Flashback Friday: Rocky (Avildsen, 1976)

Sports films statistically do not do well at the Oscars. The first movie of this genre to win Best Picture was released in 1976, and since then, only 1981's Chariots of Fire and 2004's Million Dollar Baby have ever took home the Academy's top honor. In a normal year, sports films stand a small chance to be nominated; in a year full of cinematic legends, they can forget about any hopes of winning. In 1976, the Academy nominated classics like All the President's Men, Network, and Taxi Driver to compete in the main categories, along with Carrie and A Star is Born in the minor competitions. But all of these legends were bested by a small-budget, popular movie. And, much like it's titular hero, the film went the distance to take home Oscar gold. Today on Flashback Friday, we're taking a look at the 1976 Best Picture winner, Rocky.

Boxing is the sport of the movies- in cinema, it's the strongest example of an underdog rising from nothing and making it to the top. Fighters have the ability to win the hearts of millions with only brute courage and strength of will. They don't need to be the smartest, strongest, or even the best; all they need is the ability to win one fight and prove that their life means something.

Rocky is the epitome of cinematic boxing: it contains all the struggle, determination, and empathy needed to convey a truly compelling story. The movie is the tale of Rocky Balboa, a Philadelphia small-time boxer with dreams of one day becoming Heavyweight Champion of the World. After his opponent drops out of the match, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), the current Champion, needs a fighter to compete in the World Heavyweight Championship bout. Creed has the idea of choosing a small-time fighter, to give himself an easy victory yet also provide himself with positive media coverage. He chooses Rocky, because of Balboa's nickname, "The Italian Stallion".

Rocky trains long and hard with Mickey (Burgess Meredith), also using his friend Paulie (Burt Young)'s frozen meat racks as punching bags. Along the way, Rocky meets Adrian (Talia Shire), Paulie's shy sister. Rocky and Adrian begin dating, and eventually fall in love. Despite being given the chance of a lifetime, Rocky feels as though he's going to lose, and all he wants is to "go the distance" and prove that he can do this. Rocky continues his rigorous training with Mickey, cumulating in the very-inspiring "Gonna Fly Now" sequence, where Rocky runs to the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Arts staircase, now known as "The Rocky Steps" because of the film. Finally, the night of the fight arrives, leading to the popular match with a surprise ending (hint: "ADRIAN! ADRIAN!").

Sylvester Stallone, while almost laughable in his current acting slate, was Rocky Balboa; he was a man that loved movies and would do anything to be a part of them. Before his success, Stallone lived in New York City with nothing more than a few dollars and no job to speak of. He had a few acting gigs before seeing the famous Ali-Wepner fight in 1975. After that fateful encounter, Stallone wrote the script for Rocky in just a few days. He convinced United Artists, despite their initial reluctance, to take the title role instead of a big-name actor.

With less than $1 million dollars to work with, Stallone and director John G. Avildsen took several shortcuts to save on money. Many of Stallone's family members play minor roles. Rocky himself was a composite character, mixed from a variety of real-life boxers; Apollo Creed's personality and fighting style was inspired by Muhammad Ali (who, in good taste, joked with Stallone during the Oscar telecast about the film). The ice skating date scene between Rocky and Adrian was shot at night and without extras to save money, filming after hours to avoid having to pay the many would-be required extras. Stallone had Rocky make several cracks during the film against the costume and poster images, due to their real-life malfunctions and issues (including the oversized robe and the flipped poster).

Rocky was the most profitable film of 1976, taking in nearly $225 million. It received mixed reviews, but even so, the movie raked in ten Oscar nominations for the 49th Academy Awards. Stallone, Shire, Meredith, and Young all received acting nods, though none of them won anything. With only a Best Editing win prior to Best Director, Rocky's hopes seem futile. But after Jeanne Moreau announced Avildsen as Best Director, audiences around the world cheered for Rocky's real-world victory of claiming Best Picture.

1976, simply put, was a tough year to choose a winner. Network conquered three of the four acting categories, and All the President's Men was an early favorite. Controversy surrounded Taxi Driver, after John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to assassinate President Reagan in an effort to impress Jodie Foster and emulate Travis Bickle (the film's main character, who also attempts to kill the president). But Rocky ended up coming out on top. Why?

Because Rocky is the underdog story everyone can root for. It's not controversial, it has no deeper political or racial themes. It's main idea remains that hard work and determination will pay off in the end. Is Rocky the true deserving winner of 1976's Best Picture Oscar? Top Ten lists, lists of the greatest movies of all time, and overall cinematic legacy will say Taxi Driver, or maybe Network, is the best.

But Rocky is a pop culture icon, still being talked about and inspiring to this day. And, to boot, it is a well-made motion picture. It gave us Sylvester Stallone, the "Rocky Stairs", and "Gonna Fly Now" (don't say that song hasn't been stuck in your head this whole discussion). The story of a genuinely good person going from zero-to-hero is a very relevant tale, one in which everyone can find some sort of inspiration. Rocky deserved Best Picture because, if nothing else, it shows humanity how good it can be. And every now and again, we need a movie like that.