Rudy, the movie about an undersized and dyslexic kid whose dream was to play football at Notre Dame, holds a special place in my heart. The film’s plot about perseverance and determination is not only inspirational to me but every time Jerry Goldsmith’s score reaches a crescendo as Rudy makes the tackle against the opposing team’s quarterback and teammates carry him off the field, I get the goosebumps.
While it is true Rudy’s orchestral score has been characterized by some critics as sappy and a repetitive piece of music that has been used for everything from the Academy Awards and John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign to Dick’s Sporting Goods TV commercial; to me it is quite the contrary; I don’t know what it is but every time I listen to it, Goldsmith’s music makes me feel a weird sense of euphoria and peace at the same time.
Despite Goldsmith's masterful ability to merge the heart of a personal journey with the adversity of a sports environment; personally, I think it is a shame that the music he wrote for Hoosiers (1986) and Rudy (1993) is appreciated only within the realm of sports; especially if you consider Goldsmith was not a sports enthusiast. Instead, I would rather stick to Rudy’s screenwriter, Angelo Pizzo, who said these words about Goldsmith who died in 2004 after a long battle with cancer: “He felt music, he didn’t just compose music. It wasn’t about the technique. It was about the heart.”
Too often, I find myself wasting my time chasing crazy dreams and thinking about Rudy every time I consider giving up on them. However, it is Jerry’s Goldsmith’s music that serves as a constant reminder that I’m capable of more than I know and more than others believe is possible.
Yeah, I know, the whole thing is cliché and predictable, I don’t care…As the legendary Bob Marley once said: “One good thing about music is that, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
