A tragic real-life drama was made into a Hollywood movie starring Steve Carell
The brutal murder of Olympic gold wrestler Dave Shultz by his own coach sent shockwaves through America and the sporting world.
The chilling story of Dave, his brother, and their multi-millionaire coach may have been overlooked by many who aren’t wrestling fans, but it was thrust into the spotlight when it was turned into a harrowing Hollywood drama featuring some big names.
Foxcatcher, unlike many uplifting underdog sports stories, takes a much darker and more sinister turn as it explores the ultimately fatal relationship between the Schulz brothers and the heir to the Du Pont chemical family fortune.
The tale begins in the 1980s when Mark Schulz was invited to join John du Pont’s newly established wrestling academy and training camp, Team Foxcatcher, at the lavish Du Point family estate.
Funded by his family’s vast wealth, the state-of-the-art facility at his Pennsylvania home attracted wrestlers with the promise of competing in the Olympics and World Championships, reports the Express.
After some persuasion, Mark brought his champion brother, Dave, into the project and after achieving global success as Team Foxcatcher, disaster struck.
With Mark having moved away following a disagreement with John, on 26 January 1996, the coach drove up to Dave’s home and shot him dead after being greeted as usual, causing shockwaves around the world.
Du Pont was subsequently found guilty of third-degree murder, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and perished behind bars in 2010.
Whilst the motive behind the killing was never fully comprehended, speaking to LAist, Mark said: “He admired us and at the same time was jealous of us, kind of hated us in a way, because we had what money couldn’t buy.”
He added: “I regret that my brother died, and I regret that I met du Pont, but had it not been for these horrible curses, this movie would not be made, and Dave would not be immortalised.”
Merely four years following du Pont’s demise, Hollywood transformed the tale for the silver screen, featuring a haunting and spine-tingling performance by Steve Carell, who assumes the role of the millionaire killer.
In a complete departure from his typical comedic characters, Carell is transformed with a curved nose, pale makeup and disturbing mannerisms that make it difficult to recognise him as the same actor who portrayed Michael Scott in The Office.
Alongside him, Channing Tatum bulked up to portray the younger Mark Schultz, whilst Mark Ruffalo provided an Oscar-nominated portrayal of his ill-fated elder brother Dave.
The picture claimed accolades at Cannes, secured five Oscar nominations, and left audiences disturbed by its grim depiction of power, privilege and obsession spiralling disastrously out of control. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film earned a “certified fresh” rating of 88%.
One Google Reviewer who gave it five stars wrote: “This is a tremendous piece of filmmaking. It’s set to a slow burn, and all three of the leads disappear into the characters they are playing.”
Another reviewer said: “A piece of history that I had no idea of. Intriguing story and well acted, highly recommended.”