Released in 1976 and directed by John G. Avildsen, Rocky is the ultimate underdog sports drama that turned Sylvester Stallone into an international icon. Written by Stallone himself, the film tells the story of Rocky Balboa, a kind-hearted but uneducated debt collector and small-time club fighter in Philadelphia who gets a million-to-one shot at the World Heavyweight Championship against the charismatic Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers. Celebrated for its gritty realism, the touching romance with the shy Adrian (played by Talia Shire), and the rousing musical score by Bill Conti, the movie defies the typical sports cliché by focusing not on winning the fight, but on "going the distance"—proving one's self-worth through sheer endurance and heart.
