nation thirsts for hopeful stories that speak of a better tomorrow for all. Enveloped in that sentimentality is teacher, coach, and war hero Rusty Russell ( Luke Wilson ). He moves his family to an orphanage, the Masonic Home, to impact the resident boys’ lives through academics and, more vehemently, on the field.

Deployed early on and repeated throughout, bombastic editing choices call back to Rusty’s days on the battleground, creating visual parallels between war and football. These bits, which intermingle archival footage and black-and-white reenactments, cheapen the otherwise visual pleasantness of David McFarland ’s cinematography (even if he likely shot those unfortunate snippets too).      

The majority of the boys we meet, including the ones that make the cut for the dozen in question, don't get much of a backstory; some never even speak. Hardy Brown ( Jake Austin Walker ), the requisite unruly sheep, is the notable exception. Following both biblical parables and clichés pertinent to movies about coaches and underdog teams, he is the prodigal child that eventually comes around proving himself indispensable. Without Rusty saving him, he’s the MVP that could have easily gone MIA. 

Pent up anger permeates Walker’s performance. His dangerous self-destructiveness and pessimism give “12 Mighty Orphans” a slightly edgier tone. He cuts through Russell’s saccharine determinism, in spite of us being aware of the formulaic progression of the story. Given a more layered playfield to enact his craft, this young actor is capable of explosive, can’t-look-away moments.

At least Roberts, who co-wrote the screenplay with Lane Garrison and Kevin Meyer , knows his actors are the only inalienable assets. Wilson’s straight man aplomb, delivered in loud motivational speeches sharing his past lack of self-worth as an orphan himself, hammer home his position as a pastor of the field unwilling to leave his sheep unattended. A few instances of PTSD add vulnerability to this character, which also offers Wilson a shot at heartfelt paternalism. This based-on-a-true-story drama will look good on Wilson's resume.  

Rusty’s strict persona finds its counterpart in Martin Sheen ’s Doctor Hall, a man committed to these hooligans turned sportsmen but who battles an alcohol problem. The humble sharpness of Wilson and Sheen’s duo contrasts with the cartoonish villains trying to derail the team’s ascent to glory, one of them played by a clumsily violent Wayne Knight .

There’s a heavy reliance on montages to pack so much information they almost feel like trailers for their own movie. As Russell begins the player’s makeover from the inside out, feeding their minds with affirmations, we witness their rise in the public eye, with Roosevelt himself allegedly invested in their triumphs. Scrawny and inexperienced, their upper hand comes from their coach’s unique formations to maximize their speed. Russell is credited with devising the “spread defense” widely used now but a novelty then.

Surprisingly, with a story that appears so inherently conservative and WASPy, there is no overtly religious messaging. It truly is mostly concerned with the personal improvement by way of a mentor, even if it sort of dismisses all of the other factors that impoverished people have against them. Just like Mighty Mites become beacons for the masses, “12 Mighty Orphans” sells gung-ho aspirationalism.

In line with that forced innocence of the narrative, there’s no mention of the teens’ sexual awakening or much regarding their romantic interest in the girls they share the institution with or with their new fans. Rusty and Juanita Russell’s unbreakable marriage is the only union presented as legitimate (a player is also briefly seen giving his girlfriend a ring). In a way, Roberts’ movie exists in the same universe as “ The Conjuring ” franchise, which peddles nostalgia for a country of the past with traditional values and defined societal roles.

On a similar note, at least two of the boys presumably have Latin American heritage, probably Mexican: A.P. Torres ( Tyler Silva ) and Carlos Torres ( Manuel Tapia ). The lack of interest in them feels like a missed opportunity for deeper examination of this era from a non-white perspective. Surely being a dark-skinned orphan of Mexican descent was a different experience than that of the white teammates. We learn nothing about them outside from what’s in the end credits’ title cards. The most we get is Sheen saying one line in Spanish early on. There are ways to inject modern relevance to this coming-of-age period piece, starting with more fleshed out characters. 

Football fans, or those longing for bygone days of old timey sayings and men with conventional character, may find enjoyment in the film's spelled out structure. Others will be at the mercy of its barrage of inspiration, devoid of insight. 

