Wait a Minute Here....[Spoiler Alert]

Rating: 8/10 (24 April 1999)

I love movies that glorify the positive side of human nature, especially those that use sports as a metaphor for the "can do" spirit. Modern examples are Rocky, Hoosiers, and Breaking Away. Rudy is in this mold.
Supposedly true, Rudy tells the story of a young working class guy who, after toiling for four years in the steel mills after high school, decides to play varsity football for the University of Notre Dame. So what if he's small of stature and short on smarts. Rudy, like the energizer bunny just keeps on going.
The movie dramatizes his four year struggle to achieve his goals. It's a charming story and my eyes watered during the final scene. But as the last scene fades a final text says that no other player has been carried off the field at Notre Dame since Rudy in 1975. (Sorry for the spoiler). I do some quick math and realize that Rudy graduated from high school in 1968, the same year I did. I know from experience that young men who didn't go directly to college were very likely to join a rifle company in 'Nam whether they wanted to or not. You didn't go to the mills as it seems Rudy and all his brothers did.
Rudy wastes virtually nothing on side plots. His high school girlfriend, whom he almost marries, disappears completely after he leaves for South Bend. I'm appreciative that the film-makers didn't clutter up the landscape with sub-plots and an annoying rock and roll sound track. Thank you. But the draft and the war in Vietnam overshadowed everything in 1968 especially for 18-year-olds. For me it's like trying to ignore the elephant in the living room.
I liked the movie, and recommend it highly, but I'm still stuck with the question. If Rudy was healthy enough to be a human tackling dummy for the Notre Dame football team how'd he stay out of the Army?