Movie Review : "Foxcatcher" (2014)
By Faye
@FayeHazel (40230)
United States
March 4, 2019 1:14pm CST
I found the movie "Foxcatcher" to be long, lengthy, drawn out and slow moving. That said I have watched it twice and would watch it again. While I am not a particular fan of wrestling , the movie deals heavily with the sport. So - considering those things, why would I watch it again? Because it deals brilliantly with the real life murder of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz and all of the the really messed up relationships that went along with it.
I'm going to spoil the ending because this is based off a real story,and to not mention the conclusion seems unfair - but I will mark it clearly incase you want a surprise.
Way back in the 80s there were these 2 brothers who loved to wrestle and went on to win Olympic medals. Dave and Mark Schultz. Years earlier - their dad had up and abandoned the family, so, older brother, Dave, served as a mentor for younger brother, Mark. They had a sort of tough life. And inspite of their Olympic wins, they were a little bit tight on cash.
Enter John E. DuPont. Yes, "that" DuPont. Royally wealthy beyond words, DuPont lives in a huge mansion on a big estate. The place is called "Foxcatcher" - a reference to the stable and the fox hunting Thoroughbreds that live there. A sport that holds great esteem amongst the ultra wealthy. DuPont isn't interested in the horses though. He prefers Wrestling and wants to host the 1988 US. Wrestling team, and that is where the Schultz brothers come in. DuPont forms a particularly close bond with the younger, Mark.
Now DuPont had his own issues. In my own words, as portrayed by Steve Carell , - DuPont was a maladaptive little weirdo. Lonely, isolated and seemingly not knowing how to interact in order to have a friend, DuPont seems to get a special kick out of pitting the 2 Schultz brothers against each other, as more and more wrestlers come to live at Foxcatcher and start training for the Olympics.
Steve Carrell does an amazing job at portraying the maladaptive, cunning, brilliant and manipulative, DuPont.
**Spoiler**
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The story concludes with Mark leaving the sport of wrestling and Foxcatcher, leaving brother Dave and his family there. DuPont's behaviors continue to degrade until one day, DuPont pulls up and shoots Dave Schulz in front of his wife and children with no explanation.
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End of Spoiler
Mark Schultz went on to live life one day at time and is a motivational speaker according to his Facebook presence. Unfortunately that page hasn't been updated in years. I do hope whatever he is doing these days that he has found some kind of peace and happiness.
Mark Schultz talks about the "Foxcatcher" movie :
Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz reveals how eccentric millionaire John du Pont shattered his world when he killed his brother, wrestling champion Dave Schultz.
11 people like this
11 responses
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
5 Mar 19
Both Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo were Oscar nominated for their performances.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
5 Mar 19
@JohnRoberts Ruffalo was Dave, right?
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
5 Mar 19
@FayeHazel It was well acted but anti-climatic because I was very familiar with the real story.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
5 Mar 19
@JohnRoberts Ah. I really found myself wishing they would have told us more about Du Pont and his background - why was he the way he was
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
4 Mar 19
not heard of this one - it does sound good
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
9 Mar 19
@FayeHazel I'll certainly look out for it
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
5 Mar 19
I hope you get a chance to see it. It really stuck with me.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
4 Mar 19
I remember this movie Faye it was really good.
Thanks for your excellent review
2 people like this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
5 Mar 19
The relationships and Carrell were excellent. Thank you for reading :)
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
4 Mar 19
As long as you enjoyed it, that's all that matters. I have to depend on you and @JohnRoberts for movies to watch and movie reviews.
2 people like this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
5 Mar 19
True. I think it was Carrell's performance that really made it for me.
I'm flattered 
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
5 Mar 19
Good description. It really stuck with me
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (67089)
• United States
5 Mar 19
Never seen this or heard of any of them.
Seems sad though.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
5 Mar 19
It's very sad... haunting. Really sticks with a person
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
5 Mar 19
I saw Foxcatcher. I was surprised when the movie was nominated for an Oscar, but when I finally saw it I could see why. Great performance by Steve Carell. I wrestled in high school so the training and specifics of the sport I knew. But it was the unstable mental state of one of the famous Du Pont family members and his relationship with his team members that made the movie so great! PS- I visited the Du Pont gunpowder works location recently and also visited their estate at Winterthur gardens.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
5 Mar 19
It always amazes me when an actor who is known for playing one sort of character (like Carell's usual goofball/funny type) does something 100% opposite and is convincing. I guess Mark Schultz had said that for a second he thought DuPont had come back - on seeing Carell in characterl.
Was the wrestling terminology and so forth accurate? I always wonder that when I don't know about the specifics of the topic in a movie.
I did wish they would have dealt more with what John DuPont went through, or why he turned out that way. It really struck me how this man who had all this money and resources could be so very mentally ill and unhappy from the looks of it.
That is awesome you actually got to visit some of the Du Pont holdings. I know they make a great number of items.
- I just found this. Wow.
This is the infamous John E du Pont! I shot this video in 1988 for an awards banquet. Du Pont donated money to Crozier-Chester Hospital for their new trauma center. The hospital held a banquet in his honor where this video was shown! So if you are going to
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Mar 19
@dgobucks226 That is refreshing - when a movie sticks to accurate knowledge of whatever topic, in this case wrestling.
Oh I would so totally go see another movie on DuPont and his decline into madness. Even though my sympathy is with the Schultz family, I do wish someone could have done something with John before it came to that. All that money and no one could step in.
Oh that's interesting. I was fairly sure DuPont brought us Teflon ... but I didn't know about fireworks and automotive connections
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
7 Mar 19
@FayeHazel Yes, the wrestling room workouts and terminology was accurate. Carell was excellent playing against how he is usually cast. Yes, they could of done a whole other movie on John du Pont and his decline into mental illness. Unfortunately only you, me and a few others might go see it in today's "action adventure" film industry.
The du Pont family really were the epitome of the American dream and being self-made millionaires. The patriarch started a gunpowder works because while hunting, he noticed how inferior the powder was in the U.S. in relation to the gunpowder he used in his home country (France). He used his knowledge to eventually capture the powder market and became the major supplier right up through WW II. Then he expanded into fireworks, chemicals and the auto industry.
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (89586)
• Rupert, Idaho
5 Mar 19
Great review, and that's good that you warned about the spoilers. I haven't seen it....and not sure it is my kind of movie, but it does sound like a good one.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
6 Mar 19
@MommyOfEli2013 I think it's the actors in their complex roles that really save it
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
5 Mar 19
So welcome - I know I once read a synopsis of a movie I hadn't seen yet and I wished I hadn't because they hadn't warned good enough about the spoilers. It's still a favorite movie though. ("10 Cloverfield Lane")
Normally the content or the sort of slow pace wouldn't thrill me, either, but I really found it to be captivating
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (89586)
• Rupert, Idaho
6 Mar 19
@FayeHazel oh yeah, I have been there too! Glad it is still one of your favorite movies though (and I haven't seen that one either).
That's good to know, usually if it is slow paced I'd end up turning off a movie lol....but good to know this one is a good movie.
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