Now playing in select theaters. 

Carlos Aguilar

Originally from Mexico City, Carlos Aguilar was chosen as one of 6 young film critics to partake in the first Roger Ebert Fellowship organized by RogerEbert.com, the Sundance Institute and Indiewire in 2014. 

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Film credits.

12 Mighty Orphans (2021)

Rated PG-13 for violence, language, some suggestive references, smoking and brief teen drinking.

Luke Wilson as Rusty Russell

Jake Austin Walker as Hardy Brown

Vinessa Shaw as Juanita Russell

Wayne Knight as Frank Wynn

Martin Sheen as Doc Hall

Tyler Silva as A.P. Torres

Robert Duvall as Mason Hawk

Gavin Warren as Young Rusty

Braden Balazik as Orphan

Manuel Tapia as Carlos Torres

Writer (novel)

• Lane Garrison
• Kevin Meyer

Cinematographer

• David McFarland
• James K. Crouch

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12 Mighty Orphans Reviews

If formulaic sports movies based-on-true-stories are your bag, you'll enjoy 12 Mighty Orphans just fine.

Full Review | Sep 25, 2023

12 Mighty Orphans is a welcomed addition to the sports film genre. It is a feel-good indie film that is sure to find its audience with its performances and overall message of hope.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jan 31, 2023

12 Mighty Orphans is a ragamuffin to Texas football glory tale that’s a welcome surprise. Ty Robert’s film earns its “incredible” true story tagline.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 9, 2022

Football? Orphans? Why this movie could practically write itself! And if it did, it would probably do a better job than this one's trio of screenwriters.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Jun 15, 2022

On paper (and in history), it's an inspirational story, but the filmmakers never figure out how to make the movie sing on its own.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jun 15, 2022

12 Mighty Orphans is ultimately a competent sports drama that for fans of the genre will more than likely engage and impress.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Feb 12, 2022

The fact-based 'Orphans' benefits greatly from its rough-hewn edges, period-appropriate, sepia-drenched cinematography, and its celebration of a game not played for riches or fame. It's an underdog feel-good piece lacking artifice or forced uplift.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 25, 2021

Despite some violent scenes, overall it is a heartwarming watch that tweens especially might enjoy.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 24, 2021

With a stellar familiar cast and a ripe pack of new talent, "12 Mighty Orphans" reminds me very much of the sleeper hit "Rudy" in 1993

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Sep 23, 2021

Proved too sentimental for me and something of a waste of a cast, led by Luke Wilson and Martin Sheen. Shame.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 19, 2021

The film never rises above the quality of one of those cornily saccharine made-for-TV Disney features that used to be confined to Sunday teatimes.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 17, 2021

With a classical approach ... it does not take enough advantage of the historical context in which it takes place. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 7, 2021

12 Mighty Orphans fails to capitalize on its potential instead of languishing as a run-of-the-mill sports story with little to make it stand out.

Full Review | Aug 21, 2021

Ty Roberts's tribute to the boys and their captain, orphanage teacher Rusty Russell, warms the heart and sparks hope, dipping its toe into sentimentality.

Full Review | Aug 10, 2021

We don't want to reinvent the game so we're going to use some standard plays.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 6, 2021

Who could resist a Depression-era sports drama involving Texas orphans and a gentle, do-gooder head football coach named Rusty Russell?

Full Review | Aug 5, 2021

Twelve Mighty Orphans is a feel-good film light on surprises but heavy on inspiration. It's predictable and old-fashioned, but it undeniably has its heart in the right place: right on its sleeve.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 5, 2021

Well worth its time. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 4, 2021

The blanket boosterism in this simplistic inspirational sports story obscures some uncomfortable details.

Full Review | Aug 4, 2021

Presents a story we've seen before (and done better) but it's difficult to not be a little swept up in its honest intentions.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 3, 2021

‘12 Mighty Orphans’ Review: Luke Wilson and Martin Sheen Topline This Solid Underdog Texas Football Drama

Square but satisfying, director Ty Roberts' classic, 1930s-set sports movie suggests that sometimes they do make ’em like they used to.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

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It’s hard to imagine a football coach starting off with less than real-life hero Rusty Russell ( Luke Wilson ) does when he arrives at Fort Worth’s Masonic Home in “ 12 Mighty Orphans ”: No shoes for his team, no field for his team and no team. Nothing but potential, you might say, and that’s just enough for an optimist to work with.

