You've seen the trailers for "80 for Brady" — the film about four older women who are so obsessed with former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady that they take a road trip to watch him play in Super Bowl LI in Houston.
Maybe you've even seen the whole movie — it was released in theaters on Feb. 3.
Well, most of that story isn't true.
While the movie is based on a true story, the actual group of senior citizens never attended the Super Bowl, according to Attleboro resident Bob Riccio. He's the son of Anita Riccio, one of the women about whom the recent film is based.
"They always got together for games at one of their condos, but they never traveled anywhere like they did in the movie," Bob Riccio said. "And when they did get together, it was only for day games. They never went anywhere at night."
What's more, he added that there were five women in the group, whereas the movie portrayed four.
Riccio said the original group included Claire Boardman, Elaine St. Martin, Betty Pensavalle, Pat Marx and Bob's mom, Anita. Boardman, of Attleboro, died last September at age 95.
"Don't get me wrong, it's a very cute movie," Riccio said. "But it's fiction. We didn't have much contact with Tom Brady or anything, but everyone we did talk to on the movie was very professional."
These days, Marx lives at The Village at Willow Crossings, a Benchmark independent assisted living facility in Mansfield; and Anita Riccio resides at The Branches of North Attleboro, an assisted living and mind and memory care community.
"Unfortunately, my mom has dementia," Riccio said, adding that he and his siblings, Richard and Dianne, tried explaining to her that a movie was being made about her but that it "didn't register."
He added that despite that, she's lived a wonderful life, had amazing friends and is now 94 years old.
Marx's daughter, Wrentham resident Laurin Gibson, said her mom's love of football started early. Her father, Ed, and her mother moved from Springfield to North Attleboro in the early 1950s for Ed's teaching and football coaching job at North Attleboro High School.
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“North Attleboro High School football games were the place to be — the entire town showed up," Gibson said in a written statement. "Even the coaches’ wives were recognized at the annual Thanksgiving game against their Attleboro rivals."
Gibson went on to explain that it was through football that her mom got to know Pensavalle, the wife of the high school’s head football coach, Conrad Pensavalle.
Betty Pensavalle and Pat Marx soon became fast friends.
It was around the same time that the Riccios moved to Attleboro, and before long, Anita became friends with Pensavalle and Marx.
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Soon, all of their families began spending a lot of time together, watching Patriots games, attending parties and doing other activities.
Boardman, whose children went to school in Plainville with Bob Riccio and his siblings, was also part of the group, along with St. Martin, originally a friend of Pensavalle.
“I have many fond memories of spending time at Betty’s house with her five kids," Gibson stated. "They were like a second family to me."
“From the time I was a child through high school, every Fourth of July we would go over to Betty’s house where everyone would be," Riccio added. "We also went on many ski trips together."
He explained that as time went on, and the five women began losing their husbands, they bonded by watching Patriots games together on Sundays.
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“My mother really got into (the Patriots) after my dad passed away in 2004," Riccio said. "She liked watching football and Tom Brady. I think it was more about the socializing and getting together than it was about the actual game."
Riccio said it was Pensavalle's grandson — Max Gross, a Hollywood agent — that caught on to the fact that the women were watching Patriots games together. The idea was expanded on, and Gross pitched it to Brady's production company, 199 Productions, Riccio said.
"And Tom Brady liked the idea," Riccio said, noting that the ball then started rolling on making the movie.
"80 for Brady" can now be viewed at home, as it is on sale through on-demand purchase via cable. It stars Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field.
