Five foot nothing

Rating: Null/10 (24 May 2014)

David Anspaugh's "Rudy" charts the life of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger (Sean Astin), a young man who harbours dreams of playing football for the esteemed University of Notre Dame.
A thin but at times unconventional sports flick, "Rudy's" big gimmick is this: Rudy is a tiny guy. How tiny? Real tiny. For all his tenacity, poor Rudy simply isn't cut out for playing ball. Indeeed, Rudy's never even granted the climactic "happy ending" which many sports dramas target. Instead, Rudy's last act "victory" merely amounts to him being granted a few paltry seconds on a football field.
Sports movies usually trade in "inspirational" messages. "Rudy" does this as well, but manages to blend cynicism with sentimentality. You sense this is not director David Anspaugh's intention; he's simply looking for formulaic uplift. The film co-stars Jon Favreau. Sean Astin does well with a tricky role.
7.5/10 – Worth one viewing.