Rudy (1993)

(On Cable TV, May 2019) Despite a decade-long exposure, few aspects of American society have me going “You’ve got to be kidding me” more than its devotion to football. If I only knew American society through its movies, it’s clear that the world would be divided between winners (those who played, play, or will play football, plus its cheerleaders) and losers (everyone else). According to that logic, Rudy makes perfect sense—being about a simple-minded man whose biggest wish in life is to play football with the Notre Dame college team. It wouldn’t take much to see the film as a grotesque overblown parody, considering that it seemed convinced from the get-go of the rightful self-evidence of the protagonists’ quest. Football is love, football is life, football is God and everyone associated with Rudy, from the extras to the director, agree with that and if you don’t, well, you may not be an American. Never mind the thirst for concussions. This is a film about those people. It seems to have worked, with numerous outlets calling it an inspiring or even a definitive sports film. You do you, America.