Foxcatcher (3/3/2015)

Rated R for some drug use and a scene of violence.

Starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo and Vanessa Redgrave

Directed by Bennett Miller (Moneyball)

Intense, artistic, and very dark.

Foxcatcher is a psychological drama directed by Academy Award nominee Bennett Miller (Moneyball) and starring Golden Globe winner Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Academy Award nominee Mark Ruffalo, Academy Award winner Vanessa Redgrave. The film was written by E. Max Frye and Academy Award nominee Dan Futterman. Foxcatcher tells the story of Olympic Gold Medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Tatum), who sees a way out from the shadow of his more celebrated wrestling brother Dave (Ruffalo) and a life of poverty when he is summoned by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont (Carell) to move onto his estate and train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Desperate to gain the respect of his disapproving mother, du Pont begins “coaching” a world-class athletic team and, in the process, lures Mark into dangerous habits, breaks his confidence and drives him into a self-destructive spiral. Based on actual events, Foxcatcher is a gripping and profoundly American story of fragile men who pinned their hopes for love and redemption on a desperate obsession for greatness that was to end in tragedy.

This film had me conflicted from the word go. I am a huge fan of true stories that involve sports, but not a huge fan of “overly artistic” films. And believe it or not, Foxcatcher is both. It also starred one of my favorite actors and one of my least favorite actors. And while the story is entertaining, it is also very dark and disturbing.

So let’s jump in.

Most true stories about sports or athletes take you on a journey of an underdog or team of underdogs that has to overcome seemingly impossible odds to achieve greatness. Foxcatcher centers around a star athlete who finds himself in a very weird situation. And although I enjoyed watching and following his journey, the way the film was shot, the score and the pace confirmed for me that I’m not a fan of what most would call “artistic films.”

As far as the cast goes, to say I was surprised would be a massive understatement. I am a huge fan of Steve Carell, and seeing him in this disturbing role will show the world that not only is he hilarious, but the man can act. Then there’s Channing Tatum. I hate that I have to say that I really liked him in this film. In many of his roles previous to this one, it took little to no acting skills. He was simply required to take his shirt off smile and maybe blow something up. But in Foxcatcher, he elevates his game and although I’m not quite ready to say I’m a fan, I will give him credit. His performance was extremely powerful. And Mark Ruffalo was a huge surprise. He is a great actor and does some great things with a pretty small role.

Finally there is the story. Every aspect of this story is disturbing. From Mark’s life before meeting John to the final moment we see him in the film, you feel so many negative emotions for him.

Foxcatcher is well acted, well directed and and well written. It is also not a movie I will ever want to watch again. So for that reason, I give it a score of “Rental.”

Should Kids See It?
There is no sex or nudity (except for a very brief shot of Channing Tatum’s backside). The language is very mild with only a few uses of the S-word. There is one scene of violence that is pretty disturbing.

Conversation Starter:

1. In your opinion, what fueled John Dupont?


2. How did his pride lead to his demise?

Read Proverbs 16:18

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.


3. What do you think that verse means?


4. What can you do to prevent pride from creeping into your life?