[2] The film stars Luke Wilson, Vinessa Shaw, Wayne Knight, Jake Austin Walker, Jacob Lofland, Levi Dylan, Robert Duvall and Martin Sheen.

Over the course of their winning season, these underdogs and their resilient spirit became an inspiration to their city, state, and an entire nation in need of a rebound, even catching the attention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Recognizing that his scrawny players could not beat the other teams with brawn, Rusty developed innovative strategies that would come to define modern football.

[14] Sony Pictures Classics acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film in January 2021, five months pending the official release.

The site’s critics consensus reads: "12 Mighty Orphans will rouse faithful fans of old fashioned inspirational sports dramas, but the target audience has seen this sort of thing done more effectively before.