OSCODA — For young footballers — who may still be on the smaller side — learning the game can be intimidating at first. After all, there’s lots of clashing and pushing involved in the sport.
Luckily, there is a movie that can inspire all kinds of players. That movie is Rudy, a 1993 American football film about a tiny man following his dream to play at Notre Dame. Despite all odds, he manages to get on the field to sack the opposing team’s quarterback.
This inspirational story was played at the Lake Theatre Wednesday, Sept. 21 for free to Oscoda Colts and later Oscoda Owls football teams.
The deal was, wear your jersey and get in for free, said theater co-owner Jim Edelman.
He and his wife, Teresa Edelman recently acquired the Lake Theatre.
“We purchased the theater to save it as a theater for the community and we have a lot of plans moving forward,” she said.
“The business is a wild business. Oscoda is our community, we knew there was an investor looking at it and we knew they were going to shut it down and turn it into something else. We just couldn’t stomach it. We bought it to save it. I didn’t want to sit back and watch it go away.”
Teresa has been an Oscoda resident for about 14 years, and like many Oscodians, wants to preserve the downtown space.
They like to provide free showings of movies to residents in the hopes it will attract business and give residents something to do on an afternoon.
This is why they showed Rudy to the Oscoda Middle and High School players.
The Edelmans reached out to the coaches and asked if they would like to set up an event for the young footballers to get inspired.
After that, it was about getting the OK from the studios to air Rudy for so many days.
“It’s a great movie about character, determination and perseverance,” said football dad John Dettmer. “It’s not just about football, but about life in general.”
He and his son, Noah, stood in line to buy popcorn and candy just as the movie was about to start.
In the back of the line was Oscoda Colt No. 54, Joshua Fulco. He is a second grader just starting out. he said he wanted to play left tackle, which is an offensive position on the line. He said he didn’t know how to play tackle but he wanted to try it anyway.
He didn’t know what candy he wanted, but was going to get something yummy when he saw it.
His favorite movie was Spiderman.
Later in the day, the Lake Theatre hosted the Oscoda Owls to watch the second showing. On Thursday, they played Rudy for the Alcona Tigers.
Currently, they are playing the Wizard of OZ as a free show to the public. They are also showing Don’t Worry Darling. See ad in paper for more information.
For scheduled showings, call the Lake Theatre at 989-739-2851 or visit their Facebook page.The Edelmans have plans for improving the Lake Theatre in the coming months, such as applying for grants for new seating and reconstructing the theater’s sign.
