"All I wanna do is go the distance"

If any film has gone the distance, it's Rocky (1976), which spawned one of the longest running franchises in film history. Released in America's bicentennial year, Rocky, based on an original screenplay by then-unknown writer and actor Sylvester Stallone, surprised everyone. Shot on a shoestring budget by director John Avildsen, the film became a blockbuster and Academy Award-winning best picture and spawned a lucrative franchise, as well as spin-offs. Rocky propelled the careers of Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire, generated an interest in boxing and sports movies, and placed Philadelphia and its architecture in the popular consciousness. However, Rocky has always been a contested text, raising questions about race, gender, and class in America, as well as debate about genre, storytelling, and film art--questions which are addressed at length in this rich collection of essays. As this collection shows, Rocky and its sequels retain their power to rouse audiences well into the twenty-first century and continue to inspire audiences, athletes, and filmmakers.