Rudy [Blu-ray]

David Anspaugh

Overview

A young man learns to let nothing stop him from realizing his ambitions in this drama, based on a true story. Ever since he was a little boy, Rudy Ruettiger (Sean Astin) has dreamed of attending Notre Dame University, and playing on the Fighting Irish football team. However, Rudy's dream doesn't seem very practical; Daniel (Ned Beatty), his father, works in a steel mill and can ill afford to send his son to Notre Dame, while Rudy's grades are not especially impressive, and standing a shade over five feet tall and weighing a little over 100 pounds, Rudy is hardly built for the gridiron. However, with the help of Father Cavanaugh (Robert Prosky), a sympathetic priest, Rudy is admitted to nearby Holy Cross, and in his junior year manages to squeak into Notre Dame as a transfer student. Rudy works as an assistant to the football stadium's groundskeeper, Fortune (Charles S. Dutton), to pay his tuition (often sleeping in Fortune's office since he can't afford a room), studies diligently, and appears at tryouts for the football team. Rudy is made a member of the practice team, which means he's little more than a human tackling dummy, but Coach Ara Parseghian (Jason Miller) is impressed with Rudy's devotion and determination, and pledges that he'll allow him to dress for one game before he graduates, so his name can be recorded as an official member of the team. However, the arrival of a new coach and a tough season that allows for few unnecessary players may put a stop to Rudy's dreams within sight of the finish line. Rudy also stars Jon Favreau, Lili Taylor, and Scott Benjaminson.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/09/2008
UPC:	0043396162167
Original Release:	1994
Rating:	PG
Source:	SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMT
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:54:00
Sales rank:	18,835

Special Features

Rudy: The Real Story; Production Featurette; First Down with Sean Astin

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Sean Astin	Daniel E. 'Rudy' Ruettiger
Ned Beatty	Daniel Ruettiger
Jon Favreau	D-Bob
Charles Dutton	Fortune
Greta Lind	Mary
Jason Miller	Ara Parseghian
Scott Benjaminson	Frank Ruettiger
Lili Taylor	Sherry
Mary Ann Thebus	Betty
Robert Prosky	Father Cavanaugh
Christopher Reed	Pete
Deborah Wittenberg	Sherry
Christopher Erwin	Mark
Johanna Ray	Actor
Kevin Duda	Bernie,Frank Ruettiger
Terri Zarodnick	Mrs. Connally
Robert Benirschke	Mark
Sharon Bialy	Actor
Debi Manwiller	Actor
Luke Massery	Daniel E. 'Rudy' Ruettiger
Richard Pagano	Actor
Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.	Actor
Jake Armstrong	Actor
Joey Sikora	Johnny Ruettiger
Gerry Becker	Father Ted
Bob Swan	Father Zajak
Leonard Kuberski	Classroom Priest
James Riehle	Locker Room Priest
Lorenzo Clemons	High School Assistant Coach
Robert Mohler	Johnny Ruettiger
Sean Grennan	High School Assistant Coach
Todd Spicer	Boy in Neighborhood
Jean Plumhoff	Fran
Kevin Thomas	Player From Sidelines
Michael Sassone	Guard
Spyridon Stratigos	Coach Gillespie
John Beasley	Coach Warren
Chelcie Ross	Dan Devine
Diana James	Pick-up Girl
Daniel 'Rudy' Ruettiger	Actor
Ron De Roxtra	Pressman
Chris Olson	Dan Dorman
Ron Dean	Coach Yonto
Drama	Actor

Technical Credits

Angelo Pizzo

David Anspaugh	Director
Sam Barkan	Special Effects
Sharon Bialy	Casting
Joey DiGaetano	Special Effects,Special Effects
Robert N. Fried	Producer
Rick LeFevour	Stunts
Debi Manwiller	Casting
Lee R. Mayes	Executive Producer
Richard Pagano	Casting
Don Parsons	Special Effects
Cary Woods	Producer
Angelo Pizzo	Screenwriter
Lili Taylor	Director
Ned Beatty	Director
Robert Prosky	Director
Sean Astin	Director

Editorial Reviews

A tale of the utmost dogged determination, Rudy has come to be considered one of the more resonant guilty pleasures in the pantheon of sports movies -- the kind that brings a tear to the eye of the gruffest of jocks. There's an almost nerdy earnestness about both the film and its main character, played with unblinking intensity by Sean Astin. A hero who wears his love of Notre Dame football proudly on his sleeve, with zero sense of irony, would be almost unthinkable in a 21st century sports movie -- it already seems quaint by 1994. But perhaps that's key to the film's charm. Rudy Ruettiger couldn't accomplish anything if he let people's perceptions of him dictate his choices in life. And since it's based on a true story, there's no cause to blame Rudy's roller coaster of travails and triumphs on screenwriting contrivances. Because the film has a reputation as kind of a B-sports classic -- in the same category as Major League -- it's probably not possible to go in without knowing it has a happy ending. Still, viewers will be pleasantly surprised if they think they know the shape of that ending -- it's much more life-sized than a writer of fiction would conjure. Hoosiers director David Anspaugh presides over the package without being flashy or syrupy, though the sentiment creeps through anyway. Angelo Pizzo is also back from Hoosiers with a sturdy script. Rudy is so much the focus of this script that the other characters tend to get short-changed, particularly Lili Taylor's Sherry. But Ned Beatty and Charles S. Dutton make the most of key supporting roles, and Astin carries the picture home.

All Movie Guide