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Rocky Balboa By Craig Hirsh
Rocky (1976) The movie Rocky, a MGM picture, released in 1976 starring Sylvester Stallone was nominated for four academy awards (Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Picture), winning one: Best Picture. Rocky is “the film that inspired a nation” (New York Post) and in doing so created a fictional hero: Rocky Balboa
Types of Heroes • fictional and non-fictional • war heroes, political heroes, athletic heroes, legendary heroes or ordinary heroes. • An ordinary hero is one who becomes a hero by some feat he or she has accomplished that the general public sees as heroic. • Rocky Balboa is a fictional hero who is combination of an ordinary hero, an athletic hero and a legendary hero.
Why Rocky is a hero • The reason Rocky is such a hero to many people is because it is a believable story • The tag line for the movie “his whole life was a million-to-one shot” connects with people on all levels, not just the high social classes. • Rocky demonstrates that if you out-work your opponents, you can and will achieve success. • Rocky is the realization of the ideal hero, of the dedicated heart, and of the commitment to succeed.
Synopsis of Rocky • Rocky is the tale of a Philadelphia lone-shark's collector whose passion has always been boxing. • But at the time the movie begins, Rocky is thirty years old and is a self-described "bum." • As the movie progresses, Rocky, our sentimental underdog, improves himself through training, gaining strength both physically and psychologically for his big fight against Apollo. • In one of the most moving sequences in movie history, Rocky goes the distance with Creed, winning the respect and admiration of the crowd both in the boxing arena in the film and in movie theatres. Although Creed wins by split decision, Rocky is revered for his heart and determination against insurmountable odds.
About Rocky • Rocky Balboa is not the only hero of Rocky. • Sylvester Stallone was on the verge of destitution when he wrote a story loosely based upon a little-known, working-class underdog and New Jersey boxer Chuck Wepner, who challenged Muhammad Ali in a heavyweight title bout in early 1975 in Cleveland, Ohio. • MGM Pictures finally accepted the idea; only they were hesitant to cast Stallone as the leading role. MGM pursued Ryan O’Neal, academy award nominee for his role in Love Story six years earlier, but he declined. • Stallone, who was nominated for his only academy award in this film, brilliantly portrays the character Rocky Balboa.
About Rocky Cont. • The public falls in love with Rocky because “everything Stallone does has one purpose: to make you like him” (New Yorker Magazine) • Stallone put all his effort and and what little money he had into the film. • All five Rocky movies grossed millions at the box office and propelled Stallone to superstar status.
Why Rocky is my hero • Rocky Balboa is a hero to me because he stays steadfast in pursuit of his dreams. • I admire all people, not just athletes who set out a goal and then achieve it. • He is the common man who simply out works and out wills his opponents and obstacles in his life. • Rocky is a man who was given an opportunity and made the most of it.