A veteran of World War I and an orphan in his own right, Russell took those shortcomings and revolutionized the game. He motivated just enough players to form a team and then innovated the so-called spread offense to take on bigger squads from stronger schools. The “Mighty Mites,” as they came to be known, embody practically everything that underdog sports movies are made of, and director Ty Roberts’ treatment (derived from Jim Dent’s fact-based book) hits nearly all the feel-good notes we’ve come to expect from the genre, with one extra: It signals a comeback of sorts for Luke Wilson.

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Born and raised in Dallas, Wilson never really disappeared from the game. In fact, he’s worked steadily since his breakout role in Wes Anderson’s “Bottle Rocket.” But somehow his career didn’t really deliver on his potential, peaking around 2003 with the release of “Old School” and the sequels to “Legally Blonde” and “Charlie’s Angels.” Wilson has since aged out of the movie-star box Hollywood tried to put him in — the slightly stiff Southern-boy romantic lead with the charming drawl and doofy grin — and into a different character-actor category, where there’s room to flex a bit. Then along comes Roberts (“The Iron Orchard”) with a project that positions Wilson as the earnest Everyman we kinda suspected he was all along, something like a cross between Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda.

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The movie feels as old-fashioned as those comparisons, photographed in a desaturated Dust Bowl brown and featuring uncomplicated, easily coded characters defined by one or two traits. It’s become fashionable to interpret Trump’s “Make America Great Again” motto as code for a sinister white supremacist agenda, but for a great many of the folks who identify with that phrase, “12 Mighty Orphans” represents the kind of folksy, clear-cut moral Americana they’re nostalgic for, and it’s no great mystery why Sony Pictures Classics decided to open the film (even before its Tribeca Festival premiere) in Texas and several other red-state markets.

Right from the start, we meet the team on the field of the state championship game, which tells us how far the Mites will go, even before discovering the modest origins from which they begin. Flashing back, the movie shows Rusty arriving at the Masonic Home, where he and wife Juanita (Vinessa Shaw) have accepted teaching jobs. It’s not clear how many young residents or adult authority figures the home has exactly, though there are two grown-ups who count: concerned/consistently inebriated longtime caretaker Doc Hall ( Martin Sheen ), who wants what’s best for the kids, and avaricious teacher Frank Wynn (a one-dimensional Wayne Knight), who uses them as forced labor in a for-profit printing press.

As it happens, 1938 (when the movie is set) was the same year the United States passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, prohibiting “oppressive child labor,” which may explain this rather Dickensian subplot. Knight’s cardboard antagonist exists primarily to create an internal foil for Rusty and Doc’s attempts to build character and inspire the orphans, who have no small number of adversaries on the outside as well. There are the representatives of rival schools, including the Polytechnic coach (co-writer Lane Garrison) who orders his team to “take that halfback out of the game,” and a last-minute rule requiring students to pass a standardized test in order to play, leading to a push to bring the seemingly illiterate orphans up to speed.

Such obstacles are par for the course in the genre, while others, like Rusty’s blinding wartime visions, seem downright hokey. The film’s novelty comes in the sheer goodness of certain other characters, such as, in brief cameos, Treat Williams (as Fort Worth Star-Telegram publisher Amon Carter), Robert Duvall (as an optimistic backer with only a couple minutes’ screen time) and Larry Pine, playing none other than FDR, who throws a metaphorical Hail Mary at a key moment. It’s all engineered to pay off in familiar ways, though the movie isn’t quite as predictable as you might think — even if audiences can sense that Doc will be giving up alcohol from the first time he sneaks a nip from his flask.

