Channing and Foxcatcher
Last October, when I first heard about that Channing was cast in Bennett Miller's movie Foxcatcher, I was really excited. In my opinion, Miller is the type of director who can really nurture an actor (e.g. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill). At that time, LA Times incorrectly reported that Channing would play Dave Schultz, the older brother who was killed by John du Pont (played by Steve Carell). Then in April 2012, I learnt that Mark Ruffalo was cast to play Dave Schultz, and Channing would play Dave's younger brother Mark Schultz. Upon hearing the news, I just assumed that Channing would have a supporting role. To my surprise, that's not the case.
Last night, I came cross an article on ScriptShadow (a quite reliable site). The article was posted in November 2011. The author read an early script and just learnt about the casting news of Carell and Tatum. In 2011, many regular movie fans would never foresee what would happen to Channing's movie career in the next few months. Looking back, I realised Channing had won the hearts of many elite directors long before he won the hearts of audience and critics. I believe one of the reasons that directors like Steven Soderbergh or Bennett Miller are great is that they see potentials of actors ahead of other people, and they bring the best out of their actors. To them, the actors are not just some speaking props.
Anyway, let's go back to the topic of Foxcatcher. After reading the summary of the early script, I felt so happy because Channing finally got a great script and a good role. I am sure all those Chriss and Taylors want a role like this, but eventually Channing gets it before them. The real story of du Pont murdering Dave Schultz is already very bizarre, the script is even more complicated. So here comes the spoiler:
[Spoiler (click to open)]
27 year old Mark Schultz is a world champion wrestler who won a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic games. Mark is an intense no-nonsense guy. Even though he's achieved what 99.99999% of the world could only dream of, he's already set on his next goal, winning gold at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
The thing is, being a world champion wrestler - even the best wrestler in the world - doesn't pay a lot. In fact, Mark makes $5000 a year as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin. He works under his brother, 31 year old Dave Schultz, who also won a gold medal at Los Angeles.
Dave is the more popular of the two brothers. No matter what Mark does, it's always Dave who gets the spotlight. It doesn't bother Mark much. He loves his brother more than anything. But it would be nice if people would acknowledge him every once in awhile. He did, you know, win a gold medal too.
After Mark’s let go due to budget cuts, he's tasked with figuring out how to train with no income. Out of desperation, he puts together a lazily edited set of training tapes but he may as well be trying to sell Kim Khardashian-Kris Humpries T-shirts. Nobody’s buying.
Then, out of nowhere, he gets a call from a man claiming to represent John Du Pont. Du Pont’s family is extraordinarily rich and owns a huge piece of land known as Foxcatcher Farms. Du Pont is a big wrestling fan and it's come to his attention just how little money the U.S. wrestling team has to train. So he constructs his own facility and asks Mark to head it up. Anybody Mark recruits, he’ll pay them full salaries and living expenses!
Mark can't believe his luck and the first thing he does is call his brother to join him. But Dave has a family and is wary about the invitation. The question he asks Mark will prove to be prophetic: "What does DuPont get out of it?"
When we meet Du Pont, we immediately sense something’s off about the guy. One moment he’s excited, the next reserved. Sometimes he’s obsessive, other times chummy. One day he wants to blend into the background, the next he wants to be the star. But all that matters to Mark is that Du Pont wants to win the gold as much as he does.
But as the months go by, Du Pont becomes more obsessive about the team. He starts participating in the practices, and names himself as one of the coaches - paying a hefty donation to the wrestling Federation for the privilege. It becomes even creepier when we find out Du Pont doesn’t do anything for a living. He’s never had a job. All of this money comes from his nearly dead senile mother.
Du Pont starts hounding Mark about his brother, Dave. Why hasn’t he recruited him yet? Why isn’t he out here with the team? What at first seems like a suggestion has become an obsession. Where the fuck is Dave?
Eventually, Du Pont makes Dave an offer he can’t refuse, and Mark finds out the truth. Du Pont was recruiting Dave a full two months before he called Mark. When Dave said no, Du Pont recruited Mark in hopes that he would convince his brother to come. This whole façade was just to get Dave here.
But Dave’s arrival doesn’t go as Du Pont expected. Dave and Mark become intensely close as they train, and Du Pont is sort of left out in the cold. Neither Dave nor Mark will give him the time of day. This doesn’t sit well with Du Pont, who decides to go to extreme measures to rectify the situation.
The author of the article thought Mark is an odd duck who’s way too obsessed with wrestling, to the point where he has no love life, no real friends, no anything. He mentioned there were just some really creepy sequences in this script. For example, Du Pont enters this over 50 wrestling tournament and starts training with the Olympians for it. Mark travels with him as his coach, and we see Du Pont wrestling these other men his age, but they’re clearly letting him win. That's when we realize the entire tournament is a sham, paid for by Du Pont so he can win. Every single one of these wrestlers is being paid to lose to Du Pont. It’s just so odd and sad and unsettling. Late in the screenplay, Du Pont slaps Mark in front of the entire team. He then disappears and Mark can’t get a hold of him for days. Mark is then invited to a big meal with some people Du Pont is trying to impress. All Mark wants to do is talk to Du Pont about what happened, but Du Pont wants nothing to do with it.
