On Sunday night, I was listening to the soundtrack of Rudy, the popular film from 1993 under a young man beating the odds, getting accepted into Notre Dame and playing one defensive snap for the Fighting Irish. On that one play, Rudy Ruttiger records a sack against Georgia Tech and is carried off the field, the last player to have such an honor at Notre Dame since that moment in 1975.
The music is all created by Jerry Goldsmith, who relies on an orchestra to create the mood. The music strikes a chord inside me and it got me thinking. Rudy is my favorite sports movie of all-time, but since this is a football blog, let’s narrow it down. What is your favorite football movie ever?
Despite being an outspoken and boisterous person, I’m extremely sensitive to triumphs of the human spirit. I don’t think there is a better story than someone overcoming boundaries created for them by others. Few things can move me to tears, but seeing an individual defy all odds through courage, hard work and perseverance is one of the them.
There is a scene in Rudy when he is accepted into Notre Dame. The young man starts reading the acceptance letter next to a pond, knowing this is his final chance to make the cut. He finally gets in, and begins to break down as he reads the fateful sentences. With Goldsmith’s music playing in the background, it is enough to melt the hardest of hearts.
Yeah, you probably didn’t expect that sappiness when talking about a football movie, but that’s what makes Rudy so great for me. I also love Remember The Titans, a movie about a high school team in Alexandria, Va., overcoming bigotry and color barriers to win an unlikely state championship.
If you could only watch one football movie the rest of your life, what would you choose and why?