Our assignment this week was to watch at least 1 of 6 suggested movies and review it here for our weekly blog. I chose the movie RUDY. The reason for my choice is a little odd. Ever since the movie came out, some 30 something years ago, I was curious about it but not curious enough to watch it. Weird right? I just didn’t get it, Why would anyone create a football movie with Sean Astin as the lead? He’s a little guy! What kind of a football movie is this?

Well as soon as Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch put it on a list of about 6 possible movies to watch, I got it! It must not be a football movie, or rather, I guess it could be but it is Really a movie about being a dreamer and having to put in the work. Some of it is practice but most of it is work!

The movie follows Rudy who has a DMP of playing football for Notre Dame however, Rudy lacks grades, money, talent and quite obviously stature. Quite the uphill climb eh?

He visits Notre Dame but cannot enroll due to his poor grades. He solicits the help of a priest who recommends that Rudy try going to a nearby college that is easier to get into in hopes, he can then transfer into Notre Dame later.

Rudy then befriends D-Bob who helps Rudy with his studies in exchange for Rudy’s help with ” the girls”. To compound this for Rudy, on top of all of the struggles he is having, he comes home at Christmas only to be continually mocked by one brother and get his girlfriend stolen by his other brother!

After 2 years at Holy Cross and 3 rejections already from Notre Dame, Rudy is finally accepted and tries out for the team and makes it to the practice squad. He has an alliance in Fortune, the head groundskeeper at Notre Dame who gives him a job and subsequently, Rudy breaks into Fortunes office nightly as he is homeless. Eventually, Fortune catches on and leaves Rudy some blankets and a key. Rudy learns that Fortune has never seen a game from the stands during his entire career so, Rudy makes Fortune promise that he manages to suit up and play a game for Notre Dame that Fortune would watch. Kind of an interesting character name, Fortune, wouldn’t you say?

With Rudy playing well, the current coach tells Rudy that in his Senior year, he will let Rudy suit up for one game. However, that coach retires and the new coach is not having it. Rudy subsequently quits. Fortune finds Rudy and confesses that he PLAYED for Notre Dame back in the day and he quit because he feared the color of his skin was keeping the coaches from using him and how much he has regretted that choice ever since.

It’s now the last game of Rudy’s senior year and all of his teammates are aware of Rudy’s plight. One by one they go into the coaches office, lay their jersey on the coaches desk and declare that they would like for Rudy to take their place, EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE TEAM! Needless to say the coach agrees to let Rudy suit up.

Rudy gets to lead the team out onto the field but sees no playing time. Notre Dame is ahead 17-3 and the coach puts all seniors except Rudy onto the field. The crowd catches on and a chant for RUDY begins! The tailback O’Hara disregards the coaches play ands instead instructs the team to score giving Rudy a Defensive player an opportunity to get on the field. Rudy is in for the kick off and allowed to stay for one more play. On that next play Rudy tackles the quarter back and is carried off the field by his teammates!

In this movie, you can see that playing for Notre Dame is Rudy’s DMP! You can see his masterminding with Fortune and D-Bob, you can see his persistence and his drive. Even though he is at another school, he still does everything in his power to keep Notre Dame Front and Center as a DMP should be. This whole topic got me thinking, I wonder if anyone has ever really done a deep dive on RUDY versus the other 5 movies that were suggested to us to watch to see what other similarities there may be besides the obvious!