Rudy (#14)...for Valentine's Day

Clearly, my efforts in this project are becoming as rambling and off-road as a Hunter S. Thompson novel (as a friend of mine put it). To apologize for delays again would surely seem redundant at this point. All I can say, in my defense, is that trying to make time for all the work involved in EMT training is similar to….say, working to fit a sperm whale into a peanut butter jar. Simply put, adjustments are being made on my end. But in light of Valentine’s Day, I felt a need to review an appropriate mood to match what I feel is necessary to remember today.

#14 – RUDY

….Now, for those of you expecting a romantic comedy, let me explain.

This film chronicles the “true story” of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger (Sean Astin in pre-Hobbit form, albeit looking just as diminutive), who comes from a working-class Irish family in Illinois. He has wanted to play football for the University of Notre Dame all his life, but…well, despite Rudy’s feats in high school sports, God didn’t quite bless him with a suitable physical size. Or sufficient grades, for that matter (dyslexia is later noted as a cause), and his family is the first to try letting him down easy. It is not that they don’t care for him, but they seem to have been hurt by life too many times (particular Rudy’s father, played by Ned Beatty) to support him reaching for the stars. But when tragedy strikes at the steel mill where the family works, it spurs Rudy’s drive as he heads out for South Bend. Flanked by friends like D-Bob (Jon Favreau…yeah, Mr. Iron Man) and mentored by head of groundskeeping staff Fortune (Charles S. Dutton), Rudy pushes over every obstacle in his pursuit of a run out of the famed Fighting Irish tunnel. It is specifically set up to get under any athlete’s skin, so if you are a male and don’t shed a tear towards the end, your tear ducts may have been permanently fractured.

Oddly enough, the first detail to point out about this film involves the scenery of this film, which makes the absolute most of the gorgeous Notre Dame campus. Winter and spring are equally radiant in South Bend, and using them to emphasize the passage of time in Rudy’s journey is both subtle and effective without being too in-your-face. Far too often does it feel like the seasons fade into each other as we pursue a lofty goal, but we would not be able to relate to such a desire without compelling characters. And while it does feel like each of the central characters is a bit stereotyped personality-wise, they allow audiences to place similar people in their own lives within the film. Rudy’s father represents the loved ones who want to support us but fear our spirits getting crushed in failure, while his bastard brother Frank (Scott Benjaminson) exemplifies anyone too pained by their own misfortune to see anyone carry on with hope around them. Down the line of Rudy’s dreams, and our own, D-Bob serves as the comrade who sees us at our best and at our worst, and Fortune finally emerges as that one guiding force that will not tolerate us settling for being the latter. And respectively, the actors present the anguished support, embittered cynicism, goofball joviality and sage sternness that are needed to make them seem real…like what our journeys encounter. And by the way, I absolutely despised Frank.

That being said, it does present one particular problem, aside from the fact that it really stretches the boundaries of what can be called a “true story” on film. [All I will say is that Coach Dan Devine was one of Rudy’s biggest supporters and knew what filmmakers were planning; so him getting painted as a rushed villain makes him either a world-class good sport or someone who got royally screwed, you decide.] If we are focusing on this story in itself, these characters are presented – helpful or antagonistic – in a way that is simplified, because we are simply seeing them as Rudy did. It makes a great deal of the film’s impact, maybe too much of it, depend on whether Rudy himself connects with us. The good news is that Sean Astin acts his heart out, exuding all the enthusiasm and emotional intensity necessary to make his triumph seem fulfilling. The bad news is the implications of such a character, even if we say that this is how it really happened. I mean, if you go through childhood, through a prestigious school like Notre Dame, and all you care about is dressing for one game in order to “be somebody” (Rudy says as much in the film), what happens after the game is over? Playing football and collegiate athletics should be part of a larger goal, not the end goal in itself…and this is made even more sadly noted when one learns that real-life Rudy shopped this story around himself for A DECADE in Hollywood before director David Anspaugh picked it up. Secretariat didn’t need to promote himself.

But…this isn’t meant to be a literal focus on the historical event, is it? It is meant to be treated as an allegorical tale, a symbol of the definitive “underdog” reaching his ultimate dream despite every sort of figurative demon – from criticism to genetics to self-doubt – standing in his way. It is no coincidence that Anspaugh smartly made the concept of faith a huge motif throughout the entire film, even having several scenes shot in cathedrals. Because in all honesty, it is such a hope like Rudy’s, for a better tomorrow and personal redemption, that makes athletes want to move forward…and why this is so important to review (for me, anyway) on Valentine’s Day. In terms of both love and playing as a walk-on in collegiate football, I have gotten a great deal of exposure….and I can tell you that both have their fair share of trials to endure, especially if you feel your approval by the world depends on the situation working out. But the fact of the matter is that sometimes, you may have support systems but no one else will be able to actually carry the torch for you. It’s enough to make you want to quit and walk away in a heap, even if you are right at the finish line. But much like the movie preaches, before anyone else can spot your potential, sometimes you need to see the light within yourself first.

Oh, and this being a sports film, I do have to mention the actual athletics displayed on screen. It’s fantastically done, plain and simple. The actual scenes on the football field easily pull you in, with practices showing more than enough grit and the coaches displaying a military-level intensity you’d expect from a top-notch Division 1 football program. In particular, they do a great job emphasizing Rudy’s extreme disadvantages, which helps make the final 15 minutes one of the best sports sequences ever put to film, period. The music and crowd fit so perfectly with the situation, I think you get 30cc of "Cinematic Inspiration" every time you see the final play.

Fear not, fellow single readers. Our time to get called into the game of romance will come, so long as we don’t take our names off the roster first. Happy belated Valentine’s Day.

Score:

TOMORROW (#15) – LOVE ACTUALLY