From Roy Hobbs to Rocky Balboa—We Remember Robert Redford

As my students walked into class this morning, I played the theme from The Natural. To hear Randy Newman's masterpiece, especially inside a baseball stadium is an ethereal experience—otherworldly, delicately beautiful, light, and spiritual. In class, I did not expect the prologue to bring us to another realm, but I did want to set the tone to honor the American actor, activist, director and producer: Robert Redford. He died in sleep; he was 89 years old.

I was too young to see Robert Redford’s most popular films in theaters—The Way We Were, The Sting, The Great Gatsby, as well as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid— among others. But in 1984, I saw The Natural at the Dome theater in Pleasant Hill. I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but I loved the era, the setting, the symbolism of Wonderboy and the character of Roy Hobbs. Redford was too old for the role (he was 47) but to me, he was a good fit. Why? He had a great voice. It is low, measured and quietly authoritative. Those qualities gave Roy Hobbs a sense of dignity, humility, and determination. He emerges as a man who lets his actions, not his words, speak loudest. 

I read Bernard Malamud's novel, "The Natural" in high school. I was shocked to discover the ending was far different than what I had seen on the silver screen. That dissonance confirmed, "The Natural is not just a baseball movie—it’s a mythic American parable dressed in the rhythms and imagery of the sport." (Rolling Stone). In this instance, the protagonist might have been Robert Redford—and not Roy Hobbs.

On KGO radio I learned that Robert Redford once admitted he felt discriminated against because of his good looks. Casting directors, he said, sometimes dismissed him for roles, believing his “All-American” image made him unfit for certain characters. It struck me as a curious plight—being too handsome for Hollywood—but in at least one case, I think he was right. The 1976 Academy Award winning film: Rocky. 

Can you imagine Robert Redford as Rocky Balboa? Could you cheer for Redford as the Italian Stallion? I couldn't. And yet, it could have happened—if not for the grit and resolve of Sylvester Stallone, who not only wrote the script but insisted on playing the role himself.

According to Screenrant, 

Producers and directors loved Stallone’s script but weren’t enamored with the idea of him playing the main character, which was a condition he insisted upon. Instead, they had much bigger names in mind, such as Peyton Place’s Ryan O’Neill, Burt Reynolds, Robert Redford, and James Caan. The latter three were all Hollywood A-listers and household names that audiences were accustomed to seeing on the big screen. To the producers, it just made sense for someone like one of them to star in a movie with Rocky’s potential.

I find this anecdote to be a fascinating one. Sometimes we make choices to be part of something or not. At other times, the decision is made for us. Had he earned the leading role, would Redford have accepted the part of Rocky? Do you think he too could yell "Yo Adrienne?"

Life takes funny turns—up and down, in and out. We are left with memories, stories, images, and song. Whether it’s Sir John Williams’ masterpiece, the theme from Out of Africa, or the mystical melody of The Natural, Robert Redford gave us a face, a voice, and a presence that captured our imagination and our hearts. Not in the boxing ring, but on the baseball field, while fly fishing, and in so many other moments. And perhaps, in the end, the words he spoke are the truest: “Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.”

Photo Credits
The Natural
Rocky