Rudy
It was 1993, and I was a senior, and too cool for school. My sister wanted to see this dumb movie, "Rudy," which was going to be so lame, so sentimental, so predictable, that there was no way I would like it. Been there, done that, and Sean Astin was a dweeb anyway. (This was before "Lord of the Rings," obviously. Although he's kinda a dweeb there, too, but that's what makes him so lovable.)
And that's the way it was for most of the movie...but then the ending happened. The part where pint-sized Rudy finally makes good on his dream of playing Notre Dame football. The music swells, the camera pans, the coach yells, "Alright, go get 'em kid," and Rudy races onto the field for a kickoff. Uh-oh. My chest tightens, and I'm grinning just like the people in the shots of the crowd. The music swells higher, the crowd chants "Rudy! Rudy!" and the Georgia Tech quarterback doesn't stand a chance. Neither do I--"Rudy" wins.
--Patton Dodd
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