Mr. Irrelevant is generating major 2026 Oscar buzz because of record-breaking test screening scores and a prime holiday release date.
Why the Film Has Buzz:
High Test Scores: The movie earned a rare 92 overall score during test screenings. It scored a perfect 100 with women over 35 and a 95 with men over 35.
Studio Priority: Paramount Pictures turned the film into their main holiday priority after seeing these strong audience reactions.
Emotional Story: The film is a true-life sports drama that touches on serious and moving themes.
However, my wife, who is a woman over 35, was completely uninterested when I mentioned the movie and it's premise.
Prince of a guy. Tough as nails. From San Jose area.
He made an opening drive, off tackle run for about 15 yards in the 1980 Big Game and destroyed the safety. He just crushed the guy. I think it was safety Vaughn Williiams.
It set the tone for the game.
We sent Elway and company packing with a 28-23 win.
Also, there's a 30 for 30 documentary on John and Mr. Irrelevant, and it's the only time I've seen Bill Parcells get emotional.
Oh that reminds me, a few weeks ago a young co-worker was not at work that day, but I was trying to remember which uni she went to (it was UCSB), so I went to her LinkedIn, and there I learned that at Independence High School, she was the recipient of the John Tuggle Service Award! When she got back to the office I reminded her of the award. I don't think she knew (or remembered) who John Tuggle was. At our next scrum meeting, I informed everyone that she was the recipient of this prestigious award, and I went on to explain who John Tuggle was, and that they just made a movie about him, so they will be able to see his story on the big screen on Christmas!
I briefly came to know John from the Irrelevant Week connection, and recognized him as a mensch. For those who have re-watched the 1982 Big Game, for pleasure or pain, you saw that he was a bull at running back. I am the only person to have welcomed him to Irrelevant Week VIII with a trombone fanfare (Olympic Fanfare/Flintstones Theme mashup).
Wow, Gary T, gracing our pages, over 100 times now. This makes TWICE you and I have been in the same place at the same time!
Thanks for being such a good sport about it for all these years! You cannot imagine the joy those few seconds have given me, over and over and over again!! It's almost like a unifying force for our family, and now that I think about it, you are even framed on a wall in my house!!
Hahaha, I'm tickled to know you! It's like reliving the glory all over again! That's it, I'm gonna go down onto the field and enter the locker room all over again!
But, but, wait a minute…. That's not a trombone. That's a saxophone! You mean, all these years I've been confused??? Please do explain!
Oh, wait. THERE'S the trombone, on the right. But it's not the trombone whom Moen is about to smash.
What are you, some kind of imposter? The sax player didn't want the glory, so you took it?
I can't believe this…. 46 years later, we are still discussing this.
So, please do share, who is who here? And do you all still gather and talk about it?
I think for the 50th anniversary, the Stanford band should enter the field to play it's halftime performance by pouring over the wall in re-creation of how it was done in '82. I'm sure you can make that happen Gary, aka Stanford-Cal rivalry glue. Good on you!
Another trombone:
Revisionist history? But it was the sax who got smashed. What gives?
Okay, we're going to have to go full on Zapruder with this - or at least take the opportunity to shed a few more 6am tears of joy!
By the way, you know who an unsung hero in all this is? The photographer!
Wow, Gary T, gracing our pages, over 100 times now. This makes TWICE you and I have been in the same place at the same time!
Thanks for being such a good sport about it for all these years! You cannot imagine the joy those few seconds have given me, over and over and over again!! It's almost like a unifying force for our family, and now that I think about it, you are even framed on a wall in my house!!
Hahaha, I'm tickled to know you! It's like reliving the glory all over again! That's it, I'm gonna go down onto the field and enter the locker room all over again!
But, but, wait a minute…. That's not a trombone. That's a saxophone! You mean, all these years I've been confused??? Please do explain!
Oh, wait. THERE'S the trombone, on the right. But it's not the trombone whom Moen is about to smash.
What are you, some kind of imposter? The sax player didn't want the glory, so you took it?
I can't believe this…. 46 years later, we are still discussing this.
So, please do share, who is who here? And do you all still gather and talk about it?
I think for the 50th anniversary, the Stanford band should enter the field to play it's halftime performance by pouring over the wall in re-creation of how it was done in '82. I'm sure you can make that happen Gary, aka Stanford-Cal rivalry glue. Good on you!
Another trombone:
Revisionist history? But it was the sax who got smashed. What gives?
Okay, we're going to have to go full on Zapruder with this - or at least take the opportunity to shed a few more 6am tears of joy!
By the way, you know who an unsung hero in all this is? The photographer!
The photographer is an interesting person, the late Robert Stinnett, USN veteran and historian, professional photographer for the Oakland Tribune.
Watching the film, the famous picture was actually taken just after Kevin crossed the goal line, before Kevin ran into Gary, which was near the back of the end zone. Not sure where the photographer was standing, but he must have used a longer lens to take the picture. He was just in the right place at the right time.
Not sure where the photographer was standing, but he must have used a longer lens to take the picture. He was just in the right place at the right time.
Oh, no he's clearly visible in the video standing right there.
Look at this image. Look just to the left of Moen. That's Stinnett .
Thank you, concordtom! I'll watch for your invitation to spend Thanksgiving with you and your family. Others have noted that I am not in Mr. Stinnett's iconic photo. Imagine how baffled/ freaked out I was the next morning, the first time I saw that photo, which resembled what I saw right before my world turned upside down.