On July 26, 2009, Nathan Dominitz of Savanah Now.com posted his All Time Top Ten Favorite Sports Movies. “Rocky” came in 3rd and here’s what he had to say:
3. Rocky (1976)
Hero: Boxer Robert “Rocky” Balboa (Sylvester Stallone)
Plot: Balboa, a palooka fighter/inept loanshark muscle, has few career options until heavyweight champ Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) needs a hand-picked tomato can for a Philadelphia bout. Enter the Italian Stallion to prove that underdogs, through earnest training and guts, can go toe-to-toe with superior talent, speed, experience and size. It’s often forgotten by politicians and the like adopting the underdog “Rocky” persona that he lost (by 15-round split decision) in the original. Oscars went to “Rocky” in 1977 for best picture and director.
Quotable: “Yo, Adrian!” “Cut me, Mick.” Anything uttered by Balboa’s crusty trainer, Mickey Goldmill.
Backstory: The story goes that Stallone, a broke actor/screenwriter, sold his screenplay for $350,000, contingent that he star as Balboa. He did, but made scale as the lead actor and nothing more for writing. Studio United Artists wanted a big name (Burt Reynolds? Robert Redford?) but was contractually stuck with Stallone. The rest, including numerous sequels, is cinematic history.
You can read the complete list by clicking here.