Special Lesson Scene 1

Rudy After high school, Rudy takes a job at a local steel

mill, where his father and two of his older brothers

About the Film
work. Pete, his lifelong friend, who also works at the
Rudy (1993) is an American film based on the true
mill, believes in him and always supports his dream
story of Daniel Rudy Ruettiger (1948 ~ ). Rudy grows
of being a Notre Dame football player. On his
up in a steel mill town dreaming of playing college
twenty-second birthday, Pete gives Rudy a present.
football at the University of Notre Dame in the U.S.

His grades are bad, and he is only half the size of

Rudy: (finding it is a Notre Dame University jacket)
other football players. Rudy's aspiration is never
This is fantastic. Pete, where did you find this?
taken seriously. Nevertheless, he is reluctant to give
Pete: I saw it in this surplus store and I said, "That's
up his dream.
got to be yours."

Rudy: This is unbelievable. Pete, I don't know how

I'm ever going to thank you.

(He puts on the Notre Dame jacket, excited.)

How's it look?

Pete: You were born to wear that jacket.

Rudy: Do you know Ara is the only coach in Notre

Dame history who encourages walk-on players?

Pete: You probably know more about the team than

half the players.

Rudy: I can't wait to get there. Guess how much

money I have saved up?

Pete: Twenty? Eighty? Fifty?

Rudy: A thousand dollars.

Pete: That's a good start!

Rudy: You're the only one who ever took me

seriously, Pete.

Pete: Well, you know what? My dad always said,

"Having dreams is what makes life tolerable."

Scene 2 Scene 3

After Pete is killed in an explosion at the mill, Rudy With the help of Father Cavanaugh, Rudy enrolls at

decides at his funeral not to lose any more time in Holy Cross Junior College and works hard, hoping to

pursuing his dream. He quits his job and leaves for get grades good enough to qualify to transfer to

South Bend, Indiana, where the University of Notre Notre Dame. After two years and three rejections, he

Dame is located. finally gets admitted to Notre Dame. He immediately

tries out for the football team. One coach notices

(In the Catholic church on the Notre Dame campus) that Rudy makes more effort than any of his

teammates.

Father Cavanaugh: Why are you here?

Rudy: I want to go to school here at Notre Dame. Coach Yonto: You think you can give the same effort

Father Cavanaugh: Well, have you applied? day in and day out for the next five months?

Rudy: No, my grades have never been very good, Rudy: Sir, I have no doubt.

even though I tried. But I'll try harder. I'll Coach Yonto: Fine. If you lighten up one hair, I'll

study twenty hours a day if I have to. throw you off this ream so fast you won't know

Father Cavanaugh: This university, it's not for what hit you.

everybody. Rudy: Wait a minute. Throw me off? That means I've

Rudy: Ever since I was a kid, I have wanted to go to got to be on the team first, right?

school here. And ever since I was a kid, everyone Coach Yonto: Don't let me down, kid.

said it couldn't be done. My whole life, people have Rudy: Does that mean I'm on the team?

been telling me what I could do and couldn't do. Coach Yonto: Yeah, kid, you're on the team.

I've always listened to them, and believed what they Rudy: (rushing to the coach and giving him a hug)

said. I don't want to do that anymore. Thank you!

Father Cavanaugh: Okay, Mr. Rudy. Here's the deal....

Holy Cross Junior College is nearby. I can get you

one semester there. You make grades, you get

another semester. Maybe with a high GPA, you

might have a chance of getting into Notre Dame.

Scene 4 Scene 5

Rudy, now a walk-on player, exhibits immense drive Before long, however, coach Ara resigns from his job

in training, as if he were taking part in real games. at Notre Dame. Although disappointed, Rudy still

However, his chances of playing in a real game are exerts himself to the utmost in practice, hoping to

virtually zero. Rudy goes to the head coach, Ara, and be selected. But when he sees that he is not on the

asks for permission to dress for just one game in his shortlist for the team's next-to-last game, he is so

senior year. furious that he decides to quit the team. Rudy is

standing in the stands of the stadium, gazing out

Rudy: My father loves Notre Dame football more over the field. Fortune, the groundskeeper ― who

than anything else in the world. He doesn't believe understands Rudy's passion to play in a real game ―

I'm on the team because he can't see me at the is passing by and stops to talk to him.

sidelines during the games. Next year, my senior

year, I'd love to be able to give him this gift. I'd Fortune: Hey, hey, hey, hey. What are you doing

really appreciate it if you'd let me dress ― one game here? Don't you have practice?

next season. Rudy: Not anymore. I quit.

Coach Ara: Look, Rudy.... You know every year we're Fortune: Oh. Well, since when are you the quitting

competing for the national championship. Is this just kind?

for your father? Rudy: (with a sigh) I don't know. I just don't see the

Rudy: No, it's for everybody who told me that being point anymore.

a Notre Dame football player would be impossible. Fortune: So you didn't make the shortlist. There are

It's for my brothers, the kids in my high school, the greater tragedies in the world.

guys I work with at the mill. They can't come to Rudy: I wanted to run out of that tunnel for my dad

practice and see that I am part of the team. to prove to everyone that I worked....

Coach Ara: Okay. Fortune: PROVE WHAT?

Rudy: Okay? Rudy: That I was somebody.

Coach Ara: You deserve it. You'll dress for one game

next season.

Rudy: Thank you, coach!

Fortune: Oh, you are so full of crap. You're five feet Scene 6
nothing. A hundred pounds and nothing. And you've
It is the day of the team's last game, which is

got hardly a speck of athletic ability. And you hung against Georgia Tech. The stands are packed, and

in with the best college football team in the land for

Rudy's family is there. Fortune is there too, as he

two years! And you're also going to walk out of

promised. As the game nears its end with Notre

here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame up 17-3, the new head coach, Devine, sends

Dame. In this lifetime you don't have to prove

all the seniors onto the field but not Rudy. Then, a
nothing to nobody except yourself. And after what
"Rudy!" chant begins among his teammates.

you've gone through, if you haven't done that by

now, it's never going to happen. ‧‧‧ Now go on

Player #75: Rudy! Rudy! (looking around at other

back.
players) Rudy! Rudy! (Other players and people near
Rudy: (recalling that Fortune has never seen a game them join the chanting.) Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!
even though he is a groundskeeper) I'm sorry I Crowd: Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! (getting louder)

never got you to see your first game in here.

Announcer: 37 seconds remaining and ‧‧‧ I'm starting

Fortune: Hell, I've seen too many games in this to pick up a chant from the Notre Dame student

stadium.
body. I can't quite make out just what it is at the

Rudy: I thought you said you never saw a game....

moment.

Fortune: I've never seen a game from the stands. Rudy's Mother: They're chanting for Rudy!

Rudy: You were a player?

Fortune: I rode the bench for two years. Thought I

As the chant spreads to the whole stadium, the team

wasn't being played because of my color. I got filled goes against coach Devine's wish to play defensively.

up with a lot of attitude, so I quit. Still not a week

They play offensively, scoring more points to create a

goes by, I don't regret it. And I guarantee a week

chance for Rudy to get into the game. Coach Devine

won't go by in your life, You won't regret walking gives in to the chanting and lets Rudy play on the

out letting them get the best of you. And you hear
final kickoff. Rudy stays in for the final play of the

me clear enough?
game and sacks the Georgia Tech quarterback. To

Rudy: Yeah. the crowd's cheers, he is carried off the field on his

teammates' shoulders ― the finale of his dream.