Rudy (1993)
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The story
In the 1960s in Joliet, Illinois, Daniel Eugene "Rudy" Ruettiger dreams of playing football at Notre Dame. However, he lacks the grades and money to attend the university along with the talent and physical stature to play major college football. After high school, Rudy works at a steel mill with his Notre Dame fan father and his older brothers, John and Frank. After Rudy's supportive best friend Pete is killed in a mill explosion, Rudy decides to follow his dream. In 1972, Rudy visits Notre Dame but is academically ineligible to enroll. With the help of local priest and former Notre Dame president Father John Cavanaugh, Rudy enrolls at nearby Holy Cross College, hoping to transfer.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the 1960s, Rudy Ruettiger dreams of playing football at Notre Dame despite lacking the grades, money, and physical stature. After his best friend dies in a mill explosion, he pursues his goal. He enrolls at Holy Cross College to try to transfer to Notre Dame. He befriends a groundskeeper, Fortune, and a teaching assistant, D-Bob, who helps him manage his dyslexia. After years of persistence and several rejections, Rudy is finally accepted and attends tryouts. He is placed on the practice squad and eventually earns a spot on the game-day roster for one home game in his senior year. After a coaching change, he is initially left off the roster but, following a protest by his teammates, he is allowed to play. In the final game against Georgia Tech, a fan's chant leads to a late touchdown, allowing Rudy to enter the game. He sacks the quarterback and is carried off the field by his teammates.
- First release year
- 1993
- Runtime (minutes)
- 114
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Anspaugh
- Writers
- Angelo Pizzo · writer
- Cast and characters
- Sean Astin · Rudy; Ned Beatty; Charles S. Dutton; Lili Taylor; Robert Prosky
- Genres
- biographical; sports; drama
- Themes
- determination; human spirit; perseverance
- Tone and mood
- sentimental; uplifting
- Premise and plot tags
- sports drama; biographical; underdog story
- Source material / true-story basis
- Based on the life of Rudy Ruettiger
- Reception
- The film received primarily positive reviews from critics, being described as a heartwarming and uplifting story of the human spirit. It was also recognized in various polls as one of the best sports movies of its era.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 80% · review count: 49; Metacritic · score: 71 · review count: 22
- Awards and nominations
- 100 Years · American Film Institute · Ranked 54th
- Production trivia
- The film was the first allowed to be shot on the Notre Dame campus since 1938.; The script was written by Angelo Pizzo, who also wrote Hoosiers.; The soundtrack's 'Tryouts' was used in 12 different trailers.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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