The Game of Their Lives (2005)

Based on a true story, this film tells the tale of the 1950 U.S. soccer team, who, against all odds, beat England 1 - 0 in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Although no U.S. team has ever won a World Cup title, this story is about the family traditions and passions which shaped the lives of the players who made up this team of underdogs.

Director:

David Anspaugh

Writers:

Geoffrey Douglas (book), Angelo Pizzo

Stars:

Wes Bentley, Gerard Butler, Gavin Rossdale

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gerard Butler	...	Frank Borghi
Wes Bentley	...	Walter Bahr
Jay Rodan	...	Frank 'Pee Wee' Wallace
Gavin Rossdale	...	Stanley Mortensen
Costas Mandylor	...	Charlie 'Gloves' Columbo
Louis Mandylor	...	Gino Pariani
Zachery Ty Bryan	...	Harry Keough (as Zachery Bryan)
Jimmy Jean-Louis	...	Joe Gaetjens
Richard Jenik	...	Joe Maca
Nelson Vargas	...	John 'Clarkie' Souza
Craig Hawksley	...	Walter Giesler
Bill Smitrovich	...	Admiral Higgins
Patrick Stewart	...	Older Dent McSkimming
Terry Kinney	...	Dent McSkimming
John Rhys-Davies	...	Bill Jeffrey (as John Rhys Davies)

Storyline

Based on a true story, this film tells the tale of the 1950 U.S. soccer team, who, against all odds, beat England 1 - 0 in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Although no U.S. team has ever won a World Cup title, this story is about the family traditions and passions which shaped the lives of the players who made up this team of underdogs.

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Plot Keywords:

world cup | brazil | 1950s | soccer | soccer movie | 

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Taglines:

The match against England in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on June 19, 1950 was "the game of their lives".

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Genres:

Drama | History | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild language and thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

IFC Films

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

22 April 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Miracle Match

Filming Locations:

Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$175,336, 24 April 2005, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$375,474, 12 June 2005

Company Credits

Production Co:

Independent Film Channel (IFC), Bristol Bay Productions, Peter Newman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

DTS SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1950, London bookmakers were offering odds of 500-1 against the Americans winning. Indeed, so staggering was the upset result, that the New York Times refused to run the score, as they believed it to be a hoax.

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Goofs

When the team arrives in Brazil, the game against England is constantly referred to as the team's opening game. However, in the 1950 World Cup the United States' first game was against Spain on June 25th. The game against England was played on June 29th and was the second game for the Americans.

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Connections

Referenced in The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Ben Kingsley/Bojana Novakovic (2014)

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Soundtracks

Opus One
Written by Sy Oliver
Performed by the Time Travelers Big Band
Courtesy of MuseNet.Com

User Reviews

Hoosiers.... Rudy.....

Contrary to the comment above, they do not say that they won the World Cup or insinuate that at all in the description (please read it carefully).

It's from a couple of great directors and is more about the backbone of the surroundings of the 1950's, family and the wide ethic backgrounds of that era. I didn't find it to be another Hoosiers or Miracle, but it's still a pretty good soccer movie (although Bend It Like Beckam was more entertaining). It's definitely worth a watch if you love sports in general and have any knowledge at all of the 1950's and all that was going on.