Members of the Lehigh Valley recently celebrated the premiere of the documentary Invincible: The True Story—created by independent content studio, The WorkShop—that tells the real story behind the 2006 Disney film, Invincible. New Tripoli native and director of the documentary, Tommy Caamano worked alongside Executive Producer Todd Donnelly, of Bethlehem, and Editor Ethan Quin, of Whitehall, to tell the authentic rags-to-riches story of former Philadelphia Eagles player Vince Papale.
Caamano has a special love for the underdog story. “This documentary helped us dig deeper beyond the script of Hollywood. We learned a lot about Vince’s life, which was amazing,” he says. “We show more of his story, and, ultimately, I hope people get a lot from that.”
“The response to the documentary has been incredible,” says Papale. “The ratings on REELZ have been just ecstatic. The Saint Joseph’s University graduate ran track throughout college, making his try-outs for the Eagles even more impressive. This once-in-a lifetime story takes fans back to the beginning of Papale’s life leading up to his experience with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Although he’s made it big, things were not always easy for Papale and his family, which viewers get to see in the documentary. “Hearing everyone in the production talk about things that I overcame was very emotional. A few scenes brought me to tears—especially the photos of my mother and father,” Papale says. He has thoroughly enjoyed watching both the movie and the documentary come together and says, “Aside from being able to fully share my story with my daughter, son and wife of 23 years, the best part about it has been seeing the impact it has made on so many different people. The feedback has been amazing.”
Apart from his success with Philadelphia Eagles, Papale has been recognized for his full-of-life spirit and down to earth personality. “I want people to see how likeable Vince Papale is. After you’re around him, you feel like you can do anything,” Caamano says. “We need more Vince’s in the world.”
