I Think It’s Important to Remember That Rocky (1976) is a Thanksgiving Movie

As one of the most celebrated films of the 20th century, Rocky is many things.

It’s an independent film, made for less than a million dollars and starring a then-unknown Sylvester Stallone. It was a box office sensation, raking in $225 million—more than any other film in 1976. It was a force at the Academy Awards, earning 10 total nominations and winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing.¹ And it unintentionally created the blueprint for every sports drama and/or rags-to-riches saga that came after it (for better or for worse).

There’s one thing about Rocky that we don’t talk about enough, though: It’s a Thanksgiving movie. And in a world with so few Thanksgiving movies—and so little respect given to the Thanksgiving holiday itself—I think that’s worth celebrating.²

Rocky is the sort of film that might surprise new viewers. Because of its cultural cachet, anyone watching for the first time can safely assume the inclusion of certain elements: the finale in the ring, the training montage that leads up to it, the backdrop of the city of Philadelphia, and the musical fanfare that’s peppered throughout.

But all of that iconic stuff is really jammed into the third act. We get moments of Apollo Creed cooking up his pugilistic promotional gimmick early on, but Rocky Balboa himself doesn’t know he’s been chosen for a heavyweight title fight until halfway through the film. Which means everything leading up to that moment is pure character drama that happens to be about an amateur boxer. And one that happens to start on Tuesday, November 25, 1975.

Despite the fact that the big fight takes place on New Year’s Day, and the fact that we get some Christmasy set dressing in a couple of third-act scenes, the first half of the film takes place over a three-day stretch on and leading up to Thanksgiving. But because this is a rags to riches story, it’s not exactly a lavish family affair.

In fact, some of Rocky’s best character moments come from his comments about the upcoming holiday. His best friend Paulie invites him to Thanksgiving dinner (“Tomorrow you come for some bird, right?”) with his sister Adrian, whom Rocky happens to have a not-so-secret crush on. He tries to play the invitation off with nonchalance, perhaps even a bit of apprehension: “Last time I had a turkey, it was when they had a two-dollar special at Horn and Hardart’s about three years ago. Last year, me and the turtles had Spam.”

But Thanksgiving winds up being the first time Rocky beats the odds. Thanks to an accidental assist from Paulie, who gets drunk and ruins dinner by throwing the turkey out into the yard, Adrian gives in and finally agrees to go out with Rocky that very night.³ Which means Thanksgiving is their first date, folks.

As they leave the house, Rocky and Adrian have one of my favorite dialogue exchanges in the whole film. Rocky tries to console her, saying “Listen, I don’t want no turkey anyway, you know?” “But it was Thanksgiving,” Adrian replies quietly. And then Rocky sums it all up for her: “Yeah, to you. But to me it’s Thursday, right?”

There are some other semi-Thanksgiving aspects of the film if you reach a little bit. Apollo really leans into the patriotic theme of the title fight, scheduling it for the first day of America’s Bicentennial and in a city replete with U.S. history. You can almost see the twinkle in his eye when he discovers a local fighter nicknamed the Italian Stallion: “Now, who discovered America? An Italian, right? What would be better than to get it on with one of his descendants?” Then he goes all in for the fight itself, wearing star-spangled trunks and entering in a George Washington costume on a makeshift boat.⁴

While the second half of Rocky has become cultural iconography, I believe the first half is what really makes the film special. The underdog story, the budding romance, the big fight and its double-edged conclusion—all of those things resonate for a reason. But I’ll always appreciate everything that paves the way for that final act, especially the found family that comes together on that memorable Thursday.

Rocky is now streaming on Max, Amazon Prime, and DirecTV, and it is available to rent elsewhere.

1. Many cinephiles will point to this as one of the most hotly debated Oscar races ever, as Rocky triumphed over three other all-timers in Taxi Driver, All The President’s Men, and Network. Many of those cinephiles will also tell you that Rocky didn’t deserve to win. But that’s a topic for another day.

2. No, I will not be acknowledging Eli Roth’s aptly titled new slasher flick. Y’all can keep it.

3. Paulie also gets drunk and ruins an evening near (possibly on?) Christmas as well. He’s a terrible friend and a terrible brother. And he’s one of my favorite supporting characters in the history of cinema.

4. Another great line of dialogue from Rocky here: “He looks like a big flag.”