I watched “Rocky” for the

I watched “Rocky” for the first time this weekend. There were many parts I enjoyed, mostly those much-spoofed scenes that I got to finally enjoy first hand, but I have to say the ending was a disappointment. After all these years of thinking I understood the Rocky mythology and that I knew how the movie was going to end, it turns out that Rocky LOSES. Not only does he lose, but there is some whole boxing ruling and judging thingy where I had no idea what was going on. I was waiting for the big climax when Rocky would bloodily defeat his opponent and win the title, and instead I got some scuffling around and an announcement of his defeat. J tried to sell me on some whole “underdog making it” and when that didn’t work, a brief outline of Rocky II and III. Whatever. My world has crumbled.

I felt similarly when Kelly got me to finally watch “My Fair Lady” and it ends with stupid fucking Henry Higgins saying something asinine like, “I’ve grown accustomed to your face,” and that wins Eliza over. Because Eliza has conveniently forgotten about the PRINCE and that other really sweet guy that LOVED her. Augh. Totally cheated out of a love story.

I may also have been feeling opinionated because I stumbled on my new favorite last/love scene when we saw “Before Sunset.” The rest of the movie was good: I enjoyed the conversation, and Julie Delpy is beautiful to watch. But when she pulls out the guitar? And sings the waltz? And then dances around a little and doing a gentle Nina Simone impression? I thought I was going to die right there from the sweetness of it. Dying in a good way. Of course, instead of dying in any way, I just played the scene over two more times. Then again a few times the next morning. Then I had to package it up real quick to send back to Netflix because maybe I would NEVER stop watching it. Anyway, I now can’t find the waltz on iTunes, where I was certain it would live.

Can’t I get a happy ending, people?

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