Of course a book about Sylvester Stallone, Philadelphia, and the making of Rocky had to be written by a native son. And Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Mike Sielski is the right guy to tell this particular jawn. So fire up Bill Conti’s iconic fanfare, lace up your Chucks, and start jogging through the Italian Market. Going the Distance: Stallone, Philly, and the Story of Rocky is a fantastic read and an absolute must for anyone who’s ever run up the Art Museum steps and pumped their fists at the top.
| Title: Going The Distance (2026) Author: Mike Sielski Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Book jacket: The remarkable behind-the-scenes story of the making of Rocky a timeless and beloved piece of American pop. Joe says: A Philly-flavored knockout that peels back the stories, struggles, and cinematic magic behind Rocky. This is one heavyweight book that earns its cheesesteak wit’. |
Sielski delivers much more than a behind-the-scenes account of a movie celebrating its 50th anniversary. Sielski bobs and weaves between the city’s history and the story of a scrappy, relatively unknown actor named Sylvester Stallone, who was determined to write his own ticket in Hollywood. The parallels between Rocky Balboa and his home city are impossible to miss. Both were full of grit, ambition, busted knuckles, and big dreams.
Then comes the mother of all director’s commentaries. Sielski gets into the screenplay, the production politics, the location scouting, the Academy Awards, and the technology that helped turn this modestly budgeted underdog into a cinematic heavyweight. Fun fact for the Philly faithful: Garrett Brown, the Philadelphia-born inventor of the Steadicam, helped revolutionize how movies could move, and Rocky was among the early films to put the technology through its paces. That famous run through the streets of Philadelphia wasn’t just a guy chasing a dream. This was filmmaking history jogging right alongside him.
Sielski then follows the civic saga of the Rocky statue, from its original placement near the top of the Art Museum steps to the Spectrum and eventually back to the museum, where it now stands ready for an endless parade of tourists, selfie-takers, and aspiring champions. The statue’s journey is a Philly political drama of its own. Only here could a fictional boxer become such a beloved civic landmark that deciding where to put him becomes a heavyweight bout.
The book is packed with archival interviews, personal recollections, and stories from the people who helped make the original Rocky a classic. Director John G. Avildsen, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, composer Bill Conti, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, and Stallone himself all contribute to the sprawling tale. Sielski brings together the Hollywood history and the filmmaking details; the celebrated triumphs and the plenty of setbacks.
But the real beauty of Going the Distance is that despite all the Hollywood names and Academy Award glory, this is a Philly story. The city’s rough edges aren’t merely the backdrop; they’re part of the movie’s DNA. Rocky is a working-class guy who gets up, gulps down a few raw eggs, falls for Adrian, and tries to prove he isn’t just another bum from Kensington. Sielski understands this allegory, and he captures it beautifully.
Does the book go long? You bet. Sielski goes the full twelve rounds and occasionally looks ready to come out for another. This is an immersive, detail-packed read, loaded with enough history, anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes material to satisfy even the most committed Rocky completist. Sielski has done the homework, chased the details, and built something with real weight behind it.
So grab a cheesesteak wit’, argue about whether it’s Pat’s or Geno’s (or tell everyone they’re both wrong because the real answer is Jim’s), and settle in. Going the Distance is a terrific tribute to a movie, a city, and the belief that getting knocked down doesn’t mean the fight is over. Rocky taught us that you don’t have to win the championship to prove something. Sometimes you just have to go the distance.
And Mike Sielski? He doesn’t just go the distance. He runs up the steps, throws his hands in the air, and sticks the landing. Yo, Adrian! This book is a knock-out.
Yo! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for getting me this time in the ring.
Leave a Reply