# Rocky (film)

Rocky is a 1976 film about a small-time Philadelphia boxer who gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.
    Directed by John G. Avildsen. Written by Sylvester Stallone.

## Rocky Balboa

* I just want to say hi to my girlfriend, OK? Yo, Adrian! It's me, Rocky.
** Note: bolded portion is ranked #80 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema.

## Dialogue

    [Rocky and Adrian go out]
    Rocky: Listen, I don't want no turkey anyway, ya know.
    Adrian: But it was Thanksgiving.
    Rocky: It was what?
    Adrian: It was Thanksgiving.
    Rocky: Yeah, to you. But to me, it's Thursday, right?
    [Apollo and his team are brainstorming about his next opponent for the New Year's Day match]
    Apollo: What do you think about Billy Snow?
    Jergens: Fouls.
    Apollo: How 'bout Big Chuck Smith? Yeah.
    Duke: Nah. He's too old and dull. [points out] Hey, Bobby Judd. He's a good boy.
    Apollo: No, I don't feel any heat from that name.
    Jergens: Joe Zach's a good prospect. [approaches Apollo] Exactly what are you looking for, Apollo?
    Apollo: [shows Jergens somebody in a local fight book] This is what I'm looking for. 'The Italian Stallion.'
    Jergens: Rocky Balboa? Never heard of him.
    Apollo: Look, it's the name, man. 'The Italian Stallion.' The media'll eat it up. Now who discovered America? An Italian, right? What would be better than to get it on with one of his descendants?
    Duke: He's a southpaw. I don't want you messing around with southpaws. They do everything backwards.
    Apollo: Southpaw, nothin'. I'll drop him in three. [visualizes title] "Apollo Creed Meets the Italian Stallion". [laughs]... Sounds like a damn monster movie.
    Jergens: Balboa, George Jergens. Take a chair please. Mr. Balboa.
    Rocky: Call me Rocky sir.
    Jergens: Tell me Rocky, you've got any representation of a manager?
    Rocky: No just me.
    Jergens: Rocky I've got a proposition I'd like to make to you.
    Rocky: Sparring?
    Jergens: I beg your pardon?
    Rocky: Well, I'm interested. I know you're looking for sparring partners and I just want to say I'm very available you know.
    Jergens: I'm sure you are.
    Rocky: Absolutely. Sparring with the champ would be an honor and you know what, Mr. Jergens?
    Jergens: What?
    Rocky: I wouldn't take no cheap shots either. I'd be a really good sparring partner.
    Jergens: You don't understand me, Rocky. My proposition is this. Would you be interested in fighting Apollo Creed for the World Heavyweight Championship?
    Rocky: No.
    Jergens: Listen Rocky, Apollo's seen you fight. He likes you and he wants to fight you.
    Rocky: It's just that you see I fight in clubs you know. I'm really a ham-and-egger and this guy's the best. It wouldn't be such a good fight. Thank you very much though, I appreciate it.
    Jergens: Rocky, do you believe that America is the land of opportunity?
    Rocky: Yes.
    Jergens: Apollo Creed does. He's going to prove it to the whole world by giving an unknown a shot at the title and that unknown is you. He picked you, Rocky. Rocky it's the chance of a lifetime. You can't pass it by. What do you say?
    Reporter: Why did you agree to fight a man who has virtually no chance of winning?
    Apollo: Look, if history proves one thing, American history proves that everybody's got a chance to win. Didn't you guys ever hear of Valley Forge or Bunker Hill?
    Mickey: I'm here to warn ya, that ya gotta be very careful about this shot that you got at the title. Because, like the Bible sez, you ain't gonna get a second chance...Well, what ya need is a manager. A manager, listen to me. I know, because I've been in this racket for 50 years...I've seen it all, all of it. Ya know what I've done? I have done it all. [He holds a bare lightbulb in front of his face] I've got 21 stitches over this left eye. I've got 34 stitches over this eye. Do ya know that I had my nose busted 17 times? [He glances at Rocky's poster of Rocky Marciano] Ya kinda remind me of the Rock, ya know that? Ya move like him, ya got heart like he did...I got all this knowledge, I got it up here now, I wanna give it to you...I wanna take care of ya, I wanna make sure that all this shit that happened to me doesn't happen to you...Ya can't buy what I'm gonna give ya. I've got pain and I've got experience.
