Inspirational? They chuck him on at the end of the game with less than 10 seconds on the clock when they are up by 21 points! What a pitiful patronising gesture of charity. The miserable coach had to give into peer pressure for that to happen as well. Not Another Teen Movie has all the right to make fun of this maudlin malarkey.

Rudy is the sports movie that apparently makes sports fans weep. I can see why, but even if the eponymous character's fannish devotion is something I can understand as a card-carrying geek, I didn't find it all that affecting. While no sports fan, I have enjoyed many films about sportive underdogs, the theme of which has frequently been that it's better to participate with heart than half-ass it with talent. I guess my problem is two-fold. First, Rudy's experience seems repetitive as he jumps through hoops to get on Notre Dame's football team, is told he can't do it, whines about it, shows he has heart, is given opportunity, jumps through next hoop, and so on. Obviously, we're hostages to the true details of the story, but still, it's about what you decide to focus on in these cases. Second, Rudy's achievement doesn't really feel like one. We spend too little time getting to know his teammates for it to mean something when they decide to put their last game on the line for him. It's just an accepted fact that they all respect him. And every step of the way, though he works hard, he's always being thrown a bone. His achievement is getting everyone's respect despite his lack of ability, I get that, but the narrative is all about everyone giving him a push, not his own agency. And still he whines. "Put me in coach! Put me in coach!" Gah. All that said, it's a perfectly watchable sports movie, but an overrated one, I'm afraid.

Inspirational!