As they showed in Hoosiers, director David Anspaugh and writer Angelo Pizzo know their cornball. Their subject this time is an Illinois high-school kid, short on height, weight, good grades and athletic ability, who dreams of playing football for Notre Dame. He gets his wish. It's the movies. It's also a true story.

Sean Astin is a winner as Rudy Ruettiger, who earns the grades, a place on the scout team and, in 1975, a chance to play for a glorious 27 seconds. There's little Rocky-like rah-rah. It's Ruettiger's persistence that his teammates and the film celebrate. For that, Rudy earns a rousing cheer.

“Oh Sherrie”

Steve Perry's girlfriend Sherrie Swafford was actually in the studio when Perry began writing this song--his lone Top Ten hit as a solo act--with two co-writers. The trio began at midnight one night with just "Oh, Sherrie!" and "hold on, hold on." Three hours later, they had a complete song. Swafford, however, had to wait until the next day to hear it. "Sherrie actually got tired and went to bed," Perry said. She also appeared in the video, but their relationship did not hold on for long.