    Rocky: Well, I've got pain, and I've got experience too.
    Mickey: Listen, kid.
    Rocky: Hey, Mick.
    Mickey: What?
    Rocky: I needed your help about ten years ago, right? Ten years ago?
    Mickey: Right.
    Rocky: Ten years ago, ya never helped me none. You didn't care.
    Mickey: Well, if you wanted help... I say, if you wanted help, why didn't you ask? Why didn't you just ask me, kid?
    Rocky: Look, I asked, but you never heard nothin'
    Mickey: Well, I, uh, I know I, I'm 76 years old...and uh well, where the hell is... [walks out because Rocky wouldn't even entertain him]
    Rocky: [as Mickey is revealed to be just outside the room but eventually leaves] Took you long enough to get here. Took you ten years to come to my house. Huh, what's the matter? You don't like my house? Does my house stink? That's right it stinks! I didn't ask no favours from you! Don't slum around me! Talking about your prime. What about my prime Mick!? Least you had a prime! I didn't have no prime, I didn't have nothin'. Leg's are goin', everythin's goin'. Nobody's gettin' no nothin'. Guy comes up, offers me a fight. Big deal, you wanna fight the fight? Yeah I'll fight the big fight. I'm gonna go and fight that big fight and you know what's going to happen to me? I'm gonna get that! [punches mattress] I'm gonna get that! [punches mattress] And you wanna be ringside and see it? Do ya? You wanna help me out? Huh!? Do you wanna see me get my face kicked in!? Leg's ain't workin'. Nothin's workin'. They go "Go on fight the champ". Yeah I'll fight him. Get my face kicked in. And you come around here, you wanna move in here with me? Come on in it's a nice house! Real nice! Come on in and move! It stinks! This whole place stinks! You wanna help me out? Well help me out! Come on help me out, I'm standing here!
    Paulie: [about Adrian] What's the story? What's happenin'? Ya really like her?
    Rocky: Sure, I like her.
    Paulie: I don't see it. What's the attraction?
    Rocky: I don't know. Fills gaps, I guess.
    Paulie: What's 'gaps'?
    Rocky: I dunno, gaps. She's got gaps, I got gaps. Together, we fill gaps. I dunno.
    Paulie: You ballin' her?
    Rocky: [irritated] Hey! Hey, ya don't talk dirty about your sister.
    Paulie: Ya screwin' my sister?
    Rocky: Ya see. That's why I can't connect ya with Gazzo...because you got a big mouth. You just talk too much.
    Duke: [watching Rocky punch meat on the TV] Hey, Apollo. You better come see this.
    Apollo: [carelessly] What is it?
    Duke: This guy, the one you want to fight, he looks serious.
    Apollo: Yeah, yeah. [not even looking at the TV] I'm serious, too.
    [Rocky is standing alone in the ring at the empty Philadelphia Spectrum, looking at the poster of himself]
    Rocky: Mr. Jergens, the poster's wrong.
    Jergens: What do ya mean?
    Rocky: Well, I'm wearin' white pants with a red stripe.
    Jergens: It doesn't really matter, does it? I'm sure you're gonna give us a great show. Try to get some rest, kid.
    [In Rocky's corner after Round 1]
    Mickey: Your nose is broken.
    Rocky: How does it look?
    Mickey: Ah, it's an improvement.
    [The final bell has rung, ending the 15th round and the fight]
    Apollo: Ain't gonna be no rematch. Ain't gonna be no rematch.
    Rocky: Don't want one.

## Cast

* Sylvester Stallone - Rocky Balboa
* Talia Shire - Adrian Pennino
* Burt Young - Paulie Pennino
* Carl Weathers - Apollo Creed
* Burgess Meredith - Mickey Goldmill
* Thayer David - George Jergens
* Joe Spinell - Tony Gazzo

## External links

* Rocky quotes at the Internet Movie Database
* Rocky at Rotten Tomatoes
* Rocky at Filmsite.org

## See also

* Rocky (film series)
* Rocky II