I saw this movie a month or so ago. I enjoyed it, and wasnt expecting it to show any food poisoning etc. I thought the story was good, and enjoyed the parts where Mandela and Pienaar were talking. I enjoyed most of the movie until it came to the final. And not because NZ lost. I enjoyed the build up to the final etc. It was the actual game that annoyed me, it went on for way too long, considering it was a game with no tries. It dragged on, and spoiled the movie a little. After watching the movie, I can understand now why it was so important for South Africa to win that World Cup, and why Mandela was so keen for it. I don't believe for one moment that Mandela had any knowledge of the poisoning, but i can see how someone would have gone to great lengths to make sure they won? I read where Sean Fitzpatrick has said that Louis Luyt, the head of SA rugby at the time, told him that he would do everything it takes to get SA and NZ in the final. If that is true, it doesnt take a genius to figure out who he would want to win. Luyt is portrayed in a positive light in the film. I know there was poetic license taken here and there, and maybe even a few innaccuracies, but overall it was enjoyable.

Suzie the waitress - real or otherwise - is a bit of a red herring. The fact is, as you have said Margaret, 27 of the 35-man squad went down with a stomach bug 48 hours prior to the game.

To call the 1995 World Cup Rugby final a tidy underdog-style win with an incidental side of political feel-good, is to dismiss that the opposing team wasn't at 100% (and only lost by a mere drop-goal).

That's not to dismiss the meaning of the event in the wider political context - but it's pure Hollywood to deny other aspects of historical reality that do not fit the story the producers/writers/directors want to tell.

I would have thought Eastwood would have been a bit more nuanced in response to the question about food poisoning rather than equating it to some sort of BS akin to UFOs.

It's also amusing that the All Blacks are the dominant team in Invictus when the reality is that we could also be portrayed as an underdog-style side when considering our size, distance etc etc. Oh well... I'll still see the movie!

No, I'll give this one a miss. It's a movie about rugby made by Americans. That's sabotage enough.

There are very few conspiracy theories I'd give credence after rational consideration, but I'm almost convinced Suzie is one of them. Just too much of a coincidence, it would have been easy to do, and frankly I wouldn't put it past the SA rugby administration of the time (anyone else remember Louis Leyt?). We can argue what if's until the cows come home, but we should take pride in that while it was a defeat, it was a glorious one, in that weakened as they were, the AB's still held the Springboks to extra time to decide the championship.

As you said ti weas based on that a book. New Zealanders have to get over the fact that the book and movie was about Mandela and how the win united South Africans, if England or Australia had of made the final, the movie still would of been made, it wasn't about us or an excuse about why we lost.

I saw this the other week and thought it was good - especially seeing the real footage of Jonah running over Mike Catt without Keith Quinn having his orgasm in the commentary box!

What I want to know is though how many meetings did Mandela have with Pienaar and what was the sort of things they said - did Pienar realise what it would mean for South Africa or did he just want to win the world cup for his own and his team's glories?

We all know that they weren't ever going to talk about the food poisoning as the NZ weren't the focus, the SA team were.

I wonder how much money "The Dam Busters' made in German theatres when it was originally released in 1955?

They should have made Suzie the star. She could have been a Shoshanna-type heroine on a revenge kick.

I am South African and was in SA during the RWC in 1995 - what happened had an magical effect on the country, it brought a unity that just wasn't there before.

What is sad however, is that since coming to NZ in 2002 I have met so many Kiwi's have gone out of their way to undermine what was special memory for me and in SA's history.

No Heck No I will not be going to watch this film Yes it was blatantly obvious while watching that game that something was horribly wrong when you see All blacks down on one knee blowing chunks on the side line and then getting up and running back on to the field. And as for pienaar and boks they were absolute tossers when they one at the end.

But satisfaction was received when a full strength (as in not food poisoned) all blacks went back to SA and played a test series and absolutely spanked the boks and embarrassed the South African nation

Followers of all black rugby should NOT go and see this film that would be an insult to the 1995 all black squad who have to live with that.