An unexceptional boxer suddenly gets his shot at fame and glory—the world Heavyweight title is at stake in his next fight. He loses, but he’s treated like a hero. Sound familiar? Well, it should—it’s the plot of the classic film Rocky, written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It’s just one of the many plot points that are strikingly similar to the life story of Chuck Wepner, a boxer from Bayonne, New Jersey. The similarities were the reason for his immense popularity as well as a court case. On March 27, 1975 Wepner traded punches with the legendary Muhammad Ali, even knocking him down. He lost, but lots of people remembered him. People made jokes about all the cuts he got in the fight, suggesting he drank more blood than Dracula. Wepner had his weaknesses, including a soft spot for alcohol and narcotics, but French director Philippe Falardeau manages to show him in a positive light. He overlooks his scams and doesn’t dwell on his desperate attempts to “sell” his popularity to Hollywood. After the premiere of the movie he stopped being Chuck and became Rocky. “Rocky, have a drink with us” was heard in every bar in the neighborhood. A stellar performance by Liev Schreiber, probably the role of a lifetime, supported by brilliant turns from Naomi Watts and Elisabeth Moss.