Rocky By Jeff Shannon
The only remaining evidence that Sylvester Stallone might have had a
respectable career, this 1976 Oscar winner (for Best Picture, Director,
and Editing) is still the quintessential ode to an underdog and one of the
best boxing movies ever made. After writing the script about a two-bit
boxer who gets a "million-to-one shot" against the world
heavyweight champion, Stallone insisted that he star in the title role,
and his equally unknown status helped to catapult him (and this rousing
film) to overnight success. The story is familiar, but it's handled with
such vitality and emotional honesty that you can't help but leap and cheer
for Rocky Balboa, the chump-turned-champ who stuns the boxing world with
the support of his timid girlfriend Adrian (Talia Shire) and grizzled
trainer Gus (Burgess Meredith). Oscar nominations went to all the lead
actors (including Burt Young as Adrian's hot-tempered brother), but four
sequels could never top the universal appeal of this low-budget crowd
pleaser.
Where are They Now?
Sly was sued by Maria Vivanco and Cristian Sandoval, who worked at the
Stallone's Miami mansion in 1995. The former employees, along with other
former cooks and cleaners, claim the Stallones fired them without cause
after subjecting them to a bizarre set of work rules, including not
looking the actor directly in the eyes, backing out of a room if he
entered, and not speaking to Stallone's mother (sounds like the champ is
an Upstairs
Downstairs fan). He counter-sued the pair for $1M in damages for
slander and invasion of privacy.
More recently, Stallone announced that he has abandoned his long-held
plans for a Rocky VI as he is unable to come up with a good script (that
didn't stop him from making the Rambo
movies). Sly also says he is now too old to portray a boxer. Irwin
Winkler, who produced of all the Rocky films, said to the BBC, "Sly
has the desire but he does not have the idea."
Adrian, actress Talia Shire, is the sister of director Francis Ford
Coppola and aunt of actor Nicolas Cage. With her second husband, producer
Jack Schwartzman, Shire co-founded a production company called Taliafilm
II.
Academy Awards
Rocky received Academy Awards
for Best Picture (Robert Chartoff - Producer, Irwin Winkler - Producer),
Directing (John G. Avildsen), and Film Editing (Richard Halsey, Scott
Conrad). Rocky also received Academy
Awards nominations for Actor (Sylvester Stallone), Actress (Talia
Shire), Supporting Actor (Burt Young), Supporting Actor (Burgess
Meredith), Writing (Best Screenplay written directly for the screen;
Sylvester Stallone), Best Song (Bill Conti - Music, Carol Connors -
Lyrics, Ayn Robbins - Lyrics), and Sound (Harry Warren Tetrick, William
McCaughey, Lyle Burbridge, Bud Alper). |