Elsewhere, “12 Mighty Orphans” manages to subvert a few of the expected clichés to reasonably original effect, and the ensemble of lesser-known young actors is across-the-board strong. As redheaded hothead Hardy Brown, Jake Austin Walker shows movie-star potential, while the rest of the team have the knobby faces, big ears and bad haircuts that make them simultaneously convincing as 1930s orphans and memorable in much the same way as the kids from up-class boarding-school dramas like “Dead Poets Society” and “School Ties.” This one ends with on-screen text telling us what the real-life athletes went on to achieve, and it would be no surprise if the young actors go on to have equally sterling careers.

Reviewed at Sepulveda Screening Room, Los Angeles, June 2, 2021. (In Tribeca Festival.) MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 118 MIN.

• Production: A Sony Pictures Classics release of a Greenbelt Films, Michael De Luca, Santa Rita Film Co. production, in association with Branded Pictures Entertainment, Carte Blanche, 12 Prods. Producers: Houston Hill, Brinton Bryan, Michael De Luca, Angelique De Luca, Ty Roberts. Executive producers: Mike Barr, Ryan R. Ross, Matt Barr, Kyle Stroud, Ryan R. Johnson, Martin Sheen, Rhett Bennet, Scott Helbing, J. Todd Harris, Greg McCabe, George Young Jr.
• Crew: Director: Ty Roberts. Screenplay: Ty Roberts & Lane Garrison, Kevin Meyer, based on the book by Jim Dent. Camera: David McFarland. Editor: James K. Crouch. Music: Mark Orton.
• With: Luke Wilson, Vinessa Shaw, Martin Sheen, Wayne Knight, Jake Austin Walker, Robert Duvall, Lane Garrison, Scott Haze, Levi Dylan, Jacob Lofland, Rooster McConaughey, King Orba, Treat Williams, Larry Pine, Slade Monroe, Michael Gohlke, Preston Porter, Bailey Roberts, Tyler Silva, Manuel Tapia, Sampley Barinaga, Woodrow Luttrell, Austin Shook.

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12 Mighty Orphans review – a most welcome surprise

12 Mighty Orphans is a raggamuffins to Texas football glory tale that’s a welcome surprise. Ty Robert’s film earns its “incredible” true story tagline.

Please don’t let the current Rotten Tomatoes score fool you. Most of these “qualified” critics gave up on 12 Mighty Orphans before the end of the first act and began scrolling through their social media. Ty Roberts ( The Iron Orchard ) bleeds Texas red, white, and blue, from Mark Orton’s fiddle score to the twang of its leading man. It is the very definition of an inspirational sports movie that embraces its roots. The kind that Disney used to produce almost twenty years ago. 12 Mighty Orphans is cut from the same mold as The Rookie and Miracle … You just some patience to get there.

Roberts’ tale is based on Jim Dent’s nonfiction bestseller, Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football. Incredible true story, indeed. Texas Football isn’t just a game, but a religion. And these kids made it to the state championship. Oh, did I mention they did it by playing Iron Man, with 12 players, two-way football?

The film chronicles coach Rusty Russell (Luke Wilson, channeling his inner Tom Landry), a ragamuffin himself, and feels a duty to come down to the Masonic school outside of Fort Worth, Texas. There are “only” 150 students at the school; most have been displaced because of the Great Depression. He was recruited by “Doc” (a delightful Martin Sheen), who saw him inspire a talentless group of players with optimism in Pennsylvania to a championship. That’s something these boys sorely need, he says.

He is met with skepticism and some competence by Frank Wynn (ranging from cartoonish to downright nasty by Wayne Knight). He runs things with an iron fist, a trusty paddle, and a woodshop class that’s a sweatshop that violates hundreds of child labor laws. It’s the Great Depression in Texas, and you have to earn money any way you can get it.

Admittedly, 12 Mighty Orphans hits a plodding start, with a fairly pedestrian opening scene where some filmmaker saddles themselves with flashbacks to establish the main characters’ back story. It’s cliched, and the production doesn’t have enough money to produce it effectively. Wilson, who I have been notoriously hard on the past, was hard to buy at first when you see him on screen, mostly because of poor film choices and the predisposition to play almost a caricature of himself on screen. More on that later

What holds the film together through the first act is Sheen. He is different than many of the men and women in Fort Worth. He is a bit of an odd duck, but every ounce of him is practically whimsical. From his gleaming white smile to his howling fits of laughter to find the fun in any situation, he keeps things positive for the viewer like he does for the boys. However, he is a drunk, but not a mean one. When you think he is a school physician with a shade of Patch Adams touch, he hits you over the head with why he has gone his entire life without a family. It’s a subtly moving scene.

