What I Play Rocky can teach Christians about keeping the faith

Based on a true story, one young Sylvester Stallone is struggling to make it as an actor. But when he writes a script for a boxing movie, producers excitedly try to buy the rights. There’s just one problem: he wants to play the lead.

I Play Rocky tells the story of one of the most influential sports movies of all time.

We’re transported to 1970s New York, where a young actor called Mike Stallone cannot book a gig. A complication during his birth led to the nerves on the left side of his face being damaged, limiting his facial movements and vocal capabilities. To any casting director, he certainly seems like a long shot. Only when he meets his future wife, Sasha, does he begin writing scripts - with the aim of starring in them himself.

The only difference between us and Stallone is where we place our faith

After moving to Los Angeles, Stallone’s screenplay catches the eye of two producers. But while studio execs want a star for the lead role, Stallone insists “I play Rocky.” Despite having a pregnant wife and being near destitute, he risks everything, refusing to give up against impossible odds.

For fans of the franchise, the story of the making of Rocky is almost as famous as the film itself. The real Sylvester Stallone purportedly had nothing to do with the making of this film which, in many ways, could be a blessing.

If he had been involved, it would be easy to dismiss it as a self-aggrandising version of events. The fact that he wasn’t adds a bit more credibility. Directed by Peter Farrelly, who helmed the Oscar winning Greenbook, I Play Rocky is a joy to watch. Anthony Ippolito’s performance as Stallone is note perfect, and there is so much to love in this story.

The faith of Rocky

Stallone was born and raised against a background of Catholicism, and in the background is where any explicit references to religion stay in this film. The original Rocky film starts with a mural of Jesus hanging high above a boxing ring, looking on but never actively intervening; that dynamic seems to be echoed here.

Stallone’s own faith has fluctuated over the years, and during the time period that this film covers, Stallone has described himself as being largely agnostic. However, in an interview with the National Catholic Register in 2007, Stallone said the birth of his daughter in the late 1990s was an important crossroad for his Catholic faith.

“When my daughter was born sick, and I realised I really needed some help here, I started putting everything in God’s hands, his omnipotence, his all-forgivingness,” he said.

Just because the film doesn’t deal much with religious faith however, that doesn’t mean it has nothing to say about the concept of faith itself. I Play Rocky is an amazing depiction of faith in oneself. On paper, this film is about a contract negotiation, and when Stallone can’t even afford dog food (leading to him being forced to sell his beloved pet) the decision to turn down a $20,000 writer’s fee seems ludicrous.

As the offer figure begins to soar to life-changing amounts, Stallone has to dig deep to keep faith in himself and his unique ability to do this role justice. In one wordless scene, he walks out of the producer’s offices, kicking himself, and almost walks back in. Many people who have stepped out in faith will relate to the feeling of doing something that seems ridiculous on the surface, relying solely on hope and faith to see them through.

True faith

It’s not only Stallone’s faith in himself that is captivating, but his wife Sasha’s. The film is a brilliant example of a sincere, loving marriage. When Sasha (played by AnnaSophia Robb) learns about the money he has been offered, she yells at him; “I’m not mad that you said ‘no’, I’m mad that you lied to me.”

She reminds him that they’re meant to be a team - “you and me against the world” - and keeping her out of that process robs her of that. The love story between Sylvester and Sasha is inter-woven throughout this film; it’s heartbreaking to know that, in real life, their marriage did not work out.

Upon its release in 1976, Rocky redefined success for generations of cinema goers. The idea that it’s not necessarily about winning, but about ‘going the distance’; being able to silence your own insecurities and prove that you can at least stand toe-to-toe with the champions.

Both I Play Rocky and the film that inspired it reaffirm the idea that human beings should strive for “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10). The only difference between us as Christians and Stallone in this film is where we place our faith - and who we attribute our success to.

It might be formulaic, and it knows how to pull on your heart strings, but when done this well, you can’t help but be swept up in it. I Play Rocky is a love letter, not just to the original film, but to the craft of acting, filmmaking, and human beings that support and believe in each other. May it inspire us to place our faith in God, and never let go of the big dreams that He gives us.

I Play Rocky is now showing in UK cinemas