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Rudy

year 1993decade 90sdirector David Anspaughgenre Dramagenre Biographygenre Sport

112 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Sean Astin Rudy
Ned Beatty Daniel
Jason Miller Ara Parseghian
Lili Taylor Sherry
Robert Prosky Father Cavanaugh
Greta Lind Mary
Jon Favreau D-Bob
Chelcie Ross Dan Devine
Ron Dean Coach Yonto
John Beasley Coach Warren
Vince Vaughn Jamie
Kevin White Roland

Rudy | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Kyle Brandtproducer Jessie Lopez
Explore episodeClose episode

Roger Ebert's review

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:14Read transcript
  • The podcast explicitly states that Ebert awarded three and a half stars.
  • Ebert’s three-and-a-half-star rating is judged half a star generous; his review praises Astin’s self-effacing focus and the powerful finale.
  • Siskel reportedly called the film better than Hoosiers in the television review.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Final game, tunnel entrance and celebration

In the discussion (19)
Approx. transcript time · 00:30:22Read transcript
  • Pete fighting Frank in the bar and the subsequent fatal mill accident are honorable mentions, including Rudy’s slow-motion reach.
  • Rudy seeing the stadium for the first time is an honorable mention, enhanced by the score and Dutton’s entrance.
  • Rudy reciting Rockne’s speech in the locker room and Fortune’s emotional reaction are nominated.
  • Admission to Notre Dame is called the first truly rewatchable scene, though Astin’s crying is criticized as forced compared with Toy Soldiers.
  • Astin reportedly described struggling to cry until the director asked what he feared, unlocking tears on the final take.
  • The assistant coach’s harsh tryout speech, the practice montage and Dean confirming Rudy made the team begin an especially strong stretch.
  • Football practice montages are praised for violence, music and repeated hits; The Program, Wildcats, Friday Night Lights and Remember the Titans provide comparisons.
  • Fortune promising to attend if Rudy dresses is a small favored moment.
  • The tackle demolishing Rudy, then easing up, leads to the parking-lot understanding and Jamie calling him a showboat.
  • Rudy asking to dress for one game is nominated, with skepticism about his entitlement and a joke that a departing coach can promise anything.
  • Fortune confronting Rudy after he quits is praised for acting, writing and the unexpected revelation that Fortune played at Notre Dame and regretted quitting amid perceived racial discrimination.
  • A hypothetical earlier scene revealing Fortune’s history might improve the first hour without losing the final motivational speech; no additional Dutton appears in the deleted scenes.
  • The jersey-drop scene is initially the top choice, with Ross’s restrained emotion particularly praised.
  • The jersey protest is reported as invented; Devine supposedly supported playing Rudy and objected to his villainous portrayal, while Montana also denied he would surrender a jersey.
  • The jersey scene remains emotionally effective despite its implausibility, while Steele surrendering his final home-game tunnel entrance is considered even harder to believe.
  • The pregame speech, tunnel entrance, final opportunity, sack, reaction shots and shoulder carry build the finale’s emotional force.
  • The halfback touchdown pass is criticized as invented and an unearned attempt to redeem Jamie after his hostility, though the score still makes the sports ending work.
  • Montana reportedly described the shoulder carry as a joke by the team’s pranksters; that interview damaged the film’s reputation in the social-media era.
  • Both final scene choices settle on the ending, especially Beatty and Dutton’s reactions; the jersey scene remains a favorite and Frank’s restrained response is amusing.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Jamie’s position; Rudy’s jacket, work ethic, love life and isolation

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:11Read transcript
  • The mill accident raises a question of Rudy’s negligence or possible manslaughter because his task was maintaining water flow; the mill itself looks dangerously unsafe.
  • Jamie’s lack of success is answered by miscasting his physique at tailback.
  • The jacket’s long use in all weather raises hygiene questions.
  • Jason Miller might prefer another encounter with The Exorcist’s Regan to another interruption from Rudy.
  • Rudy’s late commitment raises the question why he did not work harder in high school, with dyslexia offered as context.
  • Mary’s relationship with Rudy prompts speculation about an eventual kiss, with his team membership increasing his chances but her abstinence and rule-following limiting opportunities.
  • Rudy’s isolation, lack of entertainment, athletic energy and unsuccessful pursuit of women inspire a joking claim about exceptional masturbation frequency.

