Foxcatcher

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Foxcatcher
Foxcatcher First Teaser Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Bennett Miller
Produced by
Written by
Starring Steve Carell
Channing Tatum
Mark Ruffalo
Music by Rob Simonsen
West Dylan Thordson
Mychael Danna
Cinematography Greig Fraser
Edited by Stuart Levy
Conor O'Neill
Jay Cassidy
Production
company
Annapurna Pictures
Likely Story
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics (US/Latin America/Eastern Europe (expect for Russia and Ukraine)/South Africa/Scandinavia)
Entertainment One (UK)
Mongrel Media (Canada)
Roadshow Entertainment (Australia)
Release dates
  • May 19, 2014 (2014-05-19) (Cannes)
  • November 14, 2014 (2014-11-14)
Running time 130 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Foxcatcher is a 2014 American biographical drama film, directed by Bennett Miller, starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo. The screenplay was written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman. It competed for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, where Miller won the Best Director Award.

 

Premise

The story of Olympic Wrestling Champion Mark Schultz and paranoid-schizophrenic millionaire coach John du Pont, who murdered Schultz's brother, Olympic Champion Dave Schultz in 1996.

Cast

Production

Director Bennett Miller began developing the project in 2006. Megan Ellison co-financed the film, along with Sony Pictures Classics, producing alongside Miller and Anthony Bregman for her company, Annapurna Pictures.[3] Sony Pictures Classics is distributing the film.[4]


From left: Producers Jon Kilik and Megan Ellison, Mark Ruffalo, Channing Tatum, director Bennett Miller, and Steve Carell at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival

Shooting began in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area on October 15, 2012, near Sewickley, Pennsylvania, including Sewickley Heights and Edgeworth.[5]

The actual Du Pont mansion - known as Lister Hall but named by John as Foxcatcher Farm- located in Newtown Square, PA had been sold to developers and was torn down in January 2013[6]. Accordingly filmmakers used Morven Park, a historic estate in Leesburg, Virginia, with a similar facade as the stand in for exterior filming.[7] An 1899 Sewickley Heights mansion, Wilpen Hall, served as Foxcatcher's stand in for the interior filming location for du Pont's Philadelphia estate.[8] Filming also took place in Rector in Ligonier Township, McKeesport, White Oak, and Connoquenessing.[9][10][11] The production sought permission to shoot in West Mifflin Middle School in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.[12] In December 2012, shooting took place in Washington, Pennsylvania, Trinity High School, the Petersen Events Center in Oakland, and the California University of Pennsylvania Convocation Center.[13][14][15][16] Filming was scheduled to last through January 2013.[5]

Channing Tatum stated that the role was "the hardest acting challenge I've had to date".[2]

Release

A release date for Foxcatcher was originally set for December 20, 2013. The date was postponed to allow for more time to complete the film, according to Sony Pictures Classics.[17] The film debuted at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival in May 2014, in competition for the Palme d'Or, the festival's highest prize,[18] where Director Bennett Miller won the Award for Best Director.[19] The film made its way through the late-2014 festival circuit, appearing at the Telluride, Toronto, New York, Vancouver, and London film festivals.[20] Foxcatcher will receive a limited release on November 14, 2014.[21]

Reception

The film has received acclaim from critics, with many praising the performances of Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo.[22][23] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 'Certified Fresh' rating of 93%, based on 45 reviews, with an average rating of 8.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A chilling true crime drama, Foxcatcher offers Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum a chance to shine - and all three rise to the challenge".[24] Metacritic gives the film a score of 91 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[25]

Justin Chang of Variety praised the film, writing: "Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum give superb performances in Bennett Miller's powerfully disturbing true-crime saga."[22] Eric Kohn of Indiewire also reacted positively to the film, with most of his praise going towards Carell and Tatum's performances.[23] Donald Clarke of The Irish Times praised Bennett Miller's direction, saying that "he [Miller] hits his stride with a stunning portrayal of psychopathy and moral decadence in the unlikely environment of Olympic wrestling."[26] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter praised Carell's performance calling it "career changing".[27]

On the other hand, Budd Wilkins of Slant Magazine gave the film a negative review and said that the film "offers us next to nothing of utility or complexity about du Pont's pathology."[28]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations
Award Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref.
2014 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Bennett Miller Nominated [29]
Best Director Bennett Miller Won [30][31]
International Cinephile Society Awards Best Actor Channing Tatum Won [32]

