Rocky 1976

Sports films are one of the most common genres in the movie industry. They usually have a simple plot leading to a huge sporting event. There are several different ways to write a sports story: sports, biography, comedy, drama, or even family movies. The 1976 film Rocky is an excellent example of a sports drama. “A sports drama incorporates dramatic elements into a sports storyline.”1 Rocky is a classic sports-drama. It influenced the film industry through its success, cinematography, and plot. Rocky changed the film industry through its success. The movie won a Golden Globe award in 1977 for Best Motion Picture (Drama). This showed the Rocky really was the best movie in its genre at that time. It is also believed by critics to be one of the greatest contributions to its genre of all time in how it was one of the first to succeed as well as it did. Also because many film critics commend Rocky for its nearly flawless execution of the plot style it used. Rocky’s box office numbers were astounding to anyone who works in the movie business. “The movies budget was estimated at $1 Million but it grossed over $225 Million worldwide”2. This showed aspiring directors and writers that excessive amounts of money and a star cast are not necessary to make a blockbuster film. Rocky turned out to be the “highest grossing film of 1976 with its $225 Million”3. Also the producers couldn’t afford to hire many extras so some of Stallone’s family had to play roles in the movie like his father, brother and first wife who all worked for free. Rocky’s success was also shown through the awards it was nominated for and through the awards it won. Rocky was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Lead Actor, Best Lead Actress, and Best Writing. Rocky won the Oscar for best picture. Rocky’s Oscar win was somewhat of an underdog story itself. A critic says, “Rocky was the underdog—the low-budget movie that could.”4 This quote sum up how most movie directors and