Step 1: Hit all the right beats. On the one hand, Invictus is a serviceable sports flick, but on the other, it’s a heartfelt true story of one great leader’s unyielding quest to unite his country.
Step 2: Tell a familiar story in a new way. There have been many movies about underdog sports teams trying to make good – and Invictus follows the same formula, focusing on the low-ranked South African rugby team known as the Springboks. Set in 1995, it is the year of the rugby World Cup tournament, to be hosted by South Africa, but the team doesn’t really stand much of a chance to win. It is also a very significant year for the country: Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman), who had been released from prison after 27 years, is serving his first year as South Africa’s president, marking an official end to apartheid. The leader believes he must set a precedent of forgiveness and reconciliation if he is ever to make the still racially divided South Africa whole again. And so, he confounds his loyal advisers by zeroing in on the rugby team – loved by and comprised mostly of Afrikaners but hated by the black population – and elicits the help of its team captain, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), to motivate his team to win the World Cup. Inspire the Springboks to greatness as a way to bring the country together as one, he tells Pienaar. An almost insurmountable task to say the least, but a challenge to rise to.
Step 3: Explain the title. “Invictus” is a famous poem by William Ernest Henley, which means “unconquered,” and is something Mandela would read to himself while he was incarcerated to help him make it through his ordeal. It’s the one that ends with “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul” and hearing Freeman recite it is one of the more affecting moments.
Step 4: Pick the only logical choice to play Mandela. Apparently, Mandela himself said that if any actor were to play him in a movie, he wanted it to be Morgan Freeman, which the actor responded by saying he’d be honored to do so. That’s when the two became friends, and Freeman, as a producer, started looking for a way to tell Mandela’s story. 
Then John Carlin’s book Playing the Enemy, on which the film is based, came Freeman’s way, and he finally found the perfect vehicle to give his friend proper due. Of course, Freeman is a wonder as Mandela, albeit a little taller than the real man himself. The actor completely embodies the saintly leader, down to his walk, the cadence of his speech – and most of all, the kindness in his eyes. Damon, too, is amazing and quite strapping as Pienaar, who at first is hesitant but then deeply affected by Mandela’s great desire for peace and unity. They should both get Oscar nominations, no question. The supporting cast also shines, especially Tony Kgoroge and Patrick Mofokeng as Mandela’s heads of security, who, on the request of Mandela himself, must work with the same white men who oppressed them earlier.
Step 5: Get a little help from your friends. The first and only person Freeman turned to to direct Invictus was old pal and collaborator Clint Eastwood, who brings his signature straight-shooting attitude to the story. There are generally no frills when it comes to an Eastwood film, no flourishes or auteur touches – just basic storytelling – which is OK but sometimes doesn’t allow for many surprises. For this kind of story, however, it works. Luckily, I didn’t know who won the World Cup in rugby that year (I’m sure not many of us Americans do), so I sort of got caught up in the final game, which Eastwood films with expert care. I think rugby is a wacky game to watch, however. That huddle, grunting thing they do at the start of play makes me laugh every time. Ultimately, though, this film is about how remarkable Nelson Mandela was during his first year in office. Regardless of how successful or unsuccessful he was during his term as president, you can’t overlook the man’s undeniable kindness and generosity of spirit. You sit there wondering how he could forgive, but then he makes it look so easy.
Level of difficulty in watching Invictus: Very easy – and incredibly inspiring. What is it about a good old-fashioned movie about the underdogs that gets you every time?
Step 1: Take a real-life story like The Blind Side, which on the surface sounds pretty sappy, and turn it into something honest, heartfelt and surprisingly inspirational.
Step 4: Support Bullock. The rest of cast are also quite engaging, starting with newcomer Quinton Aaron, who plays Michael with a soulful sweetness, a real gentle giant. Leigh Anne actually refers to him as Ferdinand the Bull – you know, the story about a bull who would rather smell flowers than fight in the bull ring. Country-singer McGraw does a nice job as the patient and understanding husband, married to a whirlwind of a multi-tasker. But the biggest standout is Jae Head, as the Tuohy’s youngest child Sean Jr., or S.J. for short. This little kid is hilarious as he easily accepts Michael as his big brother and then actually coaches him in football. Apparently, the real S.J. and Michael are so close, the boy was a big factor in the negotiations with the college coaches [played in the movie by the real men] trying to recruit Michael. They all had to offer S.J. something, like leading the team onto the field the first game, as part of the bargain.
Step 6: Pump that emotion only a true story can elicit. Thankfully, writer/director John Lee Hancock successfully navigates through the schmaltz and delivers an atypical inspirational film about family, football – and really, the importance of helping other people. Combining the story of Leigh Anne Tuohy’s remarkable connection to her adopted son Michael Oher with Michael’s ascent to football stardom simply works as a narrative. I believe this is actually better than Rudy (No! She said that?). And for the real Michael Oher, the story keeps getting better. After playing for the Tuohy’s alma mater Ole Miss, he was drafted last April to join the Baltimore Ravens. The real-life photos [one pictured above] during the end credits bring a tear to the eye.
