Rudy

One of my favorite football movies of all time, this film follows in the long tradition of great sports movies which can uplift the spirit through means other than winning the big game and getting the girl or some other typical Hollywood convention. The music, cinematography and acting was excellent in this film, especially considering the terrible film choices Sean Astin had before embarking on this movie. While this was really an homage to Notre Dame football, a person could really look at Rudy and see a little of themselves inside the relatively small man. Charles Dutton had one of the greatest speeches in the history of sports cinema, and he should have gained more notoriety for his performance in this film.

Rudy is a story that pulls at every heart string and emotions you possibly could have. Why? Well it doesn't have to do with the actors, though they are all great. It doesn't have to do with the filming, it isn't what draws us in. It is one thing. The one major fact.

The True Story. To watch and see how Rudy overcomes every obstacle he faces. To see how Rudy truly triumphs, even if it isn't the best possible success for someone, for Rudy it is everything.

This movie is a story that teaches a lesson. It is about football, but it is about believing. Never giving up. Always giving it your all.

Rudy is a movie that gives us something to believe in. Believe.

If this movie doesn't get you motivated, then something is wrong with you. This movie proves that good things happen to people who work hard and don't except the circumstances they are dealt. I've seen this movie more than 30 times in my life, and i still cant get through the end of this movie without getting tears in my eyes. Another thing this movie teaches you is to listen to the people in your life who believe in you and want you to succeed, don't listen to the people who want you to fail and constantly remind you that your going to fail. "The best revenge is success." One of my favorite quotes comes from this movie as well, when the coach dan devine tells rudy and the rest of the team that "Nobody, and i mean nobody, comes into our house and pushes us around."

What can I say? I've seen the movie three times, and each time I was moved by the story of the kid who wouldn't let his dream die.

Even though I grew up Protestant in Texas and loved the Longhorns, I reveled in the history and the tradition of Notre Dame football. While I was in junior high and high school, I read lots of books on the history of college football, and naturally Notre Dame was a prominent part of each book. I can only imagine how strong a pull Notre Dame would have had for a football-loving boy in a Catholic family in the Midwest in the '50s and '60s. I thought the filmmakers did a reasonable job of showing enough about the conflicts in Rudy's life without getting mired in a lot of subplots that in my opinion would've detracted from the storyline.

I like the fact that they spent so much time actually developing the story of how he struggled to get to become a Notre Dame student. A lot of filmmakers might've opted to focus on the actual Notre Dame experience, which I think would've made the film a lot less effective.

Anyway, the music was wonderful, Sean Astin gave a great but understated performance, all the football sequences were real enough to make you wince, my wife who knows next to nothing about football or Notre Dame loved the movie, and it made me want to head to South Bend someday and take in a game.

Why do so many great sports films (Breaking Away, Hoosiers, and Rudy) take place in the upper Midwest? Just a random musing...

And here's a little factoid that to the best of my knowledge is still correct--Terry Gannon, who played on North Carolina State's national championship basketball team in the early '80s and now is a sports broadcaster, has the actual helmet that the real-life Daniel Reuttiger wore in the game.

I saw this movie for the first time when I was in middle school some years back. Back then they showed every student this movie in the seventh grade, but I really fell in love with it. I remember just being in awe and really getting into it.Especially seeing as I'm a girl and girls don't like football or sports movies. But its one really transcends genders. The music really plays a key part and can move you to tears. The acting was spot on and its impossible not to identify with Rudy.Its the type of movie that when someone says they don't really care for it, you're like"That's blasphemy!" How could you not like it? Plus there are some great appearances by some movie stars, before they made it big. Every time I watch this movie or hear the music, I'am inspired.