Rudy (1993)
86%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 1 nomination
Though undeniably sentimental and predictable, Rudy succeeds with an uplifting spirit and determination
Rudy is the ultimate feel-good movie that will have you cheering for the underdog. It’s a classic sports tale that hits all the right emotional buttons, making you want to stand up and cheer for Rudy’s pursuit of his All-American dream. Sure, it may be a bit corny and overly sentimental at times, but that’s what makes it so fun to watch. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Rocky-style underdog triumph? So grab some popcorn, get ready to laugh and cry, and let Rudy inspire you to chase your own dreams.
Production Company(ies)
CNN Films, HBO Max Tremolo Productions,
Distributor
Columbia Tristar, Sony Pictures Entertainment, TriStar Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for mild language
Year of Release
1993
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby SR
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 53m
-
Language(s):English, Spanish
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 18, 1993 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 28, 2001
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $22,881,563
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $47,530,845
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,355
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 5,183,298
US/Canada gross: $22,881,563
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $47,530,845
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,097
US/Canada opening weekend: $881,191
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $1,830,459
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,216
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ned Beatty – Daniel
Charles S. Dutton – Fortune
Robert Prosky – Father Cavanaugh
Lili Taylor – Sherry
Jon Favreau – D-Bob
Director(s)
David Anspaugh
Writer(s)
Angelo Pizzo
Producer(s)
Robert N. Fried, Cary Woods
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (46) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (36) | Rotten (10)
Anspaugh, whose Hoosiers showed he knows from feel-good movies, directs this story as if he were conducting Bolero, carefully building climax upon climax as the story spirals to an underdog triumph every bit as tearful as that of Rocky.
August 23, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
Johanna Steinmetz
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
The film is so effective because Rudy is never seen as mock-heroic, and he’s never lifted toward unrealistic achievement. He simply does the very best he can.
August 23, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
Underneath its rah-rah spirit, the PG-rated Rudy is straightforward enough to raise, albeit unintentionally, some troubling questions.
August 23, 2016
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Ideally, this movie should be seen as a double feature with Knute Rockne, All-American, that other great movie about Notre Dame football.
February 18, 2012 | Rating: B+
Nell Minow
Beliefnet
TOP CRITIC
Rudy is one of those beating-the-odds tales that no one does better than Hollywood. A film that hits all the right emotional buttons, it’s an intelligent, sentimental drama that lifts an audience to its feet cheering.
March 26, 2009
Leonard Klady
Variety
TOP CRITIC
[A] well-crafted piece of middle-American uplift.
March 26, 2007
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
It’s definitely a really wonderful movie if you want to be inspired by a goal that you have in your life and you want to be motivated.
June 28, 2019
Rachel Wagner
Rachel’s Reviews (YouTube)
So sentimental it moves you to laughter rather than tears.
December 7, 2017
Quentin Curtis
Independent on Sunday
Corny and manipulative as it is, Rudy is a movie that makes you want to cheer — if not for the real-life Rudy Ruettiger’s public relations triumph, at least for the mythical Rudy’s brave pursuit of an All-American dream.
August 23, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
Dennis King
Tulsa World
At times it is both overly sentimental and unintentionally funny.
August 23, 2016 | Rating: 2/5
John Ferguson
Radio Times
Well acted but overly familiar and sentimental sports tale of the underdog
August 9, 2011 | Rating: C+
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
continues to make life seem a little better
February 24, 2011 | Rating: B
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews…
Plot
Rudy grew up in a steel mill town where most people ended up working, but wanted to play football at Notre Dame instead. There were only a couple of problems. His grades were a little low, his athletic skills were poor, and he was only half the size of the other players. But he had the drive and the spirit of 5 people and has set his sights upon joining the team.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Rudy.
David-Anspaugh.jpg
