Yo Sly! You did it!
By ALAN K. STOUT
WEEKENDER EDITOR
December 27, 2006
Sylvester Stallone is selling
himself way short.
I recently read a few stories
about the film premier of “Rocky Balboa,” held in Philadelphia, of course, and
about what a mob scene the screening had created. There were police escorts for
the film’s star and a large group of frenzied fans wearing “Rocky” t-shirts,
boxing gloves and even holding homemade signs. But Stallone, in one of
the stories, insisted it wasn’t him the crowd was waiting for.
“The character has
transcended,” he said. “He’s a real living person in Philadelphia. I’m just
along for the ride. I have no illusions that any of this is for me.”
It was a nice, humble comment
– and maybe even partially true – but the fact is people know exactly who
Sylvester Stallone is. And those cheers, more than anything, were indeed for
him.
Stallone is more than just a
pretty good actor. He’s also a good writer and film director, and
though he’s taken his share of cheap shots from cranky critics over the years,
some of which surely must have hurt his feelings, I’ve always hoped that he’s
taken some solace not only in his bank account, but also in the fact that
“Rocky” – based on his own screenplay - won the Academy Award for “Best
Picture” in 1976, and that by continuing the often heartwarming and inspiring
stories for the past 30 years, he has given America a great gift: one of
the most likeable and memorable characters in motion picture
history.
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| Weekender column published December, 2006. |
In reading some other stories
about the release of “Rocky Balboa, I’ve also seen some revisionist
history. There’s been plenty of praise for the new film, but some
of it has come at the expense of the other “Rocky” sequels. It seems some
critics are saying, “Well, yes – this is a very good movie – unlike any of the
others since the original.”
What a load of nonsense.
“Rocky II” was a terrific, very
well done film and got plenty of good reviews at the time, and though “Rocky
III” was a more slick and glossy production, it was one hell of an entertaining
movie. Maybe the fourth installment seemed too formulaic and farfetched and
even Stallone admits he was disappointed in “Rocky V,” but he’s also
admitted that was the main reason he felt somewhat compelled to do another. He
felt he’d let fans and the character down, and for nearly 15 years, he
felt badly about that.
And maybe that’s the thing
that he and his most famous character both have in common. They both seem like
good guys.
Stallone certainly didn’t
need the money he’ll make from “Rocky Balboa” and reports say he wasn’t even
paid that much by Hollywood standards to make it. He did it because he, like
us, values the wonderful character he created and wanted to give him a proper
sendoff. And I can tell you that after seeing the new film, he has done
just that. And he has reminded us why so many of us love “Rocky.”
It’s not just because he’s a
great boxer and the fight scenes are exciting. It’s because he’s got a
big heart. It’s because he is a very good guy, as so many of the scenes
in this new film remind us.
Much has been made over the
fact that Stallone is 60 years old and that 60 year-old men simply do not box,
especially against the reigning heavy weight champion. It’s a more than fair
point and one that Stallone is well aware. He says he knew going in that the
critics would come out swinging just as hard in real life as Apollo Creed and
Clubber Lang did in his films, but like “Rocky,” Stallone seems to have
overcome the odds by delivering a very feasible script that’s getting great
reviews and is again winning our hearts. Here, he was a real life underdog,
trying to make a film that, initially, no studio wanted to make. But like the
character, he has prevailed. And maybe, since so many of us grew up with him and
that character, it’s part of the reason we were rooting for him and this movie.
I won’t ruin any of the
details for you, but since it’s already pretty well known that Rocky’s beloved
wife Adriane has passed away in the film, I will share one of my favorite
scenes. On the anniversary of her death, after visiting her grave, he takes a
sentimental stroll through the old neighborhood – past the pet shop where she
once worked, the ice rink where they once skated, and the old apartment that
they once shared together. While standing outside the place, his mind flashes
back to their courtship and her image briefly appears on the screen.
“I can remember standing
right here with her,” he says. “And I was asking her to trust me …
“And she did.”
The scene stuck with me all
night. It was a different type of human emotion that Stallone had captured. Not
one fueled by testosterone – which he is clearly great at – but one of
fragility and vulnerability. And it was easy to imagine many
men going home after seeing the film, pulling their wives close, and saying,
“Don’t you go ever getting sick on me.”
And that, just as much as the
glorious knockdown brawls, is why we love “Rocky” and why we also love
Sylvester Stallone. He can get to us with these films. He makes us happy, he
makes us sad, he gets us fired up, he makes us want to start jogging, or hit
the gym. He makes us want to be better people, and he has given us a
remarkable, iconic and lovable film character that we can all – without fear of
sounding corny – be proud of and celebrate.
And for that, Sylvester
Stallone – not Rocky – deserves some cheers.
“I have no illusions that any
of this is for me,” he said.
Yes it is, Sly.
Yes it is.
