And the countdown continues in my quest to watch and find something inspiring in every single one of Yahoo’s 100 Movies to See Before You Die …
Princess Ann: I hate this nightgown. I hate all my nightgowns, and I hate all my underwear too.
Countess: My dear, you have lovely things.
Princess Ann: But I’m not two hundred years old. Why can’t I sleep in pajamas?
Countess: Pajamas?
Princess Ann: Just the top part. Did you know that there are people who sleep with absolutely nothing on at all?
Countess: I rejoice to say I do not.
It’s tough to be a princess. Boring engagements all day long, a lot of pomp and circumstance, you can’t even sleep naked! Why, it’s enough to drive Audrey Hepburn to run away in the back of a truck and fall asleep on a public street in Rome in the middle of the night. Luckily the world’s last gentleman reporter (that would be Gregory Peck) takes care of her, then upon discovering her identity sets out to get the story of his life. And what do they do? “Silly things” like eat gelato, get a haircut, sit at a cafe, go sightseeing and break a zillion traffic laws driving a Vespa. The inspiration is simple here, really. We would all do well to enjoy the “silly things” a lot more because, princess or pauper, fun doesn’t always factor into everyday life.
Rocky: I can’t do it.
Adrian: What?
Rocky: I can’t beat him.
Adrian: Apollo?
Rocky: Yeah. I been out there walkin’ around, thinkin’. I mean, who am I kiddin’? I ain’t even in the guy’s league.
Adrian: What are we gonna do?
Rocky: I don’t know.
Adrian: You worked so hard.
Rocky: Yeah, that don’t matter. ‘Cause I was nobody before.
Adrian: Don’t say that.
Rocky: Ah come on, Adrian, it’s true. I was nobody. But that don’t matter either, you know? ‘Cause I was thinkin’, it really don’t matter if I lose this fight. It really don’t matter if this guy opens my head, either. ‘Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody’s ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I’m still standin’, I’m gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren’t just another bum from the neighborhood.
Rocky can’t get no break. He lives in a “stinkin'” room, spends way too much time at the pet store buying turtle food so he can talk to a timid girl, fights for pennies, and now his gear is packed up and relegated to “skid row” at the gym! He talks a lot (and I mean A LOT) and for some reason his sweatpants always have a crazy case of wet butt. No wonder he can’t get no love. But when he picks up a sham fight with the champion boxer, one he has no chance of winning, things turn around. He finally asks Adrian out and they fall in love. He starts training and gets the Mickey the trainer’s respect. But he’s no fool. He knows he can’t win, but for him it will be enough to have tried. If that doesn’t inspire you deep down to your core, you’re not human. And if you need more inspiration, listen to this.