What’s Aged the Best?

Goldsmith score; rejection montages; Astin’s athleticism; blunt parental realism; supporting cast; Devine speech; sports-movie character types

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:41:33Read transcript
  • The montage of Rudy repeatedly failing to make the dress list is praised as an effective disappointed-hope sequence with strong music.
  • The score, loose true-story disclaimer, rejection-letter montage and fathers asking children’s friends whether they have their own home are affirmative selections.
  • Astin’s athletic running and tackling look convincing, with Toy Soldiers and Seagal’s running providing comparisons.
  • Adults discouraging unrealistic childhood dreams is praised as a refreshing contrast with universal encouragement, including the bus-stop story about the failed cattle business.
  • Jamie’s disappointing blue-chip-recruit persona and sports villains who complain that the hero makes them look bad are enjoyable familiar types.
  • Devine’s nobody-pushes-us-around speech has a lasting arena-jumbotron afterlife.
  • Seeing early Vaughn after Swingers and Old School adds comic expectations to his exchanges with Rudy.
  • Some Notre Dame fans’ vehement dislike of the movie is itself an amusing positive.
  • Tryouts reportedly appears in at least twelve other film trailers, demonstrating the score’s power to sell unrelated movies.
  • Ross’s Major League, Hoosiers and Rudy trifecta establishes his sports-movie supporting-player stature, with Trouble with the Curve, The Express and possibly The Last Boy Scout also cited.

The most GIFable moment

Fortune’s triple clap

The panel proposes a new category here.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:12Read transcript
  • A proposed Fortune-from-Rudy GIF award uses his three claps as the example because the reaction frequently accompanies online accomplishments.

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

Rudy in the stadium corner; crane shot above the stadium

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:49Read transcript
  • The camera behind Rudy as he takes in the stadium is a favored shot.
  • The crane shot rises above the stadium during a real game and reportedly catches a touchdown, despite visible anachronistic cars.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

The real Rudy’s post-film public persona

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:55Read transcript
  • The real Rudy’s later motivational-speaking persona, self-promotion and reported securities-fraud settlement are argued to overshadow the film.
  • An ESPN profile is cited for an abrasive personality and many efforts to monetize the story, including a stage show, chicken promotion and documentary.
  • Manti Te’o reportedly described an awkward first meeting when Rudy told him to know his history; a better subsequent relationship does not erase that first impression.

What’s Aged the Worst?

D-Bob’s dating arrangement; staged interception; invented events and characters; historical omissions

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:34Read transcript
  • Rudy’s role finding women for D-Bob is criticized as implausible and creepy, compounded by his repeatedly worn secondhand jacket and uncertain hygiene.
  • Steele’s interception touchdown looks staged because the quarterback throws directly at him; realistic interception choreography is difficult, but the result resembles deliberate point shaving.
  • The jersey protest and villainous Devine portrayal are reported as inaccurate; Devine’s later condemnation and Montana’s account of no chanting and a prank shoulder carry are cited.
  • Frank is reportedly invented from several hometown doubters, while Fortune combines several people rather than representing one actual janitor.
  • The movie omits four Navy years, reportedly invents sleeping in the stadium and dramatizes admission that actually required four good Holy Cross semesters.
  • The real Rudy is described as a strong five-foot-six,185-pound practice player, and the Penn State game is called an anachronism used because that opponent was present during filming.
  • The discussion is uncertain whether Pete’s death happened as shown, but rejects blaming the real Rudy for the accident.
  • Rockne’s famous speech is judged overrated and dated in performance.

