We Are All Workers

Last Thursday, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema screened Rocky I, II, and III on the steps of the Art Museum. It may have been the coolest event I’ve ever attended in Philly (which is saying a lot because I’m a regular at the Roots Family Picnic every June). Over the years, I’ve given a lot of thought about why Rocky means so much to the city and why there is no greater connection between a city and a film in contemporary American cinema. I’ve read what other writers have had to say on the topic and, of course, I have had countless conversations with my friends and neighbors in Philly. For all the reading, conversing, and thinking on it, I don’t think there’s any better way to sum it up than by the message that appeared just below the screen that night: WE ARE ALL WORKERS.