References

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Lodge, Guy (May 12, 2014). "Cannes Check 2014: Channing Tatum and Steve Carell in Bennett Miller's 'Foxcatcher'". HitFix. Retrieved May 13, 2014. 
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Sneider, Jeff (October 10, 2012). "Hall joins Carell in 'Foxcatcher'". Variety. Retrieved October 18, 2012. 
  3. Jump up ^ Sneider, Jeff (September 30, 2012). "Megan Ellison to finance 'Foxcatcher'". Variety. Retrieved October 20, 2012. 
  4. Jump up ^ Feinberg, Scott (August 15, 2014). "'Foxcatcher' Jumps to Sony Pictures Classics; Release Date Set". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 16, 2013. 
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Serafini, Kristina (October 17, 2012). "Film crews back in Sewickley area". Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on December 17, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012. 
  6. Jump up ^ http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2013/01/24/main_line_suburban_life/news/doc510172af81da4619756296.txt
  7. Jump up ^ Owens, Crystal (October 15, 2012). "UPDATE: Movie magic at Morven Park?". Loudoun Times-Mirror. Retrieved October 31, 2012. 
  8. Jump up ^ "Another Big-Budget Movie Begins Filming Locally". CBS Pittsburgh. October 15, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012. 
  9. Jump up ^ Brehun, Deborah A. (October 31, 2012). "Rector selected as locale for ‘Foxcatcher’ movie". Tribune-Review. Retrieved November 2, 2012. 
  10. Jump up ^ "McKeesport aflutter over Channing Tatum". WTAE. October 31, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2012. 
  11. Jump up ^ Sinichak, Jessica (November 15, 2012). "Nearby: Channing Tatum Filming ‘Foxcatcher’ in Butler County". Patch Media. Retrieved November 15, 2012. 
  12. Jump up ^ Niederberger, Mary (August 23, 2012). "West Mifflin school may host movie crew again". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 12, 2012. 
  13. Jump up ^ "Filming to close Washington street". Observer–Reporter. December 7, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012. 
  14. Jump up ^ Jones, Rachel (January 25, 2013). "You Give Me Fever: Channing Tatum". WHIRL Magazine. Retrieved April 13, 2013. 
  15. Jump up ^ "Pittsburgh extras needed for 'Foxcatcher' movie". WTAE. December 11, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2012. 
  16. Jump up ^ "Convocation Center to be Closed for Filming". California University of Pennsylvania. November 28, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2012. 
  17. Jump up ^ "Sony Pictures Classics Moves Foxcatcher Back to 2014". comingsoon.net. CraveOnline. September 26, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013. 
  18. Jump up ^ Chang, Justin (April 17, 2014). "Cannes Unveils 2014 Official Selection Lineup". Variety. Retrieved April 17, 2014. 
  19. Jump up ^ "Awards 2014 : Competition". Cannes. Retrieved October 28, 2014. 
  20. Jump up ^ Pond, Steve (September 8, 2014). "‘Foxcatcher’ Triumphs at Yet Another Film Festival". TheWrap. Retrieved October 28, 2014. 
  21. Jump up ^ Rich, Katey (October 10, 2014). "Foxcatcher’s Director Explains Why It’s Actually a Funny Story". Vanity Fair. Retrieved October 28, 2014. 
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b Chang, Justin (May 19, 2014). "Cannes Film Review: ‘Foxcatcher’". Retrieved 11 June 2014. 
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b Kohn, Eric (May 19, 2014). "Cannes Review: Channing Tatum Anchors Bennett Miller's Icy 'Foxcatcher,' But the Revelation is Steve Carell". Retrieved 11 June 2014. 
  24. Jump up ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/foxcatcher/
  25. Jump up ^ http://www.metacritic.com/movie/foxcatcher
  26. Jump up ^ Clarke, Donald (May 19, 2014). "Review: Foxcatcher". Retrieved 11 June 2014. 
  27. Jump up ^ McCarthy, Todd (2014-05-19). "'Foxcatcher': Cannes Review". Retrieved 11 June 2014. 
  28. Jump up ^ Wilkins, Budd (2014-05-19). "Cannes Film Festival 2014: Foxcatcher Review". Retrieved 11 June 2014. 
  29. Jump up ^ "'The Search' And New Jean-Luc Godard Lead Cannes 2014 Line-Up". Retrieved April 17, 2014. 
  30. Jump up ^ "Cannes: 'Winter Sleep' Wins the Palme d'Or". Retrieved May 8, 2014. 
  31. Jump up ^ "'Winter Sleep' Wins Palme d'Or at 2014 Cannes Film Festival; Full List of Winners". Retrieved May 8, 2014. 
  32. Jump up ^ "2014 winners of the Cannes ICS Awards". Retrieved August 27, 2014. 

External links[edit]

 

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