An inspirational, upbeat parable about the tenacity of the human spirit — or maybe just old-fashioned stubbornness — "Rudy" is the very moving true story of Rudy Ruettiger, who wanted more than anything in the world to play football for Notre Dame.
Unfortunately, Rudy was small, lightweight and lacked any real talent for the game. If that wasn't enough, Rudy's family was poor — as were his grades — and he was discouraged by everyone from his teachers to his father.
If ever there was an impossible dream, it was Rudy's. And it was obvious to everyone . . . everyone except Rudy.
The film begins with Rudy growing up in an Indiana steel mill town during the late 1960s, where his Irish Catholic family is large and close-knit but his life is uneventful. He plays football on the high school team but during his senior year is told to forget any future plans.
So, Rudy (played as an adult by Sean Astin) reluctantly falls in line as he goes to work in the steel mill, alongside his father (Ned Beatty), his brothers and his high school buddies. He also makes plans to marry his girlfriend (Lili Taylor) and settle down.
Then, when his best friend is killed in an accident at the mill, Rudy begins to realize he's running out of time. If he's ever really going to try for Notre Dame, he'd better do it now.
So, against his father's advice, Rudy heads for South Bend with only $1,000 in his pocket and the clothes on his back. There, a kindly priest (Robert Prosky) takes him under his wing and becomes the first person to give Rudy any kind of encouragement. If he'll go to the local junior college, get his grades in line and work hard, the priest will try to help Rudy get into Notre Dame.
But Rudy soon discovers this will not be a cakewalk. He finds it difficult to buckle down and study, especially while holding down a job to help make ends meet. After two years of hard work, Rudy finally gets into Notre Dame and even manages to get on the football team, albeit as an alternate. For the next two years he is virtually a human tackle dummy, with little hope of ever being allowed to suit up for a game.
With its formulaic "Rocky"-esque sensibilities, "Rudy" heads directly down its chosen, blue-collar path, offering few, if any surprises. But there are many rewards all the same.
Director David Anspaugh and screenwriter Angelo Pizzo, who also gave us "Hoosiers," know how to build a cinematic head of steam, and they make the audience feel for Rudy's plight. His dream may not be universal in a literal sense — but having a dream of some kind certainly is.
And there is also something to be said for a movie that avoids the treacly pitfalls often built into this kind of material — no phony romance, no sophomoric digressions — while managing to convey the difficulty of scholastic pursuit, especially when study does not come easily. All this without ever diminishing the film's entertainment value.
The casting here is perfect, with Sean Astin showing he has much more to offer than "Encino Man" might let on. And veterans Beatty, Prosky and Dutton are also excellent in their roles.
"Rudy" is one of those movies that could easily be lumped into a condescending "feel-good" category — but it's better than that. You'll feel good but you won't feel manipulated in any kind of negative way.
The film is rated PG for violence, a few profanities and a couple of vulgar lines of dialogue.