Rocky (film)

Rocky is a 1976 film written by and starring Sylvester Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen. It tells the rags-to-riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but good-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in Philadelphia. Balboa is also a club fighter who gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship when the scheduled contender breaks his hand. Also starring in Rocky are Talia Shire as Adrian, Burt Young as Adrian's brother Paulie, Burgess Meredith as Mickey Goldmill, Rocky's trainer and Carl Weathers as the champion, Apollo Creed.

Sylvester Stallone - Rocky Balboa

Talia Shire - Adrianna "Adrian" Pennino

Burt Young - Paulie

Carl Weathers - Apollo Creed
Burgess Meredith - Mickey Goldmill
Thayer David - Jergens
Joe Spinell - Gazzo
Jimmy Gambina - Mike
Bill Baldwin - Fight Announcer (as Bill Baldwin)
Al Silvani - Cut Man (as Al Salvani)
George Memmoli - Ice Rink Attendant

Jodi Letizia - Marie
Diana Lewis - TV Commentator
George O'Hanlon - TV Commentator
Larry Carroll - TV Interviewer

The film, made for only US$1.2 million, and shot relatively fast in 28 days, was a sleeper hit; it made over US$117.2 million, won three Oscars, including Best Picture, and garnered mostly positive reviews which helped to launch Stallone's career. The film spawned five sequels: Rocky II, III, IV, V and Rocky Balboa.

Main cast
Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, an enforcer for a loan shark by day and a semi-pro boxer by night. He is given the chance at the heavyweight title.
Talia Shire as Adrian Pennino, Rocky's love interest. Adrian is a quiet pet store clerk who falls in love with Rocky and supports him through his training.
Burt Young as Paulie Pennino, Rocky's close friend and Adrian's brother. A meat-packing plant worker by trade, Paulie permits Rocky to train in the freezer.
Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed, Rocky's opponent and heavyweight champion. The character was influenced by the outspoken, real-life boxing great Muhammad Ali.
Burgess Meredith as Mickey Goldmill, Rocky's manager and trainer, a former bantamweight fighter from the 1920s and the owner of the local boxing gym.

Plot
Rocky Balboa is introduced as a small-time boxer and collector for a loan shark. The World Heavyweight Championship bout is scheduled for New Year's Day, 1976, the year of the United States Bicentennial. When the opponent of undefeated heavyweight champion Apollo Creed is injured, Creed comes up with the idea of fighting a local Philadelphia underdog and, because he likes Rocky's nickname, "The Italian Stallion," he selects the unknown fighter.

To prepare for the fight, Rocky trains with 1920s-era ex-bantamweight fighter Mickey Goldmill, while Rocky's best friend Paulie, a meat-packing plant worker, lets him practice his punches on the carcasses hanging in the freezers. During training, Rocky dates Paulie's quiet sister, Adrian. The night before the fight, Rocky confides in Adrian that he does not expect to beat Creed, and that all he wants is to go the distance with Creed, meaning last 15 rounds against him (the typical scheduled length of championship fights at the time).

Creed does not initially take the fight seriously, but Rocky unexpectedly knocks him down in the first round and the match turns intense. The fight indeed lasts 15 rounds with each fighter suffering many injuries. After the fight, Rocky calls out for Adrian, who runs down to the ring. As Creed is announced the winner by split decision, Adrian and Rocky embrace where they profess their love to one another.

The famous scene of Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art has become a cultural icon. In 1982 a statue of Rocky, commissioned by Stallone for Rocky III, was placed at the top of the Rocky Steps. City Commerce Director Dick Doran claimed that Stallone and Rocky had done more for the city's image than "anyone since Ben Franklin."

Awards
Rocky received ten Academy Awards nominations in nine categories winning three:

Best Picture (Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler) (won)
Best Director (John G. Avildsen) (won)
Film Editing (Richard Halsey and Scott Conrad) (won)
Best Original Screenplay (Sylvester Stallone)
Best Actor (Sylvester Stallone)
Best Actress (Talia Shire)
Best Supporting Actor (Burt Young)
Best Supporting Actor (Burgess Meredith)
Best Music, Original Song (Bill Conti, Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins for "Gonna Fly Now")
Best Sound (Harry W. Tetrick, William L. McCaughey, Lyle J. Burbridge and Bud Alper)
Rocky has also appeared on several of the American Film Institute's 100 Years lists.

AFI's 100 Years- 100 Movies, number 78.
AFI's 100 Years- 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition), number 57.
AFI's 100 Years- 100 Cheers, number 4.
AFI's 100 Years- 100 Movie Quotes number 80: "Yo, Adrian!".
AFI's 100 Years- 100 Heroes and Villains Heroes number 7: Rocky Balboa.
The Directors Guild of America awarded Rocky its annual award for best film of the year in 1976, and in 2006, Sylvester Stallone's original screenplay for Rocky was selected for the Writers Guild of America Award as the 78th best screenplay of all time

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