Taxi Driver loses to Rocky

1976 was a strong year for American cinema, so competition was stiff at the 49th Academy Awards. And while Sylvester Stallone's breakout role in "Rocky" has stood the test of time, as has the film for the most part, it seems outrageous that Sly's self-penned story of up-and-coming pugilist Rocky Balboa would beat Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver," what with Paul Schrader's tough screenplay and Robert De Niro's harrowing performance as mentally unstable cabbie Travis Bickle. But hindsight is 20/20 and the Academy loves a feel-good underdog story. (See "Slumdog Millionaire" for a more recent example.)