I’m sure this isn’t a serious biographical film in terms of facts, nor could it be since it took place over 80 years ago. It used Dent’s nonfiction book as the inspiration. Think of the best sports films like Hoosiers and Rudy ? Those are incredibly loose on the facts yet are considered classics today. Do we know if Knight’s character is a real person or an amalgamation of several? Or just a way to move the plight of these boys’ stories to greater dramatic heights? That’s movies, people. If you love movies, you have to love genre films. And those are the rules.

That’s when things begin to change. You begin to buy into Wilson’s stoic charm and earnest nature. For the first time in years, Wilson drops the act he consistently adds to his roles to reflect the character of a true individual. That’s when you are treated to something surprising; if you are a football fan, this man reinvented the game. A passing attack and formations no one has ever seen before. He even invented the term “quarterback,” for God’s sake. The spread aerial attack has remained a staple in Texas college football. It’s now the dominant feature of the NFL, which is an annual billion-dollar business.

Yes, some of the acting, particularly by the younger cast, is overplayed and melodramatic. Though by the time the third act rolls around, Hardy Brown’s (played by Rectify’s Jake Austin Walker) halftime speech could have been eye-roll inducing, but it’s surprisingly rousing. I will say that Roberts’ go-to-muse, Lance Garrison, who so good in The Iron Orchard and Camp X-Ray , is wildly over-the-top here as Polytechnic coach Luther. He looks and plays the role like he is in charge of a Nazi fire quadrant ripped from a Indiana Jones film.

I read a criticism over the way Russell’s wife, Juanita (Vinessa Shaw), is treated because she doesn’t have a say in their future, which was the basis for disliking the film. How head-scratching is that? How do you think life was in 1930’s America? Should we choose to change history because of the social movement we are living in today? We only embrace authenticity if it suits our ideals? What do you expect out of the Great Depression picture? You can’t have it both ways.

12 Mighty Orphans is not a perfect film, but it becomes a very good sports film before the credits roll. It has good production value and eye-catching cinematography (particularly the football scenes at the film’s climax). It also has the guts to stick to an ending that won’t be a crowd-pleasing one. It’s a solid sports film with good performances, and its “incredible” tagline is earned.

Article by Marc Miller

Marc Miller (also known as M.N. Miller) joined Ready Steady Cut in April 2018 as a Film and TV Critic, publishing over 1,600 articles on the website. Since a young age, Marc dreamed of becoming a legitimate critic and having that famous “Rotten Tomato” approved status – in 2023, he achieved that status.

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‘12 Mighty Orphans’ Review: A Team Effort

Based on a true story of Texas high school football in the Great Depression, this film treats viewers like children.

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By Ben Kenigsberg

Inspired by a true story of parentless teenagers whose tenacity on the gridiron raised spirits in the late 1930s, “12 Mighty Orphans” is a plodding football drama in which the characters talk to one another like folksy social workers. The condescending tone extends to a voice-over from Martin Sheen, who plays an orphanage physician. He brings viewers up to speed on American history (“It’s hard to remember which came first, the Dust Bowl, or the Great Depression”) and the movie’s message. The team’s coach, Sheen’s character narrates, “knew that football would inevitably bring self-respect to these boys.”

That coach, new to the Fort Worth, Texas, orphanage, is Rusty Russell (Luke Wilson), who bears the scars of World War I and of having grown up an orphan himself. Here, with the help of a sketch his daughter draws, he will pioneer the spread offense. His players will develop into a swift and strategic team, with Hardy Brown (Jake Austin Walker) becoming the most fearsome among them. Hardy also delivers one of the purplest halftime pep talks in memory.

If the film’s version of events can be believed, F.D.R. himself (Larry Pine) intervened to help the team. But any hope that the movie, directed by Ty Roberts, might leave room for nuance is dashed by two cartoonish villains — a scheming rival coach (Lane Garrison, also one of the screenwriters) and an authority figure (Wayne Knight) who embezzles money and hits the students with a paddle. “12 Mighty Orphans” displays a similar lack of restraint when manipulating its audience.