Is There a Better Title for This Movie?

The Stalking Irish; Take Us Out

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:01Read transcript
  • The Stalking Irish is preferred to the competing Take Us Out suggestion; Rudy is nevertheless acknowledged as effective in streaming thumbnails.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

Chase your dreams; a friend’s death as a dark motivator

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:49Read transcript
  • The same dream quotation is also the life-lesson choice.
  • A dark final lesson says a best friend’s violent death motivates following one’s dreams.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Frank was right; exaggerate the invented history further

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:10Read transcript
  • Frank is argued to have been right: following the dream costs Rudy relationships, money and physical health for a brief appearance, while an ordinary working life could have been happier.
  • If historical invention is acceptable, a deliberately exaggerated version could have Rudy mentor Montana, invent the playoff or NIL, and suggest ESPN or betting businesses.

Casting What-Ifs

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:07Read transcript
  • A casting-director interview reportedly reveals Damon was an early preference, but his height and slight build worked against him while Astin was better known and ultimately right for the part.
  • Damon’s audition is inferred to have impressed strongly; his greater conventional charisma would change Rudy’s interactions with women, prompting Good Will Hunting and Rounders impressions.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Vince Vaughn; equipment manager (personal choice)

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:06Read transcript
  • Nominees include Pete, Prosky, Vaughn, the equipment manager, both assistant coaches, Steele and Astin’s stunt double.
  • The equipment manager is a deliberately minor personal choice for his stiff single line, while Vaughn is judged the likely winner from two contrasting scenes.

Recasting Couch

Wil Wheaton as Frank

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:15Read transcript
  • Wheaton as Frank would reunite the Toy Soldiers actors and give him another awkward fight; either side of the bar fight is considered possible.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Development, Notre Dame access and NFL Films footage

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:09Read transcript
  • After Columbia’s chairman left, the project reportedly entered turnaround before TriStar approved it on a compressed script and Notre Dame permission schedule.
  • The shoulder carry used a real Notre Dame–Boston College crowd, the stands footage used the1992 Penn State game, and NFL Films reportedly handled football scenes.

Apex Mountain

Sean Astin; Charles S. Dutton; modern-era Notre Dame football; Ron Dean; Vincent Vaughn billing; all-time centers

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:19:21Read transcript
  • Astin’s signature role is judged Rudy despite personal Toy Soldiers preferences and the scale of Lord of the Rings; the suggestion Encino Man followed it is a podcast chronology claim, not verified metadata.
  • Notre Dame initially receives a no, then its modern football era receives support for1988–94 and the1993 season; Dutton receives clear support alongside Roc.
  • Ross’s peak is placed at Major League, while Vaughn receives a joking yes specifically for his full Vincent screen billing rather than his later Vince career.
  • Dean’s simultaneous Rudy and The Fugitive appearances make a persuasive career-peak case.
  • All-time centers in informal football receive a yes, with the position’s limited appeal mocked.
  • Vaughn/Favreau collaborations peak at Swingers; Rockne speeches are assigned an alternative in The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training and criticized as overrated here.
  • Astin’s crying is preferred in Toy Soldiers despite anticipated Return of the King objections.
  • Unsupportive sports-family members peak with Paulie, including the later loss of Rocky’s money; Rocky’s unpaid Drago fight also deserves blame.

Cruise or Hanks?

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:39Read transcript
  • Cruise is the lead-role choice through All the Right Moves and Risky Business comparisons; Hanks might fit D-Bob or a coach, but those are not lead-role answers.
  • Cruise’s short stature might discourage taking Rudy, while an alternative casts his aggressive Taps persona as Frank.

Best Race Horse Name from This Movie

Stalking Irish; Roland Steele

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:05Read transcript
  • Stalking Irish is one choice; Roland Steele is chosen for a wrestler and likened to a porn-star name.
  • The surrounding players are said to have fictional identities, making the writers’ conspicuous Roland Steele choice particularly amusing.

