If you fancy watching a football movie that's a little bit different, you might want to check out Marvellous, a 2014 true story TV movie starring Mr Bates vs the Post Office's Toby Jones that has just found itself a new streaming home in the UK.
The film stars Jones as Neil Baldwin, a man from Newcastle-under-Lyme who refuses to let the label of 'learning difficulties' define him.
Among his list of achievements, he was presented with the Freedom to Stoke and Newcastle-under-Lyme, was awarded a British Empire Medal, granted an honorary degree from Keele University, and — this is where the football angle comes in — served as Stoke City's kit man in the 1990s, and was even allowed to take to the pitch for a match.
Who's in Marvellous?
• Toby Jones (the MCU, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as Neil Baldwin
• Gemma Jones (God's Own Country, Bridget Jones, Bootleg) as Mary Baldwin
• Tony Curran (Mary & George, Outlander: Blood of My Blood) as Lou Macari
• Greg McHugh (Fresh Meat, Shetland) as Malcolm
• Nicholas Gleaves (Coronation Street, The Demon Headmaster) as Rev Mark
• Gary Lineker as himself
• The real Neil Baldwin as himself
• The real Lou Macari as himself
What did critics say about Marvellous?
Marvellous doesn't have a Rotten Tomatoes score, but there are still a handful of reviews online, and they're full of praise for the film.
The Daily Telegraph called the film "sweet and sharp", writing: "It might have been too cute in different hands, but both Toby and Gemma Jones gave performances that were almost as miraculous as the story itself."
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"A wonderful, uplifting, life-affirming 90 minutes of television," wrote The Sunday Telegraph, which stated that name Marvellous was certainly apt, an opinion shared by the New Statesman.
The Herald Scotland dubbed it "the best programme of the year", with the review reading: "This programme was quirky, joyous, beautiful and sad and, in amidst the incredible story, is a lesson for how to live life."
Where can I watch Marvellous?
Although it first aired on BBC Two, the film isn't actually available to watch via BBC iPlayer.
Marvellous was recently added to Prime Video, and that's actually the only streaming subscription service it's available on.
Other Toby Jones shows and movies to stream now
The aforementioned Mr Bates vs the Post Office can be streamed on ITVX and YouTube, while Jones' MCU films and his Indiana Jones outing can all be streamed on Disney+.
Disney+ is also home to Empire of Light, a love letter to cinema that also stars Olivia Colman and was directed by Skyfall's Sam Mendes.
Last year saw Jones star in Mr Burton, a biopic about the rise of legendary actor Richard Burton. At the moment, the film is available on Prime Video and BBC iPlayer.
Marvellous is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.