12 Mighty Orphans Rated PG-13. Football violence and corporal punishment. Running time: 1 hour 58 minutes. In theaters.

’12 Mighty Orphans’ Ending Explained: Do the Mighty Mites win the championship?

12 mighty orphans plot synopsis.

12 Mighty Orphans tells the story of real-life football coach Rusty Russell who moved with his family to Texas during the time of the Great Depression to work at The Masonic Home for Orphans. He was hired to be the boys’ maths teacher and sports coach but after learning of the horrific abuse they suffered at the hands of the home’s cruel warden Frank Wynn, Russell also became their friend and protector.

While at the orphanage, Russell, with the help of Doc, the home’s kindly physician, taught a small group of boys the intricacies of football. He turned them into a team, The Mighty Mites, and led them to the Texas High School State Championship, where they faced off against a team of schoolboys who were more privileged and stronger than they were.

Did the boys rise against the odds and win? Keep reading to learn more.

Were ‘The Mighty Mites’ a strong team?

Not initially, no, although this is hardly surprising. These boys had very troubled pasts so were already broken and dejected when Rusty formed the team. As the orphanage’s director didn’t stump up the cash to buy these boys’ football shoes, they also had to play in their bare feet, which was obviously problematic for the boys when trying to play the game.

Still, Rusty Russell, who was already a respected football coach, did what he could to instil hope and self-confidence into the young orphans. Slowly but surely, they began to gel as a team and get better at the game, despite a challenging start. Unfortunately, after overcoming their lack of talent and the necessary footwear, various other setbacks were put in their way before they earned a place in the championships.

What setbacks did ‘The Mighty Mites’ face?

One of the biggest setbacks the boys faced was the low opinion they had of themselves. Having been treated as rejects for most of their lives, they had to overcome their personal feelings about their own self-worth.

They also had to deal with Frank Wynn who didn’t agree with Rusty filling them with hope and passion. Frank regularly beat the boys with Bertha, his punishing cricket bat, and this broke their already low spirits even further.

Without proper shoes, sports equipment and a confident self-belief, learning how to play football didn’t come easy for the boys. But even when they did get better at the sport, there were further setbacks to come. To be admitted into the “Interscholastic League,” they had to pass a basic aptitude test, which some of them weren’t equipped for.

For those that did pass, they still faced scorn from competing football players and their coaches, so life on the field wasn’t easy when they finally got the opportunity to face off against other teams.

Did ‘The Mighty Mites’ win any games?

The Mighty Mites played their first match against the The Poly Parrots and lost. But despite being smaller and slimmer than many of the other players on the field, they did start to excel and win more games. This ragtag group of youngsters eventually made their way to the semi-finals and won, although their victory was not without cost. Fairbanks, one of their key players, suffered a nasty injury and had to be removed from the team.

As such, the Mighty Mites earned their place in the State Championships, but with only 11 players instead of the usual 12.

Did ‘The Mighty Mites’ win the State Championships?

The Mighty Mites had to face off against the Sandies in the State Championships, a team that was bigger not only in size but in stature too. They put up a good fight regardless, despite suffering injuries on the field when playing against these burlier players.

Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, The Mighty Mites failed to score and the opposing team took the victory. But despite losing the match, these boys, whose chances of a bright future seemed slim only months before, achieved something much better than a football trophy. They gained a belief in themselves, which, for a team that started out with literally nothing, was more than they could ever have dreamed of.

Did the orphans go on to have good lives?

Yes, according to the information we receive as the end credits roll, many of the boys went on to have successful lives, despite the incredible hardships they had to endure when they were younger.

Rusty Russell can be credited for some of their future success as he inspired them to be better than they thought themselves to be, both on and off the field. One of the orphans, Hardy Brown, even went on to play for the Washington Redskins in the NFL.

Rusty went on to coach other teams and was eventually inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame.

