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RUDY
(1993, 112 minutes, PG)
A Reel Spirit classic as good as new on video:

Touchdown! Inspirational movies don't get any better than this. The story is based on the life of Rudy Ruettiger (Sean Astin), a young man from Chicago who is determined to play football for Notre Dame, even though he doesn't have the build, the athletic abilities or the grades. What he has is a dream and determination.

We know Rudy is going to succeed -- and we're in there cheering him on from the beginning -- but there is great satisfaction in following Rudy's journey to success in this film directed by David Anspaugh and written by Angelo Pizzo.

To start with, we cheer the fact that Rudy is able to break through old, defeatist programming. When he was a young boy, Rudy announces to his family, "After high school, I'm going to play football at Notre Dame." They laugh at him. Such response continues throughout his formative years, and after high school Rudy works in a steel mill with his father and brothers for four years. Only one friend believes in Rudy, and when the friend dies, Rudy realizes that he can't put off his dream any longer.

Rudy tells a priest, "My whole life, people have been telling me what I could do and what I couldn't do. I've always listened to them, believed in what they said. I don't want to do that anymore." In the lingo of the ancient Toltec wisdom found in the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, Rudy is changing his agreement with himself.

Ruiz writes that the most important agreements are the ones we make with ourselves, based on what we have accepted from our environment, society, parents, etc. "In these agreements you tell yourself who you are, what you feel, what you believe, and how to behave. The result is what you call your personality. In these agreements you say, "This is what I am. This is what I believe. I can do certain things, and some things I cannot do. This is reality, that is fantasy; this is possible, that is impossible."

But Ruiz says, "If you want to live a life of joy and fulfillment, you have to find the courage to break those agreements that are fear-based and claim your personal power."

Making a new agreement with himself, Rudy affirms, "I'll do whatever it takes . . . I'll study twenty hours a day if I have to." While standing on the Notre Dame playing field, Rudy vows, "Some day I'm going to come out of that tunnel and I'm going to run onto this field . . . I'm here to play football for the Irish."

Rudy puts considerable action and energy, as well as prayer and faith, into his dream, and during times when it appears as if he won't succeed, Rudy prays and reflectively asks, "Have I done everything I possibly can?" Rudy absolutely refuses to break his can-do agreement with himself. The rest, as they say, is history -- and on record at the University of Notre Dame.

THE WAR
(1994, 125 minutes, PG-13)
A Reel Spirit classic as good as new on video:

The War covers a lot of internal and external battleground. Essentially, the movie asks the question, "What's worth fighting for?" and gives a beautiful answer.

There are wars going on in the mind of Stephen Simmons (Kevin Costner), a Vietnam vet who has returned home to his family in Mississippi during 1970 but is still haunted by his time and choices during military service. And there is a war going on between his two children, Stu (Elijah Wood) and Lidia (Lexi Randall) and a family of bullying children, the Lipnickis. Stephen, wrestling with guilt, loss and fear, shares his hard-earned understanding about war with his son:

"I can't tell you never to fight, Stu, but if you want to know what I think, I think the only thing that keeps people truly safe and happy is love. I think, I think that's where they get their courage and that's where countries get their strength, and that's where God grants us our miracles. And in that absence of love, Stuart, there is nothing, nothing in this world worth fighting for."

Father and son then state their love for each other, and Stu says that he will work on his relationship with the Lipnickis. To his daughter, who narrates the film, Stephen also imparts words of wisdom about war.

Lidia relates, "My daddy once said of fighting, `We are meant for better things, you and I.' And these days whenever I'm ready to haul off and belt someone who's got my dander up, I hear him whisper those words in my ear." Calling her father the wisest man she's ever known, Lidia says that she has learned that war is "like a big machine that don't nobody really know how to work. Once it gets out of hand, it winds up breaking all the things you thought you were fighting for, and a whole bunch of other good things you sort of forgot you had."

Stephen is concerned about making a difference in the world, leaving the world a better place, and helping his children cope better in a warring world. He recalls the influence that his own father had on him. His father used to say, "Nothing you ever do in this lifetime is going to make a difference." Stephen said he may have enlisted because he always held on to that remark and wanted to do some good in the world to prove it false.

