Rocky (1976)

Directed by

John G. Avildsen

Genre

drama film, action film, boxing film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 59m

Rated

PG

Rating

7.8 of 10 from 8,709 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

Rocky Balboa is a small-time boxer and debt collector in Philadelphia who gets a surprise chance to fight the world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. The story follows his training and personal growth as he prepares for the match.

inspiringdeterminedunderdoggrittysentimentalupliftingromanticearnest

What happens

Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the Rocky film series and also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith. In the film, Rocky Balboa (Stallone), a poor small-time club fighter and loanshark debt collector from Philadelphia, gets an unlikely once in a lifetime shot at the world heavyweight championship held by Apollo Creed (Weathers). Rocky entered development in March 1975, after Stallone wrote the screenplay in three days. It entered a complicated production process after Stallone refused to allow the film to be made without him in the lead role; United Artists eventually agreed to cast Stallone after he rejected a six figure deal for the film rights. Principal photography began in January 1976, with filming primarily held in Philadelphia; several locations featured in the film, such as the Rocky Steps, are now considered cultural landmarks. With an estimated production budget of about $1 million, Rocky popularized the rags to riches and American Dream themes of sports dramas which preceded the film. Rocky had its premiere at the Paramount Theatre in New York City on November 20, 1976, and was released in the United States on December 3. Rocky became the highest-grossing film of 1976, earning approximately $225 million worldwide. The film received critical acclaim for Stallone's writing, as well as the film's performances, direction, musical score, cinematography and editing; among other accolades, it received ten Academy Award nominations and won three, including Best Picture. It has been ranked by numerous publications as one of the greatest films of all time, as well as one of the most iconic sports films ever. Rocky and its theme song have become a pop-cultural phenomenon and an important part of 1970s American popular culture. In 2006, the Library of Congress selected Rocky for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". The first sequel in the series, Rocky II, was released in 1979. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• Rocky II (1979)
• Rocky III (1982)
• Rocky IV (1985)
• Rocky Balboa (2006)
• Creed (2015)
• Creed II (2018)
• Raging Bull (1980)
• Rocky Marciano (1999)