Snivelling warden Frank Wiley didn’t have such a good life, however, as he eventually drowned while on a swimming excursion with some of the boys from the orphanage (this isn’t mentioned in the film). “God is on our side after all!” one of the boys apparently exclaimed after the demise of the wicked warden. Source .

Read More: 12 Mighty Orphans Movie Review

Thanks for reading our Ending Explained article! What did you think of the ending? Have we missed anything? Did you predict the ending? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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3 thoughts on “’12 mighty orphans’ ending explained: do the mighty mites win the championship”.

Loved this movie❗️ Great acting❗️ It is wonderful that many of the children had wonderful adult lives, per the extra information thanks to Google.

Oh wow, you were one of the Mighty Mites? Thanks for leaving us a comment!

Great movie I am a mighty mite 1970_1972

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Indie Film Critic

’12 mighty orphans’ movie review.

It is an inspirational story that scores a touchdown.  It is impossible not to root for the ragtag team of orphans that go up against the top high school football powerhouses during the Great Depression.  Writer/director Ty Roberts lands a first-rate cast led by Luke Wilson as the new coach.  He has a daunting task.  He has to teach them how to play the game of football.  Heck, they don’t even have shows or pads at the first practice.  The heart of the film is that many of the orphaned men go on to make important contributions to society.  Sports teach essential life lessons and ’12 Mighty Orphans’ lets us stand up and cheer the underdog.

Rusty Russell (Luke Wilson) has landed a teaching and coaching job at the Masonic Home, an orphanage near Forth Worth, Texas.  He has the support of his wife (Vinessa Shaw).  Rusty gets a lot of resistance from a villain played by Wayne Knight, better known as Newman on Seinfeld.  Luckily, Rusty gets support from Doc Hall (Martin Sheen) who also narrates the story.  He helps the coach navigate the good old boy administration.  It is rough going as the boys learn the game of football.  They get routed during the first game as they take on an elite high school.

This is where the story gets interesting.  With the help of his daughter, Betty, he creates an innovative formation that helps them win games.  Of course, Rusty leads them to the point of a state championship.  Since the story takes place during the Depression, the ragtag team of orphans wins the admiration of the public including President Roosevelt played by Larry Pine and a cameo from the venerable Robert Duvall.  One of the best lines in the film is when Doc Hall tells Rusty, “The best horses are the hardest to break.”  The orphans were looked at as misfits and second-class citizens.  Football gave them something to be proud of.

The big message to take away from ’12 Mighty Orphans’ is how football taught the boys about life.  Leonard “Snoggs” Roach (Jacob Lofland) eventually became a detective for the Houston Police Department.  Leon Pickett (Woodrow Littrell) worked for the Gulf Oil Company and Miller Moseley (Bailey Roberts) worked on the Manhattan Project and later taught math at Texas Christian University.  And football star Hardy Brown (Jake Austin Walker) played 12 seasons in the NFL.  The ending credits are a powerful reminder how Rusty Russell had a powerful impact on his players.

‘The Might Orphans’ is a solid inspirational sports movie.  It shows how going through adversity makes us overcome and succeed in life.  They were a group of boys that society tossed aside.  It was the Great Depression and the public needed an underdog to cheer.  They pulled themselves up from their bootstraps to become winners on the gridiron and in life.  ’12 Mighty Orphans’ is a must-see for sports fans.

12 Mighty Orphans Rating

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12 Mighty Orphans Parent Guide

"the thing about football is that it is not just about football.".

In Theaters: The Mighty Mites have a big name, even if underneath they’re just a dozen scared, untrained, hungry orphans trying to get by in Texas during the Great Depression. But they might have a chance at the state championship…

Release date June 18, 2021

Run Time: 118 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by donna gustafson.

As the Great Depression of the 1930s blows across Texas, Rusty and Juanita Russell (Luke Wilson and Vinessa Shaw) make their way towards Fort Worth. Rusty, a teacher and football coach, is leaving behind a promising start to his career and heading for the Masonic Home for Orphans in the hopes of doing some good there. Juanita, also a teacher, is reluctantly following her husband.

The impoverished and uneducated teens they find at the charitable institution are treated more like inmates than students. And the school’s military-style administrators aren’t anxious to change the way things have always been done. Not even the rebellious youth they have come to serve are much interested in the vision the Russells’ have for their future. To make things worse, the boys know nothing about football.

