12 Mighty Orphans

Combining the allure of Texas high school football with a period drama about American resilience, 12 Mighty Orphans takes place more than 80 years ago but could still be relevant today.

However, this underdog saga adapted from the acclaimed 2007 novel by Jim Dent (The Junction Boys) embellishes and sanitizes some of the true-life details while tugging too aggressively at the heartstrings.

The story is set in 1938 in Fort Worth, Texas, near the end of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, when orphaned children reached record numbers nationwide.

At the Masonic Home for wayward orphans, Rusty Russell (Luke Wilson) arrives to start a football program, unaware that the boys barely know what football is, let alone how to play it. “You can either work the field or play the field,” is about the extent of his recruiting pitch.

With the school doctor (Martin Sheen) as his assistant coach, Russell deals with discipline issues and a lack of support from the abusive headmaster (Wayne Knight) while rounding his ragtag squad into shape.

Battling their circumstances as much as their opponents, the team is undersized and outmanned while using an innovative passing offense against larger foes, capturing fans near and far with each upset victory.

Straining to maximize its crowd-pleasing potential of the source material, the predictable screenplay by director Ty Roberts (The Iron Orchard) and actor Lane Garrison — who plays a supporting role as a rival coach — loses some credibility in the translation from page to screen.

Even if the didactic narration and stringy score seem heavy-handed, and the rousing speeches become overwhelming, the film tweaks rural Texas stereotypes in an endearing and nostalgic way.

The evocative period re-creation extends to the gridiron sequences, which help convey the essence of youth football past and present — giving players a sense of purpose and brotherhood, while rallying a community around kids who just play for the love of the game.

Sure, that’s corny. It’s still a powerful story about overcoming the odds with a built-in rooting interest. As played by Wilson, Russell is a stoic yet captivating presence whose passion matches his conviction.

At its best, 12 Mighty Orphans is an inspirational yarn that’s specific to its setting while resonating beyond geographic boundaries. Unfortunately, by borrowing pages from a well-worn narrative playbook, the film ultimately falls short of the goal line.

Rated PG-13, 118 minutes.