What movies are supposed to do

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2000)

** SPOILERS INSIDE **
This is an excellent example of what movies are supposed to do -- uplift and inspire. Based on the true story of Daniel 'Rudy' Reuttiger, a short, thin, talent-challenged young man who defies the odds and his family to achieve his dream of playing Notre Dame football. Along the way, he overcomes mild dyslexia to become the first member of his family to graduate from college.
The performances are very good. Sean Astin is not necessarily associated with great performances, but he aces this one. One of the most moving scenes in the movie is when Rudy is finally accepted into Notre Dame. Jon Favreau is great as D-Bob. Charles Dutton almost steals the movie as Fortune, the groundskeeper who looks after Rudy and gives him some final inspiration.
The beauty of this movie is that Rudy doesn't become a football star or or win the big game -- he achieves his dreams in small ways, and he never stops believing it could happen. Along the way, he receives help from many people, not one man against the world. This recurrent theme reaches its zenith in the final scenes, where all of his teammates conspire to get him into the game. Football is a team sport, and life is a team pursuit. No man makes it by himself.
And one last thing, for the guy who thought that this was just a "two-hour propaganda film for Notre Dame": if that's all you got out of this movie, it's no big surprise that you're a Trojan fan.
10 out of 10