Based on Jim Dent’s book, Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football , the movie recounts the incredible struggles and amazing accomplishments of these rough and tumble misfits who eventually qualify to play in the state championships. It also highlights the innovations Coach Russell introduces to the sport to make his underweight players competitive on the gridiron while facing much heavier and more experienced opponents. And it brings back to remembrance how this underdog team caught the imagination of beleaguered citizens – all of whom needed reasons to cheer and be cheered on through difficult challenges.

Viewers should be forewarned that this depiction of these scrappy boys comes with some equally raw portrayals. The contact sport is shown in detail with bloody injuries and bone-crunching sound effects. Players constantly get into fights with each other and member of opposing teams. Characters have to deal with trauma caused by the loss of loved ones, abandonment of parents and the effects of past war service. Discrimination from the community is rampant and authority figures verbally and physically abuse these under-privileged youth. Other concerns include sexual slang, innuendo, alcohol use and frequent profanity.

Despite this content, some predictable storylines and the script’s tendency to spout philosophical counsel, 12 Mighty Orphans speaks volumes about the need for hope, the value of believing in one’s self and the tenacity it takes to score on an uneven playing field. The life lessons in this film have the potential to inspire parents and their older teens – almost like the original team inspired a nation.

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Donna Gustafson

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12 Mighty Orphans Rating & Content Info

Why is 12 Mighty Orphans rated PG-13? 12 Mighty Orphans is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for violence, language, some suggestive references, smoking and brief teen drinking.

Violence: The movie contains images of homeless, impoverished people during the drought and great depression of the 1930. Portrayals of WWI trench warfare are shown which include gunfire and gas attacks, along with injured, dead and dying soldiers. Frequent football tackles, (some fair and lots foul) and sports injuries are depicted in detail with sound and blood effects. Characters verbally tease, bully and antagonize one another, often resulting in fistfights. Orphaned children mention the death of their parents or being abandoned by them. Characters deal with loss, grief, betrayal and post-traumatic stress. A teenaged boy is shown covered in blood after the death of his father. A dead rat is shown. An authority figure verbally and physically abuses teens, often beating them with a bat. Other abusive relationships are inferred. A mother slaps her child across the face. Angry characters act out in violent ways, hitting, fighting and physically retaliating against others, or causing property damage. Rebellious characters mouth off and defy rules – extra physical exercise is given as punishment. A man’s leg catches on fire. Sexual Content: Slang terms are used to refer to masturbation. Some sexual innuendo and crude jokes are heard. A married couple kisses. A boy peeks at girls through their dorm window. A nervous character frequently vomits. Male characters are seen in a shower room, bare chests are shown, and nudity implied. A towel falls off the waist of a recently showered character and brief, rear male nudity is seen. Urination is implied during a bathroom scene. Profanity: Frequent mild and moderate profanity is heard throughout the film. Some sexual slang terms are used. Name-calling and insults occur. A sexual finger gesture is shown. Alcohol / Drug Use: An adult character drinks alcohol frequently and is called a drunkard. Teen boys steal liquor, drink it and become drunk. Characters are seen smoking cigars and cigarettes.

Page last updated October 2, 2021

12 Mighty Orphans Parents' Guide

What do you think motivates Rusty to make the sacrifices he does for the orphans? What part does his optimism play in his choices? What causes would you be willing to sacrifice for? Why does he believe football will help the boys gain self-respect? What things help you build your self-respect?

How does the label “orphan” affect the way these parentless teens are viewed by others? How does it affect the way they see themselves? What words does Rusty use to describe the boys? Why is it important for them to gain a greater vision of who they are and what they might become?

Rusty reminds Doc that the two of them are father figures for the boys. What responsibilities come with being a role model? How would you behave if you knew others were looking up to you?

Learn more about the real 12 Mighty Orphans .

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The Blind Side is anothermovie featuring football and an orphan. A young man named Rudy uses his desire to play football to change his future too. Also based on a true story, We Are Marshall depicts how the sport helped other players overcome grief and loss.