Rudy (1993)

Rudy Quote: “You were born to wear that jacket.” – Pete


When people think of inspirational ’90s football movies, one sticks out like a very short thumb. That’s why inaugural Shat on Fantasy Football League winner Stephen “Happy Harry” Jenkins decided to commission the 1993 Sean Astin hit “Rudy.”

Have the years made us too cynical to appreciate the story of an underdog whose greatest achievement was simply getting on the field, or can the Jerry Goldsmith score and a few outstanding performances still tug at our heartstrings?

Gene questions the casting of a creepy Jon Favreau and the decision to fast forward through Rudy’s Vietnam years. Ash reveals how to decode the movie using hairstyles, and guest host Kevin Brackett points out the parallels with 1994’s “Forrest Gump.”

The Shat Crew also discusses Astin’s Samwise typecast, explosive foreshadowing, the misery of Notre Dame, and how close this sweet drama is to being a terrifying stalker film.

Plot Summary: “Rudy” Rudy Ruettiger (Sean Astin) wants to play football at the University of Notre Dame but has neither the money for tuition nor the grades to qualify for a scholarship. Rudy redoubles his efforts to get out of the steel mill where his father works when his best friend (Christopher Reed) dies in an accident there. Overcoming his dyslexia thanks to his friend and tutor, D-Bob (Jon Favreau), Rudy gains admission to Notre Dame and begins to fight his way onto the school’s fabled football team.

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