| | | "When People Say Dreams Don't Come True, Tell Them About Rudy."
Features: Special Edition, DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Dolby Digital (5.1), English, Subtitled, French, Dubbed & Subtitled
All his life, people have told Rudy he's not good enough, not smart enough, not big enough. But nothing can stop his impossible dream of playing football for Notre Dame.From the time he's a young boy, Rudy (Sean Astin) is determined to join the Fighting Irish. But his blue-collar family only laughs at his ambitions -- they know Rudy will follow his father and brother to the local steel mill. And, for four long years after high school, he does just that. But some dreams won't die, as Rudy proves when he goes to heroic, occasionally hilarious, lengths to win admission to Notre Dame. Once there, he becomes a walk-on player, serving as little more than a human tackling dummy against the startling players. Bloodied but unbeaten, Rudy wins the respect of legendary coach Ara Parseghian and the other Irish players, who give him one shot at gridiron glory. An incredible, true story from the creators of Hoosiers, Rudy is an unforgettable testament to the power of dreams and the triumph of the common man.
"...the greatest sports movie in film history." Audrey Rock Richardson, Tooele Transcript Bulletin
"An uplifting and inspiring battle-against-the-odds movie..." Clint Morris, MovieHole
"...an amazing sports film with high drama and superb acting by Astin." David Pickup, MovieThing.com
"...without a doubt, one of the finest sports movies ever made." Michael Medved, New York Post
"Two thumbs up. A marvelous performance by Sean Astin." Siskel & Ebert
Editor's Note
One of the most heartwarming tales ever committed to film, the true story of Daniel E. "Rudy" Ruettinger (Sean Astin, THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy) is an underdog drama that escapes--for the most part--the pitfalls of sentimentality. Set in 1960s Joliet, Illinois, Rudy lives in a staunchly blue-collar steelworkers' community. Despite his obsession with Notre Dame and college football, Rudy goes to work in the mill alongside his father and brothers directly after his high school graduation. It takes the accidental death of his best friend to inspire Rudy to pursue his dream of playing for Notre Dame. As everyone in his life is quick to point out, Rudy lacks the brains, brawn, and financial means to ever achieve his goal, but he sets out for South Bend just the same, enrolling in a junior college and trying out for the team as a walk-on. Eventually Rudy becomes a member of the practice team, where he displays such a strength of heart and fierceness of will that he touches and inspires all those around him, including the groundskeeper, Fortune (Charles Dutton), the tough-talking coach (Jason Miller), and even his nay saying father (Ned Beatty). Director David Anspaugh, who scored a previous hit with 1986's HOOSIERS, delivers an earnest sports film that concentrates on character and detail, with Sean Astin turning in a remarkably understated, subtle performance.
Plot Summary
High School student Rudy Ruettinger dreamed of one day playing football for Notre Dame's Fighting Irish champions. But Rudy's got two obstacles to overcome: his runty build and mediocre academic record make him an unlikely candidate for a school with Notre Dame's athletic and scholastic reputation.| When college chaplain Father Cavanaugh -- won over by Rudy's commitment and perseverance -- helps him get into an affiliated community college, the young man makes good on his promise to work hard. After pulling up his grades and transferring to Notre Dame, Rudy gets the chance of a lifetime, the golden opportunity to realize his life-long dream.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital Stereo | | Audio: Spanish Dolby Digital Stereo | | Bonus Trailers | | Dubbed: Spanish | | Interactive Menus | | Isolated Music Score | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Thai | | Talent Files | | Three Exclusive Featurettes |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Sony Pictures |
| Release Date: 3/4/2008 |
| Running Time: 114 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1993 | | Catalog ID: 24296 | | UPC: 00043396242968 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English, French Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew | Greta Lind | | Jon Favreau | | Ned Beatty | | Sean Astin | | Angelo Pizzo - Writer | | David Anspaugh - Director | | David Rosenbloom - Editor | | Jeffrey I. Friedman - Producer | | Jerry Goldsmith - Original Music By | | Lee R. Mayes - Executive Producer | | Oliver Wood - Cinematographer | | Robb Wilson King - Production Designer |
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| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"...A knowing glimpse of working class life....Most important, it has a tough, persuasive performance by Mr. Astin..." 10/13/1993 p.C21Premiere
"...Charming....[Astin] gives an uncomplicated, utterly winning performance..."|- Recommended 06/01/1994 p.121 Variety
"...A film that hits all the right buttons, it's an intelligent, sentimental drama that lifts an audience to its feet cheering..." 09/27/1993 ReelViews 7 of 10
Rudy is intended to be triumphant and inspirational, and, in a cliche-riddled fashion, it attains those aims. Critics of the film will rightfully point out the instances when it wallows in sentimentality, but much of the story is true-to-life. While events along the way have been "Hollywoodized", at least the ending has not been overtly embellished; films of the 1975 game exist to prove that this is how events transpired...Of course, there is manipulation involved, but much of it is low-key and skillful. A conscious attempt has been made to avoid an overkill of the "feel good" spirit, but the message is clear: if you put your whole heart and mind to something, there is nothing that can't be accomplished. While this theme might ring hollow in a work of fiction, it has a stronger resonance here...Director David Anspaugh and writer Angelo Pizzo, who collaborated on Hoosiers (considered by many to be among the best "small" American sports movies), have constructed Rudy using many of the techniques that worked in their earlier film. The same "feel" is present...It would have been easy to turn Rudy's story into a soppy, overly-sentimental journey, but the film makers have avoided melodramatic overkill. - James Berardinelli
Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
The movie was directed by David Anspaugh, who directed another great Indiana sports movie, "Hoosiers," in 1986. Both films show an attention to detail, and a preference for close observation of the characters rather than sweeping sports sentiment. In "Rudy," Anspaugh finds a serious, affecting performance by Sean Astin, the erstwhile teen idol, as a quiet, determined kid who knows he doesn't have all the brains in the world, but is determined to do the best he can with the hand he was dealt...The movie is not cluttered up with extraneous subplots. A hometown girlfriend (Lili Taylor) is left behind, and for four years Rudy turns into a grind, studying nonstop to make his grades, and sometimes sleeping on a cot in the groundskeeper's room because he doesn't have money for rent. His father continues to think he's crazy. But Rudy shows him...Underdog movies are a durable genre and never go out of style. They're fairly predictable, in the sense that few movie underdogs ever lose in the big last scene. The notion is enormously appealing, however, because everyone can identify in one way or another...In "Rudy," Astin's performance is so self-effacing, so focused and low-key, that we lose sight of the underdog formula and begin to focus on this dogged kid who won't quit. And the last big scene is an emotional powerhouse, just the way it's supposed to be. - Roger Ebert
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