Rudy

I can't remember the first time I saw "Rudy" but I initially saw clips of the movie before I was able to watch the whole film. The climax was the first clip I ever saw but it doesn't mean much without seeing the rest of the show. The makers of "Hoosiers" were able to repeat their success in portraying this additional, inspirational true story. Besides the story, it is the acting, various montages and music that make this film special. I also enjoy the central theme that I have gleamed.

The scene with Rudy leaving his high school football team is important because we need to see that he can win the support of others. Rudy is not as much of an underdog as other film characters but an underdog nonetheless. He has dyslexia and is short but still wants to play football for Notre Dame more than anything. The support of his friend Pete is probably the only reason he stays at home. After Pete's tragic death, there is no hope for Rudy's dream if he stays because no one else at home fully supports his goal. The temptation to settle down is now gone. I enjoy how the story has multiple "hurdles" that Rudy must overcome. First he needs to do better in his schooling and D-bob is there to help him with that. Then comes a challenge that he has less control in conquering: being accepted to Notre Dame. He has done all he could in terms of schooling and has to rely upon God to do the rest. It pays off in an emotional scene. Once at Notre Dame, making the football team still requires a lot of hard work. The good news is that Rudy has more control over the situation and once again succeeds. This is where the use of montage is great in helping to tell the story as we see the tryouts. The next problem Rudy now faces is that his family has trouble believing him because they don't see him on the field during games. All he wants is to dress for one game, which will be enough to prove to everyone back in his hometown that he is on the Notre Dame football team. Rudy accepts that he won't ever be a good football player because of his size and that is why he can settle for just one game on the sidelines. I like this humility that Rudy shows in that he doesn't even need to play. He is reaching for the stars in the realistic way. He knows that if he dreams too big, he could lose his whole chance. When he is not on the dress list for the last home game, he spitefully decides to quit the team. Rudy may feel justified in doing so because he at least got on the team when that was impossible enough. With no hope though of his family and hometown friends seeing him on the field, he sees no point in continuing. Fortune however allows Rudy to see that he will regret this decision in the long run. All of Rudy's hard work will mean nothing if he doesn't endure to the end, even if there is no hope. Once Rudy returns, his teammates are inspired enough to the point that they have to take action. Coach Devine was made out to be antagonist in the movie. In truth, it was Devine's idea to have Rudy dress after a few requests from other players to have him do so. I am in favor of the change in the story because it is one final dramatic obstacle. The team not only provides the way for Rudy to dress for the last home game but they do more than Rudy could have imagined. Rudy wanted to run out of the tunnel onto the field as a player but the team has him lead them all out on the field. Rudy happily stands on the sidelines having achieved his wishes but that is not even enough for the team because the ultimate triumph for Rudy would be to play. Rudy's humility makes him even more of a hero. He has become so inspirational because of his hard work that those around him won't rest until his dreams are surpassed. Rudy is allowed onto the field in the final seconds and makes the last play of the game more memorable that any touchdown could. A similar thing happened in my family. My three youngest brothers play rugby. It was the very last high school game for one of them and during his entire high school career; he never asked to be called off the field. In the last few seconds, he told the coach he wanted off the field so our youngest brother could play in his place. The coach has said publically that he will never forget that.

"Rudy" was filmed on location at Notre Dame and I believe that is important. You feel the pride these people have for their team. Sean Astin made you believe so much in his character. The best performance of Astin's is when he is accepted into Notre Dame. The music and cinematography also play a part in this scene's power. All the actors were sincere in their performances. This movie was Jon Favreau's first major acting role. He did his job well too giving the film some humor. He would later have a successful career at Marvel as a director. I also enjoyed the performances of Ned Beatty and Robert Prosky. This movie was also Vince Vaughn's first major role. He plays the tailback that is angry when Rudy tackles him in a practice but in the end, helps score a touchdown so Rudy can play. This is my second favorite musical score by Jerry Goldsmith with the first being "Air Force One". Inspirational movies to me seem only as good as their music and thank heaven for Goldsmith who made everyone else's jobs all the more powerful on screen. The score is one of my favorites.

This is what I believe the theme of the movie to be: our dreams come true by means of hard work and relying upon a Higher Power to get the rest of the way there. "Rudy" is #54 on the American Film Institute's list of the most inspiring films. The acting, montages and musical score make the story even better. As for myself, I have this show on a variety on my lists. For example, it is my tenth favorite sports film. I am grateful that I was able to see "Rudy" on the big screen as part of a weekly screening of family films because that made it powerful. This was Sean Astin's career breakthrough in my opinion. During the 90's, it was looking for a time like he might not get another role in a blockbuster movie but then came "The Fellowship".

4 Stars