Talking to his wife about their children, Stephen rejects his father's philosophy and says, "Everything they do in this world has a consequence. Our children still believe in miracles. They still believe anything is possible, and so long as they believe like that, they're going to be something, they're going to make a difference in this world, and that means I made a difference." Stephen does make a difference in the lives of his children as he talks to them about hope, love, belief, guardian angels, and fighting -- and as he tries to walk his talk.

A particularly poignant moment in the film is when Stephen gives cotton candy meant for his wife and daughter to two of the Lipnicki children who have been beating up his son. Stu watches aghast and asks his father why he gave the candy to the kids. Stephen replies, "They look like they hadn't been given nothing in a long time."

With this simple action and explanation, Stephen leaves Stu with a valuable insight about what leads people to thoughts and actions of separation, alienation, and war. And he gives Stu a wonderful example about giving love to those who aren't showing love but need it. Undoubtedly, Stephen makes a difference in the lives of anyone who sees this fine, compelling film, directed by Jon Avnet and written by Kathy McWorter.

DR. DOLITTLE 2
(2001, 88 minutes, PG)

The greatest thing about Dr. John Doolittle (Eddie Murphy) isn't really that he talks to animals and understands them, although that is certainly impressive.

It's that he listens to them -- really listens to them -- and helps them. Dr. Doolittle is a kind, giving, caring man who walks his animal talk. In Murphy's first Dr. Doolittle movie (1998) and in this sequel, these qualities are what make the doctor an inspirational role model. Since this is definitely a movie that children are enjoying, it is nice to think that they may be receiving some subliminal instructions about how to react, not only to animal needs, but also to human needs.

Praises for Dr. Doolittle's disposition are given at the first of the film by his dog, Lucky, who says that Doc always found time to help animals, no matter how busy he got. "He was especially good at matters of the heart," Lucky says.

Dr. Doolittle does indeed react from the heart in caring for his family, especially his 16- year-old daughter Charisse, and in responding to an emergency in the animal kingdom. The emergency is the imminent destruction of the forest home of many animals by a logging company. "It's man against nature," says the Beaver, a Godfather-type character who leads the animals and, curiously, gives a vaguely Jesus-like description of himself as "just a simple fisherman who's blessed with many friends."

Dr. Doolittle jumps on an endangered species issue to save the forest. A female bear of an endangered species lives in the forest, so Dr. Doolittle intends to introduce a male bear into the forest so that the forest will be protected as an official habitat of the species. The veterinarian has his hands full, because the bear of choice is a professional circus performer named Archie who doesn't have experience being in the wild or being with a female.

Dr. Doolittle, whose motto seems to be "Never give up hope," is a powerfully motivating force for Archie. He tells Archie, "All these animals are depending on you . . . You can do this. Just listen to your inner bear." Again, Dr. Doolittle is serving as a valuable role model for children, teaching them to rely on their innate emotional and spiritual strength. Dr. Doolittle is called upon to motivate all the forest animals and to encourage them to believe in their inner strength. "You guys have enormous untapped powers," he says. "Just don't give up without a fight." The result, an animal response felt around the world, is yet another testament to the power of individuals (in this case animals -- but it applies to humans too) joined together for a common good -- specifically, saving the environment and protecting animals.

Dr. Doolittle 2 can be included in a long list of movies that champion preservation of the environment and animals, and the doctor himself represents the connection that we all have, but perhaps don't fully acknowledge or explore, with nature and all life. This film supports my belief that spiritual, inspirational messages come in all cinematic packages. Here we have an enjoyable, average film with a lot of crude humor (especially of the bathroom type) but it also has inspiring characters and situations.

Dr. Doolittle 2 perhaps gives an intentional nod to an inspirational classic, It's a Wonderful Life, by having the villain of the story, the head of the logging company, named Potter (played by Jeffrey Jones). Potter is the last name of the "evil" banker in It's a Wonderful Life, one of the greatest movies ever made about the importance of appreciating life and our value to each other.

Raymond Teague is the author of Reel Spirit: A Guide to Movies That Inspire, Explore and Empower, from Unity House. He is an award-winning journalist, an editor of spiritual publications, a popular New Thought speaker, and a lifelong movie buff. His book is available at bookstores; on-line at amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com, and by phone at
1 (800) 669-0282.