'12 Mighty Orphans' Is an Inspiring Football Drama with an All-Star Cast at the Virtual KCET Cinema Series on June 15

Q&A immediately following with writer/director Ty Roberts and actor Luke Wilson.

The true story of the Mighty Mites, the scrawny football team of an orphanage who went from playing without shoes—or even a football—to playing for the Texas state championships and inspiring their city, state, and an entire nation during the Great Depression. The architect of their success was a legendary high school coach and man with a mysterious past, Rusty Russell (Luke Wilson). The film also stars Oscar-winner Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Vinessa Shaw, Wayne Knight, Jake Austin Walker, and Treat Williams.

"I really wanted to capture the decency of someone like that," says Wilson, moved by Russell’s unshowy sense of sacrifice, which the actor identifies as a holdover from his military service. "For him, it was a classic sense of putting the country before yourself. The idea of someone like Rusty leaving a job at a prestigious school to go to an orphanage with his wife and young daughter, just to take a chance to help other people, putting his whole life and family on the line, struck me as a forgotten ideal. The role definitely helped me to want to try to be a better person."

Immediately following the screening, Deadline’s chief film critic Pete Hammond, who can also be seen on KCET’s Must See Movies, will moderate a Q&A with writer/director Ty Roberts and actor Luke Wilson.

The film screens on Tuesday, June 15 at 7 p.m. PDT. Only $10 per viewing link. Limited space available.

To sign up, click here.