Rating: 3 stars (out of 4)

Rocky (1976): Dir. John G. Avildsen.  Written by: Sylvester Stallone.  Starring: Stallone, Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, and Carl Weathers.  Rated PG for sports violence.  Running time: 119 minutes.

Rocky the film aped the problems of its principal actor in true “art-imitating-life” fashion.  Sylvester Stallone channeled his trials as a struggling actor to the story of a struggling boxer, and an American classic came out of nowhere.

Taking a break from New York City (a favorite of the New Hollywood movement), Rocky moved the action to Philadelphia, where the eponymous small-time hood is challenged by champion boxer Apollo Creed to the “Heavyweight Title of the World” as a publicity stunt.  Rocky accepts the offer as a chance to prove his mettle and self-respect in the process.  It’s not about winning, it’s about “going the distance.”

Rocky rises above other underdog films for its sensitivity toward its characters.  It’s less a boxing film and more a film about a guy who happens to be a boxer.  We see the beats of his life, the heartbreaks, and the defeats.  Director Avildsen pays enough attention to Rocky’s everyday life to find the fragile, insecure man underneath the bruiser.  Stallone is genuine and affable in the role (as is Talia Shire as his girlfriend Adrian), and his script carries the colloquial speech patterns of lower-class Philadelphia.

That said, the film does occasionally strain beyond its modest roots, using genre conventions as a crutch.  An impressive tracking shot follows Rocky up the stairs in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum, but it’s followed by a gratuitous slow-motion shot of Rocky cheering.  The film succumbs to similar kitsch throughout, and even drops a key conflict early on.  Still, Rocky’s arc is always convincing—and having Burgess Meredith on hand as Rocky’s cantankerous coach elevates the more conventional moments.

Rcoky has every right to be celebrated, and if it ushered in a whole new generation of underdog films, it has every right to stand at forefront.

Next film: Annie Hall, 1977