The American Dream in Rocky and Sugar

Rocky (1976) sports drama film directed by John G. Avail dawn and both written and starring Sylvester Stallone. After finding out our class was going to be watching this movie I was excited, being that I had never seen the film before and knowing it was legendary. This film tells the story of the American Dream, started boxing at age 15 the Italian Stallion (Rocky) was basically an under dog. In the beginning of the film Rocky was called a bum not only by people in his neighbor hood but also by one of his previous trainers. Which he saw his self as something more and that's what he wanted to show people, "All I wanted to do at any fight was prove I was no bum, that I had the stuff to make a good pro". Which he later got to do so after getting the shot at the world heavyweight championship against Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed an undefeated fighter. But this whole opportunity was to prove that's America is still a land of opportunity. Which is similar to the movie Sugar 

Another sports drama film. Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Miguel Santos aka Sugar being played by Algenis Perez Soto is a Dominican pitcher struggling to make it into the big leagues and helping his family out of proverty. At age 19 Miguel gets his break to the United States and plays for the minor league system. In both films they seem to be about heroism and realizing your potential, taking your best shot and sticking by your girl. Rocky is in love with a shy girl (Talia Shire) who he ends up being with, she ends up staying by his side through the whole fight, sugar sticks by his girl also while he's in the U.S and she's in Domicinan Republic. Both of these films have twist to them which I believe makes them more valuable. In Rocky towards the end of the film most people will guess Rocky will end up winning the fight against the undefeated Apollo Creed but he doesn't, in Sugar the cliche ending would be Miguel making it into the major legaues. But in both films that isn't what happens, it's about what it took to get there, the effort, actions made after. This is why I believe both films are great, you can still be an underdog without saving the day, you can still be a man worth more than a good hand for pitching.