Sports film, "Rudy," kicks off the Summer FIilm Series at the Auburn State Theatre. Photo courtesy of Auburn State Theatre

AUBURN, CA (MPG) - Auburn State Theatre, in partnership with Auburn Arts Commission, will present a free Summer Film Series at Auburn’s School Park Preserve. This family-oriented series, sponsored by the Arts Council of Placer County, begins Saturday, Aug. 8 with the inspirational film, “Rudy.”

“Rudy” tells the story of a boy driven to pursue a dream. Growing up in a steel town where

most people worked at the mill, Rudy wanted to play football at Notre Dame instead. There

were only a couple of problems: his grades were a little low, his athletic skills were poor and he

was only half the size of the other players.

“Look at you. You’re 5-foot-nothin’ and you weigh a hundred and nothin’, and with hardly a

speck of athletic ability,” a Notre Dame groundskeeper, Fortune, tells Rudy, whose dream is to

play for the Fighting Irish. Almost everyone except Fortune thinks his dream is foolish. But Rudy

persists, and by the end of the film we accept his dream as more than simply sports sentiment.

It’s a small but powerful illustration of the human spirit.

Admission is free, though donations are gratefully accepted. You can find the Auburn State Theatre at Auburn School Park Preserve, 55 College Way in Auburn. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and come early to claim your spot.

You can find the link to the trailer for Rudy at https://youtu.be/firK4y-3bKw