Meet the Real-Life Women Who Inspired “80 For Brady”

In “80 For Brady,” Jane Fonda, Linda Tomlinson, Sally Field, and Rita Moreno star as a group of best friends whose love for Tom Brady is almost as strong as their love for each other. As it turns out, the movie is inspired by a real friend group of 80+ Tom Brady lovers from Massachusetts.

The True Story Behind “80 For Brady”

Betty Pensavalle, 90, and her best friend Elaine St. Martin, 95, never miss a New England Patriots Game. Along with their friends Anita, Pat, and Claire, they would meet at one another’s houses to watch every game. The group of friends met so regularly on Sundays, their group earned the nickname “Over 80 for Brady” club. Pensavalle’s grandson even made them matching t-shirts to wear on game days.

Speaking to CBS News in a January interview, Pensavalle and Martin said that while they were very “angry” with Brady for leaving the Patriots, they still have a lot of love for him. Their group has lost members in recent years as one of their friends died, and two others moved into assisted living homes. But, Pensavalle and Martin say they still watch every game together.

How Did “80 For Brady” Become a Movie?

Pensavalle said her grandson, Max, was the one who pitched the idea for a movie based on the “Over 80 for Brady” club to studios. Brady loved the idea so much, he’ll also appear in the film alongside his former teammates Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola, and Julian Edelman.

Differences Between “80 For Brady” and Real Life

“80 For Brady” revolves around the four Tom Brady Super fans and best friends trying to get to the Super Bowl to see him play. Pensavalle told CBS the group never tried to go to the Super Bowl, but never missed a game when Brady was a Patriot.

“80 For Brady” comes to theatres on Feb. 3.