Anyway, I am even more excited after reading the summary. Channing said Foxcatcher was going to be the hardest acting challenge he has had to date. I hope director Miller can bring the best acting out of him. Good luck, Channing! I wonder if they can finish the movie in time for TIFF 2013. If so, I will definitely book a screening ticket.
Last night, I came cross an article on ScriptShadow (a quite reliable site). The article was posted in November 2011. The author read an early script and just learnt about the casting news of Carell and Tatum. In 2011, many regular movie fans would never foresee what would happen to Channing's movie career in the next few months. Looking back, I realised Channing had won the hearts of many elite directors long before he won the hearts of audience and critics. I believe one of the reasons that directors like Steven Soderbergh or Bennett Miller are great is that they see potentials of actors ahead of other people, and they bring the best out of their actors. To them, the actors are not just some speaking props.
Anyway, let's go back to the topic of Foxcatcher. After reading the summary of the early script, I felt so happy because Channing finally got a great script and a good role. I am sure all those Chriss and Taylors want a role like this, but eventually Channing gets it before them. The real story of du Pont murdering Dave Schultz is already very bizarre, the script is even more complicated. So here comes the spoiler:
[Spoiler (click to open)]
27 year old Mark Schultz is a world champion wrestler who won a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic games. Mark is an intense no-nonsense guy. Even though he's achieved what 99.99999% of the world could only dream of, he's already set on his next goal, winning gold at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
The thing is, being a world champion wrestler - even the best wrestler in the world - doesn't pay a lot. In fact, Mark makes $5000 a year as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin. He works under his brother, 31 year old Dave Schultz, who also won a gold medal at Los Angeles.
Dave is the more popular of the two brothers. No matter what Mark does, it's always Dave who gets the spotlight. It doesn't bother Mark much. He loves his brother more than anything. But it would be nice if people would acknowledge him every once in awhile. He did, you know, win a gold medal too.
After Mark’s let go due to budget cuts, he's tasked with figuring out how to train with no income. Out of desperation, he puts together a lazily edited set of training tapes but he may as well be trying to sell Kim Khardashian-Kris Humpries T-shirts. Nobody’s buying.
Then, out of nowhere, he gets a call from a man claiming to represent John Du Pont. Du Pont’s family is extraordinarily rich and owns a huge piece of land known as Foxcatcher Farms. Du Pont is a big wrestling fan and it's come to his attention just how little money the U.S. wrestling team has to train. So he constructs his own facility and asks Mark to head it up. Anybody Mark recruits, he’ll pay them full salaries and living expenses!
Mark can't believe his luck and the first thing he does is call his brother to join him. But Dave has a family and is wary about the invitation. The question he asks Mark will prove to be prophetic: "What does DuPont get out of it?"
When we meet Du Pont, we immediately sense something’s off about the guy. One moment he’s excited, the next reserved. Sometimes he’s obsessive, other times chummy. One day he wants to blend into the background, the next he wants to be the star. But all that matters to Mark is that Du Pont wants to win the gold as much as he does.
But as the months go by, Du Pont becomes more obsessive about the team. He starts participating in the practices, and names himself as one of the coaches - paying a hefty donation to the wrestling Federation for the privilege. It becomes even creepier when we find out Du Pont doesn’t do anything for a living. He’s never had a job. All of this money comes from his nearly dead senile mother.
Du Pont starts hounding Mark about his brother, Dave. Why hasn’t he recruited him yet? Why isn’t he out here with the team? What at first seems like a suggestion has become an obsession. Where the fuck is Dave?
Eventually, Du Pont makes Dave an offer he can’t refuse, and Mark finds out the truth. Du Pont was recruiting Dave a full two months before he called Mark. When Dave said no, Du Pont recruited Mark in hopes that he would convince his brother to come. This whole façade was just to get Dave here.
But Dave’s arrival doesn’t go as Du Pont expected. Dave and Mark become intensely close as they train, and Du Pont is sort of left out in the cold. Neither Dave nor Mark will give him the time of day. This doesn’t sit well with Du Pont, who decides to go to extreme measures to rectify the situation.
The author of the article thought Mark is an odd duck who’s way too obsessed with wrestling, to the point where he has no love life, no real friends, no anything. He mentioned there were just some really creepy sequences in this script. For example, Du Pont enters this over 50 wrestling tournament and starts training with the Olympians for it. Mark travels with him as his coach, and we see Du Pont wrestling these other men his age, but they’re clearly letting him win. That's when we realize the entire tournament is a sham, paid for by Du Pont so he can win. Every single one of these wrestlers is being paid to lose to Du Pont. It’s just so odd and sad and unsettling. Late in the screenplay, Du Pont slaps Mark in front of the entire team. He then disappears and Mark can’t get a hold of him for days. Mark is then invited to a big meal with some people Du Pont is trying to impress. All Mark wants to do is talk to Du Pont about what happened, but Du Pont wants nothing to do with it.
Anyway, I am even more excited after reading the summary. Channing said Foxcatcher was going to be the hardest acting challenge he has had to date. I hope director Miller can bring the best acting out of him. Good luck, Channing! I wonder if they can finish the movie in time for TIFF 2013. If so, I will definitely book a screening ticket.