Not all of it rings true, but tale of creepy, demented heir, proves oddly fascinating

Rating: 6/10 (8 January 2015)

In order for 'Foxcatcher' to work, it has to believable. How many liberties did the screenwriters take in depicting the sad seduction of brothers Mark and David Schultz, both Gold Medal winters in the 1984 Olympics, into the clutches of the troubled and deranged heir to the Du Pont family fortune and wrestling coach wannabe, John Du Pont?
The main liberties taken it would seem, were with the character of Mark Schultz. The films' scenarists would like us to believe that Schultz was sort of a mindless jock who perhaps didn't have the insight to realize he was getting involved with such a duplicitous and dangerous individual. According to the film, it was both Mark's naivety and insatiable need to be #1, that led him to be manipulated by Du Pont; but this is in part disputed by Schultz himself in his book, written after the tragic murder of his brother.
Before discussing this issue of Mark Schultz's naivety, one must acknowledge that 'Foxcatcher' gets it right in depicting him as being quite 'down and out' prior to being contacted by Du Pont. Both brothers were working as assistant coaches at Stanford but it was Mark who was fired and Dave who was kept; according to Slate Magazine, "someone who feigned interest in managing his career," swindled him out of most of his money. Mark was living in a rented apartment in his father's house when Du Pont called.
According to Mark, unlike the way he was depicted in the film, he was deeply suspicious of Du Pont from the get-go. His main concern was that Du Pont had little wrestling knowledge and he "cautiously" arranged to meet Du Pont while he was training for the Worlds in Indiana. He saw Du Pont as a loser and didn't like the fact that his teeth were "dark yellow and caked with food." When Du Pont told him that he would be referred to as "Coach," only in the media guide and that he would only pop in once in a while to check on how things were going, he didn't agree to talk right away but only after the trials were over.
Slate Magazine also points out that Mark didn't stay at Du Pont's estate when he first got there and actually looked at him as a "loser"—someone who he had disdain and also pity for. So Mark's lack of skepticism early on in regards to Du Pont as depicted in the film, is not borne out by the facts. Nor was it particularly believable that none of the characters in the film (such as the other wrestlers who were training at the Foxcatcher facility) seemed to discuss what a creepy guy Du Pont was and that he might have some kind of mental illness. Indeed, while Du Pont was found competent to stand trial, he was ultimately convicted of Third Degree Murder but mentally ill.
Despite the lack of verisimilitude in regards to Mark's early encounters with Du Pont, the best part of the film chronicles Du Pont's bizarre behavior and underlying psychopathology. Donning a prosthetic nose, Steve Carrell, a comic by trade, transforms himself into a very creepy psychopath. Carrell watched a good deal of video footage to imitate Du Pont's mannerisms and those who had encounters with the real Du Pont indicate that Carrell successfully captures the essence of the demented heir.
Du Pont's obsession with guns is ably highlighted (and it was certainly true he often had the local police over for shooting practice), along with his passion for ornithology and philately. While wrapping himself in the mantle of ethical living and unbridled patriotism, Du Pont hypocritically used cocaine and insisted Mark Schultz try it too. The filmmakers argue that Du Pont's 'dementia' was rooted in his resentment toward his mother. Mark Schultz doesn't mention this in his book but the filmmakers speculate that Du Pont hated his mother's love for horses and that the mother looked at her son's obsession with wrestling as a "low" preoccupation. Du Pont's pettiness is correctly depicted by the film's scenarists when he rigs wrestling matches for seniors, and has his opponents intentionally throw the matches, so he can be declared the victor.
Recently Mark Schultz withdrew his support for the film's director over accusations that there was a homo-erotic component to his relationship with Du Pont. While not explicitly stated, one particular scene where Mark and Du Pont wrestle together in a suggestive way, might lead one to conclude that there was something going on between the two. But Schultz makes it clear in his book that he made it quite clear to Du Pont that he wasn't gay and had no desire to engage in any sexual encounters with him.
According to Slate Magazine, Mark's relationship with Du Pont fell apart after his brother Dave took over as coach. "In reality, Dave never worked at Foxcatcher while Mark was there, and Mark was fired shortly after an angry confrontation with John over not much" 'Foxcatcher' doesn't make it clear at all, but once Dave was hired as coach, he lived there with his family for 7 years.
As to the motive as to why Du Pont shot Dave Schultz, 'Foxcatcher' fails to go into Du Pont's interest in one Valentin Jordanov, a Bulgarian wrestler, who he ultimately gave 80% of his fortune to in his will. The day he shot Dave Schultz was Jordanov's birthday and perhaps he was trying to prove to Jordanov that Dave was no longer a rival and was out of their way.
Why did the Schultz brothers fall victim to Du Pont's seduction? Perhaps it was a puerile obsession with winning. Ultimately, just as big honchos of American wrestling were paid off by Du Pont, so the Schultz brothers also found themselves tempted by his greenbacks. Despite its flaws, the tale of the 'crazy as a loon' benefactor, proves oddly fascinating.