Whenever I want to watch an inspiring film about sheer determination and perseverance, all I have to do is pop my copy of Rudy into the DVD player. This is definitely one of the best films I own (granted, I don’t have a huge collection or anything) and I never get tired of watching it.
Rudy is the true story of a young man named Daniel Ruettiger, who has dreamed of playing football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish ever since he was a little boy. He comes from a blue-collar Irish-Catholic family in the Chicago area, and the entire clan gathers around the TV to watch Notre Dame games on Saturday. None of them think Rudy will ever make it to Notre Dame because he’s too small, isn’t the greatest athlete, and doesn’t even have the grades to be admitted to the university.
But Rudy never gives up. He spends time at a nearby college called Holy Cross until he boosts his grades enough to enroll at ND. Once he finally gets there, he has to fight for a spot on the football team. He doesn’t make it, but earns a place on the practice squad instead. His dedication to the team and his never-say-die attitude pay off in the end when the coach allows Rudy to dress for the final home game of his senior year. He even gets to play and records a quarterback sack in the process.
If you don’t get goosebumps and/or well up with tears by the end of that movie, you’re just a cold-hearted person! What a great movie!!