Sunday, April 6, 2008

Yo, Bill

I have a vivid memory of watching Rocky at Screen on the Green a couple of years back. Sprawled on the mall with the Capitol building looking like a glowy wedding cake behind the huge screen, I watched the famous underdog run up those Philly Art Museum steps.

I had never seen the movie before, and at the end, I turned to the others on my picnic blanket, devastated, and exclaimed, "He loses! How could he lose? He's Rocky!"

The thing is, his loss is the most poignant and moving part of the film. He fought as hard as he could, but he just couldn't pull it out. He collapses into the arms of his wife.

Sound familiar? It seems a little weird to run on the platform of losing, though maybe there will be a Russian instead of a black man in the 2016 primaries . . .