Picking Nits

Funeral exit; Jamie’s football performance; invented support; player physiques

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:50Read transcript
  • Rudy leaving Pete’s funeral early is selfish, with a callback joking he should instead be arrested over the mill accident.
  • Jamie tiptoeing before Rudy tackles him looks absurd and prompts joking charitable-run labels.
  • The tackle’s chant and Jamie’s sudden support feel unearned, and a Notre Dame obsessive should have known Fortune played there.
  • The unauthorized halfback pass in a blowout is an implausible violation that should get the participants disciplined.
  • Vaughn’s six-foot-five build is implausible for a1970s tailback, while his impressive pass suggests quarterback; receiver or tight end would also fit better.
  • Notre Dame’s bulky starting tailback looks like an anachronistic250-pound player rather than a mid-1970s back.
  • The family’s reaction to the improbable sack should be stunned disbelief rather than routine cheering.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Post-film Rudy black comedy; displaced player’s dark sequel; family at the mill

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:46Read transcript
  • A King of Comedy-style sequel could follow the real Rudy’s later self-promotion; another follows the player displaced from the dress list into a serial-killer story.
  • A return to the mill could explore Rudy’s brother taking up with his longtime girlfriend soon after he leaves.

Just One Oscar

Jerry Goldsmith

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:29Read transcript
  • Goldsmith is the immediate Oscar choice with agreement.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Fortune’s corduroy jacket and outfit

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:40:56Read transcript
  • Candidates include Rudy’s repeatedly worn jacket, his game jersey, Jamie’s or Steele’s jerseys, and Devine’s named jacket.
  • Fortune’s stylish final corduroy jacket, scarf and hat are the explicit personal choice.

Who Won the Movie?

Jerry Goldsmith

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:47Read transcript
  • Notre Dame is initially chosen for the film’s affectionate, almost fetishistic presentation of the university.
  • The counterargument says Notre Dame declined after this peak, whereas Goldsmith’s music retains its power; the discussion ends with agreement on Goldsmith.
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
Jerry Goldsmith

