Rudy (1993)

Director: David Anspaugh

Stars: Sean Astin, Jon Favreau and Ned Beatty 

 

      Daniel Eugene "Rudy" Ruettiger grows up in Joliet, Illinois, dreaming of playing college football at the University of Notre Dame. While achieving some success with his local high school team (Joliet Catholic), he lacks the grades and money to attend Notre Dame, not to mention talent and physical size. Ruettiger was much smaller than an average football player, standing just 5'6" (1.68 m) and weighing 165 lb (75 kg).

     Ruettiger takes a job at a local steel mill like his father Daniel Ruettiger, Sr. (a Notre Dame fan); he prepares to settle down. But when his best friend Pete is killed in an explosion there, Rudy decides to follow his dream of attending Notre Dame and playing for the Fighting Irish.

 

     He leaves for the campus, but fails to get admitted to Notre Dame. With the help of a local priest (who mistakenly thinks at first Rudy wants to become a priest), Rudy starts at a small junior college nearby named Holy Cross, hoping to qualify for a transfer. He also manages to get a part-time job on Notre Dame's groundskeeping staff and befriends D-Bob, a graduate student at Notre Dame and a teaching assistant at his junior college. The socially-awkward D-Bob offers to tutor Rudy if he helps him meet girls. Suspecting an underlying cause to Ruettiger's previous academic problems, D-Bob has Rudy tested, and Rudy learns that he has dyslexia. Rudy learns how to overcome his disability and becomes a better student. At Christmas vacation, Rudy returns home to his family's appreciation of his report card, but is still mocked for his attempts at playing football and also dumped by his girlfriend, who starts seeing one of his brothers.

Posted in: Dealing with prejudice,Friendship,Life Lesson,Perseverance