A journeyman actor scrabbling together a subsistence existence valeting cars amidst failed auditions, Sylvester Stallone’s (Anthony Ippolitto) life changes when he catches the 1975 heavyweight title fight between reigning champ Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. The overmatched challenger’s dogged determination inspires Stallone to write a screenplay with a hard-luck boxer as its hero. Veteran producers Robert Chartoff (Toby Kebbell) and Irwin Winkler (P.J. Byrne) love the script, but no studio wants to invest in a film without a star—and Stallone wrote the part of Rocky Balboa for himself. It’s a sticking point that he refuses to negotiate and so begins the behind-the-scenes story of Rocky, one of the greatest underdog movies in cinema history. AnnaSophia Robb as Stallone’s supportive wife Sasha, Matt Dillon as Stallone’s father Frank, and Jay Duplass as Rocky director John G. Avildsen are terrific in support in an irresistible film that mirrors Rocky’s ebullience and emotional payoff. —Sterling Hedgpeth
MVFF49 CENTERPIECE PROGRAM
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7 • 7:00
SEQUOIA 2: Live Intro & Conversation
SEQUOIA 1: Simulcast Room
JOIN US FOR A RECEPTION FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM
OUTDOOR ART CLUB | 9:00 - 11:00
1 WEST BLITHEDALE • MILL VALLEY
Director/s
Peter Farrelly
Peter Farrelly is a director, screenwriter, producer, and novelist. With his brother Bobby, he wrote, directed blockbuster comedies that include Dumb and Dumber (1994), There’s Something About Mary (1998) , Kingpin (1996), Fever Pitch (2005), The Three Stooges (2012), and more. Among the films he has made on his own are Green Book (2018), for which he won Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture Oscars®; The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022); and Ricky Stanicky (2024).
Expected Guests
PETER FARRELLY: Director and Producer
ANTHONY IPPOLITO: Actor
Tickets
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