1976--Rocky, John G. Avildsen

1976—Rocky, John G. Avildsen

Nominated: All the President's Men, Bound for Glory, Network, Taxi Driver

Should have won: Network

Be sure to see: Bloodsucking Freaks, Carrie, Marathon Man, The Omen, Silent Movie, The Town that Dreaded Sundown

“Apollo Creed meets The Italian Stallion. Sounds like a damn monster movie.”--Apollo Creed

     Heavyweight champion Apollo Creed has a fight scheduled in five weeks but no opponents are accepting the challenge. With no takers, Apollo has the idea of putting on a novelty bout against any “Snow White underdog”. Enter Rocky Balboa, a Philadelphia boxer who is pretty popular in the neighborhood but probably won't amount to much. Apollo targets him for an opponent but doesn't really take the bout seriously, pushing the angle of the City of Brotherly Love, eventually entering the ring dressed as Washington crossing the Delaware, throwing money and chanting “I want you” like Uncle Sam. But Balboa proves to be no pushover.

     Like most sports movies, this one ends with the big match, but what a journey it is to get there. Watching Rocky train, converse with people at the gym, and fall for the local pet store employee, it seemed like there were hidden cameras following Stallone around. He just seemed so natural. This role, rather justly or unjustly, epitomizes Stallone's career. I can already imagine a Family Feud poll of what character do you think of when you think Sylvester Stallone. What do you think, 85/15 Rocky Balboa/John Rambo?

     Being set in Pennsylvania around November to January, you get this sense of dreary coldness. I liked that. I just don't think I would have felt as drawn to the film had Rocky been training in sunshine and daisies. A very strong aspect of the film is the stellar supporting cast. I liked the choice of Carl Weathers for the opponent. He was cocky and arrogant and didn't seem concerned about his opponent at all. Why should he be concerned? He is 46-0 and outweighs his Balboa by 20 pounds. Take when Rocky is on television showing off his odd training style, punching slabs of meat for the news. One of Creed's corner is watching and says Creed should come look at his opponent because it looks like he means business. Creed, meeting with his publicity people about flying his friends in to sit in front row, not taking the bout seriously replies, “Yeah I mean business too.”

     A subplot that many times kills movies like this is a romance but in this case it works. Rocky begins to date his friend Paulie's sister Adrian who works in the pet shot where he buys his fish and turtle food. This is undoubtedly Talia Shire's most famous role (even more than in The Godfather) but, being a horror fan, I'll forever connect her to Prophecy, THE monster movie. I liked Adrian. She is a curious character. She is very shy at first but has a prettiness about her that isn't as glamorous as most movie stars. She's uncomfortable when the boxer wants to put the moves on her but by the end has fallen for him. In my eyes, she is the most important supporting character in the film, even above Apollo Creed.

    Another key supporting role is Rocky's corner man and trainer, Mickey, played by the always great Burgess Meredith. I suppose Mickey is the role he will always be remembered but for me I think of Henry Bemis in the Twilight Zone episode “Time Enough At Last.”

    There are little moments that stand out to me like the training regiment beginning at 4 am with drinking five raw eggs. I've wondered if that is safe to do? I used to crack eggs in my milkshake and was told it was dangerous. He runs the streets and in the iconic moment he conquers the steps which, early in his training, had wiped him out. But I do have a few issues. In the scene where the interviewer is getting him punching the slabs of beef she has one camera man, yet there are many angles when it is aired on television. Picky, I know, but unless there was another cameraman I didn't see, it is a flaw. Also he is left handed, a south paw, and he explains to Adrian that the term for a left-hander being a south paw came from a boxer in Philadelphia 200 years ago who was fighting with his arm facing New Jersey so they called him south paw. This is one of the most ridiculous things I ever heard and at first couldn't believe he would say this. Everyone knows a south paw is a left handed pitcher in baseball. When pitching from a stretch, the left handed pitcher is facing first base which is south. Ball parks are supposed to be built that way so the batter will be facing east and not the setting sun. But then I figured Rocky isn't the smartest kid in the class so I chocked it up to him simply not knowing, rather than a character error or blooper. At least I hope that is the case. 

 

     I enjoyed Rocky a lot and it should be noted I despise boxing. I'll soapbox a second here and say I think it sucks football gets attacked by people who are afraid of the concussions that could come from playing while boxing flies right on by, and the object of the sport is to give your opponent a concussion...you know, a knock out? Eh, whatever, this isn't a documentary on boxing it is a movie. It is an emotional story and I liked it very much. It is the ultimate underdog story (take that Rudy...huh, the titles are eerily similar). Rocky works. It is very good.