‘I Play Rocky’ Is Officially a Knockout | TIFF Review

When Rockycame out in 1976, it was expected to be a failure. The studios had no faith in it; the budget was minuscule, and the lead was a small-time actor who couldn’t even box. The then-unknown Sylvester Stallone had not only penned the script, but demanded to play the lead. But, against all odds, Rocky was not only a critical success, but also became the highest-grossing film of that year. It also helped to launch Stallone into superstardom overnight. Peter Farrelly‘s I Play Rocky depicts the inspirational story behind how Rocky was made, turning the production of the movie into its own rags-to-riches story. The film is overly sentimental at times and almost mythic in the way it portrays Stallone, but I Play Rocky is a crowd-pleasing movie at its core. At a time when the American Dream feels more than ever like a lie, sometimes it’s nice to just indulge in the wholesome and heartwarming; it feels good to celebrate the success of someone who had everything going against him.