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Rudy

Tri Star

Year:  1992

Rated: PG

Starring:  Sean Astin, Ned Beatty, Charles S. Dutton, Lili Taylor, Robert Prosky

Even though he’s now world famous for the Lord of the Rings epic, in my opinion Sean Astin’s greatest work was in this real life story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruddiger.  More than just a boring sports movie, which is what I feared when I first watched it, what makes Rudy stand out is that the angle of Rudy wanting to play football for the Irish is more of a road by which the main story of determination, discipline, sacrifice and ultimately glory takes place on.

From his earliest years Rudy was always too small and couldn’t seem to get a break, but he had a passion for football, especially for the Fighting Irish at Notre Dame.  He always dreamed of playing for them.  That dream carried him through high school, but yet when it came to applying for college and hoping to get into Notre Dame, his failing grades dictated that he didn’t have a prayer.

Taking some bold steps and barely thinking about the consequences, Rudy won himself the right to study hard at a Catholic college and try to earn his way into Notre Dame if he could improve his education.  Through three long years he struggles on, and it seems like he’ll never get his dream, and misery threatens to overtake him.  Yet he struggles on, until it hurts and all hope is gone, and then finally he gets accepted to Notre Dame.  Far from being the trophy he wanted to earn, Rudy now has to achieve the seemingly insurmountable task of convincing one of the top football coaches in the country to let a small fry like him play for the Irish.

This movie appeals to so much more than the football movie lover or the Notre Dame fanatic.  The entire point of the story is that as early as Rudy can remember he wants to play football, that he has a dream, and not only does he entertain and feed that dream for many years, but when he gets the chance to fight for it he fights, and is rewarded in greater measure than he imagined.  He has to go through a lot of challenges to get there, he needs help from unlikely sources and friends, but in the end he sees his dream to the finish.  And while it may seem like a small dream and a small reward in the eyes of the world, what it meant to him was the world and more, and in the end to see his dream realized is worth all the hardship he suffered to get to that brief point.

   The message becomes that even if for a brief moment you’ve achieved what you wished, if it takes you years and much sacrifice even the smallest reward will seem like the biggest.  For dreamers, or for people who like to be inspired by dreamers, this is a great title, and aside from some minor understandable detractions like language this makes for a good family feature.  And while the angle of faith is not emphasized overmuch, there are some good themes of God’s involvement in Rudy’s life, and Rudy comes from a catholic background where he seems to draw his reliance in his most desperate hours.  He outwardly thanks God in one scene when a big step towards his dream has come true.

This is a good movie.  It may not appeal to all, and some may think that it drags and that Sean Astin’s performance seems a little goofy, but that’s where the charm comes in to the character.  You really get to LIKE Rudy, and care for him and what happens to him, and without that tie to his journey it wouldn’t be worth watching.