More from the conversation

The movie divides into a slow college-admission story and a powerful football finale, making it unusually polarizing despite affection for its ending.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:04Read transcript
Notre Dame fandom and a father’s attendance inform a childhood dream of playing there; an unsuccessful recruiting visit leads to Princeton football instead.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:44Read transcript
The ending still produces tears, while the first hour invites ridicule; Rocky II is a parallel whose finale overcomes earlier flaws.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:42Read transcript
Rudy’s dream is criticized as obsession and self-punishing endurance rather than strength training or football study, with potentially disastrous physical consequences.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:42Read transcript
Based on a true story and inspired by real events are treated as loose promises; Notre Dame resentment compounds viewers’ anger at invented events.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:08Read transcript
Rudy abandoning the funeral and girlfriend, wearing the same clothes, sneaking into the stadium and helping D-Bob meet women illustrate a narcissistic pursuit of admission.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:40Read transcript
The real sack footage is criticized as a shared sack with a probable neutral-zone alignment violation, a slow start and a poor running-back block.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:38Read transcript
A joking stalking-film list includes Cape Fear, Fatal Attraction, Sleeping with the Enemy, Fear, One Hour Photo and Rudy; Single White Female is added because Rudy stalks Notre Dame.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:51Read transcript
Rocky, The Natural, The Karate Kid, Hoosiers and Rudy define an old-fashioned underdog-sports tradition; later phases include Bull Durham’s era, He Got Game, Any Given Sunday and Disney’s Remember the Titans and The Rookie.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:47Read transcript
The period setting makes the film feel timeless, though a young child is bored by its first half; its appeal to current young football players remains uncertain.
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:05Read transcript
Everything after Rudy makes the team is defended, including the shuffleboard return home.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:09Read transcript
The 1988–94 sports-film pyramid puts Bull Durham first; Field of Dreams, A League of Their Own, White Men Can’t Jump, Bloodsport and Major League above Rudy, which sits with The Sandlot, Searching for Bobby Fischer and Above the Rim.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:26Read transcript
Frank serves as the skeptical viewer’s mouthpiece. Rudy’s size is the main reason for disbelief, followed by his annoying behavior, with family jealousy and grades also considered.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:58Read transcript
Sean Astin, young Jon Favreau and Ned Beatty anchor an eclectic cast; Vaughn’s Vincent billing, Dutton’s magical-janitor role and Miller’s surprising casting after The Exorcist are highlighted.
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:43Read transcript
Chelcie Ross is praised as a sports-film regular, Lili Taylor’s Say Anything connection is recalled, and Robert Prosky exemplifies a recognizable supporting actor.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:08Read transcript
Ron Dean is celebrated as Chicago-screen royalty through The Breakfast Club, The Fugitive, Seagal films and The Dark Knight; jokingly awarded the movie before the formal categories.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:26Read transcript
Goldsmith’s Hoosiers and Rudy scores establish his sports-film stature alongside Rocky; eighteen Oscar nominations, The Omen win and memorable genre scores are cited.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:18Read transcript
The score inspires playing Rudy music around the house and before recording. It is argued to carry the movie more than even celebrated scores for already-great films such as Jaws or Star Wars.
Approx. transcript time · 00:22:27Read transcript
An instrumental sports-score list starts with Rocky’s Gonna Fly Now, Rudy’s Tryouts, Hoosiers, The Natural and Chariots of Fire; Rocky IV training music is added despite reluctance to include two Rocky films.
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:50Read transcript
The podcast reports no Goldsmith nomination and criticizes purported competing nominations for Interview with the Vampire and Little Women while accepting The Lion King, Shawshank and Forrest Gump; these are the podcast’s claims, not externally verified award chronology.
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:13Read transcript
A wedding string quartet played the Shawshank score as the bride walked down the aisle, prompting prison-film jokes.
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:50Read transcript
Rudy reportedly spent a decade pursuing the film, recruited the Hoosiers writer, and obtained a script in six months; a reported thirteen-million-dollar budget and twenty-two-million gross precede a strong cable and rental afterlife.
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:34Read transcript
Rudy and The Program arrived weeks apart, with The Program reportedly the bigger hit. Rights and uniforms may impede college-football movies, whereas Necessary Roughness uses fictional teams.
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:33Read transcript
Chris Hogan reportedly watched Rudy before every high-school football game and before his first Patriots Super Bowl, illustrating the movie’s lasting athlete appeal despite internet criticism.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:12Read transcript
The longer Amazon version reportedly includes more Vaughn, a gym scene with Rudy using a fake ID and a sequence in which Mary accepts Jamie’s attention. A Swingers catchphrase is an impression, explicitly corrected as the vibe rather than actual dialogue.
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:08Read transcript
The slow clap prompts an Apex question and a promised list, deferred until later in the episode.
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:59Read transcript
The conversation jokes about confusion between Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Star Wars; unshared family interest prevented watching the fantasy franchises.
Approx. transcript time · 01:23:37Read transcript
A joking movie-character masturbation list names Miggs, McConaughey in The Wolf of Wall Street, DiCaprio in The Basketball Diaries, Gary in Parenthood and a speculative Andy Dufresne; Midnight Express and Weird Science’s Wyatt and Gary are added.
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:19Read transcript
The earnest slow-clap list comprises Brubaker, Lucas, Hoosiers, Can’t Buy Me Love and Rudy, excluding parody examples such as Not Another Teen Movie; Lucas is the explicit favorite.
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:06Read transcript
The outro anticipates a possible future in-person recording; it does not establish this episode as live.
Approx. transcript time · 01:42:47Read transcript