Rocky Directed by John Avildsen Written by, and starring Sylvester Stallone

Summary In the first half of the movie, we meet Rocky Balboa, a struggling boxer who also works as a collector for a loan shark.  What evidence do we see that Rocky’s life is hard?  What evidence do we see that shows how Rocky is a hard working, compassionate man?

Rocky has a crush on Adrian, a woman who works at a pet store.  What evidence from the movie shows Adrian as a shy person?  How is Adrian different from Rocky?  How does Adrian’s going out with Rocky extend the theme of “taking a shot”?  How do her clothes help to define her character?

Apollo Creed is the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. He had a big fight coming up, but the other boxer fractured his hand. Apollo wants to fight Rocky. Why would the heavyweight champion of the world want to fight a nobody from Philadelphia? Apollo says that his choice is smart. In what way is this a smart choice? What does this show you about Apollo’s personality?

Making Predictions Do you think Rocky will fight Apollo? Do you think Rocky will win the fight? How do you think Rocky’s new girlfriend Adrian will feel about Rocky’s choice?

The First Morning of Training Why is that first training morning so important? What do we learn about Rocky? How would you describe the mood of that scene? What contributed to the mood and tone?

The Press Conference Scene How do we know that Rocky was affected by what happened at the press conference? What clues do we have that most people seem to underestimate Rocky?

Argument with Mick Why is the fight with Mick in Rocky’s apartment so emotional? What is each character bringing to that argument? How does the director add to the emotion of the scene through framing and editing?