RUDY
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
RUDY
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 6.6
Date Released: 10/15/93
Running Length: 1:54
Rated: PG (Mature themes)
Starring: Sean Astin, Ned Beatty, Charles S. Dutton, Jason Miller,
Lili Taylor, Robert Prosky
Director: David Anspaugh
Producers: Cary Wood and Rob Fried
Screenplay: Angelo Pizzo
Music: Jerry Goldsmith
Released by TriStar Pictures
Ever since he was young boy, Rudy (Sean Astin) wanted to play football for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. There are a few obstacles to this ambition, however - namely a lack of athletic ability and grades too poor to allow him admission to any college. But Rudy's heart is bigger than his common sense and, against the advice of his father (Ned Beatty), he makes the bus trip to South Bend in search of his dream. Once there, he begins the struggle against seemingly-impossible odds with the help of a kindly priest (Robert Prosky) and a gruff-but-good-hearted groundskeeper (Charles S. Dutton).
RUDY is intended to be a triumphant and inspirational motion picture, and it successfully attains those aims. Critics of the film will undoubtedly point out that there are instances when it wallows in sentimentality, but it's difficult to substantiate the charge knowing how much of this film is true-to-life. This version of Rudy's story is very close to how things really happened. It's a case when life, not Hollywood, wrote the plotline. The ending is not embellished to satisfy the masses; films of the 1975 game exist to prove that this is exactly how things transpired.
Of course, there is still a little manipulation involved, but most 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 strong resonance here.
The ending of RUDY is a victory for one person, and for all those in the audience that come to care about him, but it doesn't fall into the same category as the cliched finales of dozens of other sports films. Here, triumph is measured on a different, more personal level, where winning and losing - and even scoring - no longer matter. This is truly an occasion when playing the game is enough.
As exhilarating as the film is, it isn't without problems. The most obvious is the choppiness of the story. Especially in the middle segments, RUDY does a lot of jumping around. I realize that there's a lot to show and tell in this movie, and that condensation was necessary, but the manner in which this was done lacks finesse.
The performances of Sean Astin and Charles S. Dutton are noteworthy. Dutton has an incredible on-screen presence, and his portrayal of Rudy's unofficial mentor invests this role with more than might typically be expected from it. Astin, a relatively fresh face, has all the tenacity necessary to play the title character. Producer Cary Woods praised Astin, saying that he became Rudy, right down to taking some painful shots during the football sequences.
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 best in that earlier film. The same "feel" is present, and the ending is as guaranteed to send sprits soaring, whether you're a lover of football or not.
It would have been easy to turn Rudy's story into a soppy, overly- sentimental journey, but the film makers have avoided too much melodrama. Keeping the performances and direction low-key are obviously a part of that, as was having the real Rudy on the set every day so that the story remained true to what really happened. The cheers in the audience at the end were genuine, and this is one of the rare times when I will admit to cracking a smile as the credits began to roll.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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