Plot Summary: Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), a small-time boxer from working-class Philadelphia, is arbitrarily chosen to take on the reigning world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), when the undefeated fighter's scheduled opponent is injured. While training with feisty former bantamweight contender Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), Rocky tentatively begins a relationship with Adrian (Talia Shire), the wallflower sister of his meat-packer pal Paulie (Burt Young).
The Stanley Rubric:
Legacy: 9
Novelty: 8.5
Classic-ness: 5
Impact/Significance: 7
Rewatchability: 4.5
Audience Score: 6.9
Recognition: Nominated for Best Actor, Actress, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor (2x), Original Song, and Sound; Won for Best Picture, Director, and Film Editing; AFI #78/#57.
Total: 40.9
Best Performance: Sylvester Stallone
Best Scene: The lead-up and the fight
Best Line: "I was nobody. But that don't matter either, you know? 'Cause I was thinkin', it really don't matter if I lose this fight. It really don't matter if this guy opens my head, either. 'Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood."
Most Indelible Moment: Training Montage