How 'Rocky' made it to the screen

     

   Like the movie it's about, I Play Rocky tells a story about an underdog who earns his day in the sun. A  perennial favorite for repeat viewings among generations of viewers, Rocky won an Oscar for best picture in 1977, sparking a series of sequels that continued the Rocky legend. 

   Credit I Play Rocky with riding the waves of affection viewers have for a film released thirty years ago. The movie aspires to be an unabashed crowdpleaser built around an engaging performance from Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone. 

   Ippolito takes over the film. He captures Stallone’s likability, goofy charm, and his ability to meld with Rocky Balboa, a character that served as the actor's big screen avatar. Ippolito nails Stallone’s voice, body language, and resolve, and he looks enough like Stallone to keep his appearance from becoming a distraction.

    Written by Peter Gamble and directed by Peter Farrelly (Green Book), the movie begins at a moment when Stallone is down-and-out in Manhattan. He tries for acting gigs, toys with writing, and briefly dips into porn. 

   Farrelly treats Stallone's New York life as a foray into impoverishment for an artist who needs a break. On a night spent sleeping on the street, Stallone acquires his beloved dog, Butkus, named for the tough-as-nails football player, Dick Butkus.

     Geez, a hard-luck guy finds a stray bullmastiff that's more loyal than cute. I guess it makes sense because it's true. Besides, Stallone has a knack for making something that could have felt contrived or overly sentimental into something audiences willingly accept.

    While working as a ticket taker at a movie theater, Stallone meets Sasha (a strong AnnaSophia Robb), who would become his first wife and biggest booster, shoring up his confidence when it wavers.

    The film soon shifts to Los Angeles, where Stallone, Sasha try to gain a foothold. Working as a valet and attending auditions, Stallone manages to get one of his screenplays in front of the producing team of Robert Chartoff (Toby Kebell) and Irwin Winkler (P.J. Byrne). 

   They're impressed by Stallone's Paradise Alley, but don't become seriously enthusiastic until they read the screenplay for Rocky, written by Stallone in three feverish days.  

   Enthusiasm aside, neither Chartoff nor Winkler believe Stallone should play the lead. They want a name actor, as does an unashamedly unpleasant studio exec, perfectly rendered by Tracy Letts. 

     After lots of wrangling, a deal is made for Stallone to play the title role, but by way of compromise, the picture is given a paltry $1 million budget. To move things along, the team hires John G. Avildsen (a standout Jay Duplass), a no-nonsense director with a knack for getting big-screen bang for limited bucks.

      The production then heads to Philadelphia, a non-union location that would be cheaper than New York. Stallone trains. He injures himself but keeps working. A signature scene -- Rocky racing up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art -- is made possible by the introduction of the Steadicam, a body support rig that allows a cameraman to move while minimizing camera shakiness.

     The rest of the movie unfolds more as an illustrated checklist than an evolving drama. We see Stallone in shoes on an ice rink as he tries to support an unsteady Talia Shire (Kiki Seto). We smile because we remember the scene from Rocky.

    Among the supporting actors,  Stephan James has fun as Carl Weathers, the buffed actor who bluffs  his way into playing Apollo Creed. Matt Dillon is underutilized as Stallone’s sour, unsupportive father.

     Upbeat and hitting the expected notes, I Play Rocky may not be a big-screen knockout, but it scores a victory on points, and Ippolito’s performance keeps Stallone from becoming a cartoonish brute -- which, after all, is what Stallone accomplished as Rocky Balboa.