The plot: Rudy Ruettiger Jr. may come from a working class family, but he has other plans for his life. His dream is to play football for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. The only problem is no one believes he can make it, especially since he is a small fellow. Luckily, Rudy does manage to nab a spot on the team, but will he ever be able to play in a game and live out his dream?

Let me start off by saying that I am not a football fan in slightest. However, you don’t have to be a fan of the sport in order to appreciate this great true underdog story. What really makes “Rudy” work is that the title character is completely and utterly identifiable. Everyone has a dream they are determined to live out and Rudy does just that. Seeing him never give up and go after his dream is both moving and inspirational.

Speaking of Rudy, underrated actor Sean Astin gives one of his finest performances here as Rudy. While he has had a few major roles (namely Samwise Gange), he never seems to continually great roles, which is a crying shame as he’s a solid actor. On the subject of the cast, be on the lookout for Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn before they were stars.