Foxcatcher

CUT TO:

I/E. BARABOO SCHOOL/PARKING LOT - LATE MORNING

Mark pulls his beat-up car into a space in the parking lot of

this nondescript, 1960s-era suburban brick-facade school.

He’s freshly showered, wears a short-sleeve dress shirt, clip-

on tie, slacks. He reaches behind the front seat and pulls

out a battered BROWN VINYL BRIEFCASE.

CUT TO:

INT. BARABOO SCHOOL/PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE WAITING ROOM - DAY

Mark waits alone in a chair he’s much too big for, his brown

vinyl briefcase on his lap. A portrait of President Reagan

hangs on the painted cinder block wall. A clock ticks.

CUT TO:

INT. BARABOO SCHOOL/AUDITORIUM - DAY

Mark’s on stage. An audience of 4th, 5th and 6th graders.

MARK:

Why do I do it? Why do I push

myself to my limits - of pain, of

exhaustion - every day of my life?

Why do I wake up every morning and

make the commitment? Why do I do

it?

2.

The students are open-mouthed - they have no idea what to

make of him. Mark’s not being willfully over-the-top with

these kids. This is just what’s on his mind. All the time.

MARK (CONT’D)

In 13 months - if I train right, if

I push myself - I’ll be going to

Seoul - that’s a city in South

Korea. Does anyone know why?

Because that’s where the Olympic

games are.

Mark reaches into the briefcase at his feet and pulls out a

RIBBON with a MEDAL dangling from it.

MARK (CONT’D)

Does anyone know what this is?

As a couple of kids start to raise their hands --

MARK (CONT’D)

Olympic gold medal. I won it three

years ago at the ‘84 Games in Los

Angeles. My brother, Dave Schultz -

my best friend, my older brother,

my best friend - won one too, just

23 hours and 16 minutes before I

did. That’s unprecedented - two

brothers winning at the same

Olympics.

(then)

Would you like me to win another

one? Would you like me to win

another gold medal - for us, for

America? Would you like to see me

and my big brother - Dave Schultz -

both win gold medals? Who here

wants to see the two brothers win

again?

Silence. A couple of the kids tentatively raise their hands.

The rest are completely frozen.

MARK (CONT’D)

Well we’re going to give it

absolutely everything we’ve got.

CUT TO:

INT. BARABOO SCHOOL/PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE WAITING ROOM - DAY

A SCHOOL SECRETARY writes out a check as Mark stands in front

of the desk, placing his medal back in his briefcase.

3.

SCHOOL SECRETARY

Twenty... and... no one-hundreds...

She tears off the check and hands it to Mark. He takes the

check, holds out to her a SIGNED 8x10 PHOTO of himself with

his arms raised, in a USA WRESTLING SINGLET just after

winning his Olympic gold.

MARK:

And this is for the trophy case.

SCHOOL SECRETARY

I’m sorry?... For what?

MARK:

For the trophy case.

(beat)

With the trophies.

SCHOOL SECRETARY

It’s an elementary school.

As Mark holds out the photo, WE HEAR:

FAST FOOD KID (V.O.)

Can I take your order?

CUT TO:

INT. ARBY’S - DAY

A long-haired, greasy KID with the very beginnings of a

mustache takes Mark’s order. Mark looks up at the menu sign.

MARK:

I’ll have a # 4.

FAST FOOD KID:

# 4. Anything to drink?

MARK:

No. Can I get extra meat on that?

FAST FOOD KID:

65 cents.

MARK:

What are you talking about?

FAST FOOD KID:

Extra meat costs extra.

4.

MARK:

Where’s it say that?

FAST FOOD KID:

I don’t know. I just know I’m

supposed to charge extra for extra

meat.

MARK:

I always get extra meat. Every time

I come here.

FAST FOOD KID:

It’s extra for extra meat. They

told me. 65 cents.

CUT TO:

I/E. MARK’S FORD STATION WAGON/ ARBY’S PARKING LOT - DAY

Mark sits in his car, eating his sandwich - no enjoyment,

just fueling himself. His RADIO plays a commercial.

CUT TO:

INT. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN GYM - AFTERNOON

DAVE SCHULTZ (31, bearded, intelligent, 163 lbs., strong,

fierce, but calm), Head Coach of U of W wrestling, stands on

the wrestling mat speaking VERY QUIETLY with 3 or 4 select

WRESTLERS from the team. We can’t quite hear what Dave is

saying to them, but we can sense immediately the reverence

and deep respect they have for Dave - one of the country’s

top wrestlers and great coaches.

The scene gives off the feeling one might have watching a

horse whisperer with a small group of stallions. Whatever

he’s saying, they are calmed by him, pay absolute attention,

will do whatever he asks.

CUT TO:

INT. MARK’S APARTMENT - EVENING

A cheaply built 70s-era structure, where Mark inhabits two

small rooms with a cheap kitchenette built into the wall of

one of them. A particle-board BOOKCASE houses a little SHRINE

of Mark’s medals - and PHOTOS of him and Dave.

Mark retrieves his briefcase from inside the garbage bag and

extracts his GOLD MEDAL.

5.

He replaces it in the PLASTIC DISPLAY CASE on the top shelf,

next to the photo of him and Dave smiling with their gold

medals around their necks.

CUT TO:

INT. MARK’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Mark dumps a package of TOP RAMEN NOODLES into boiling water.

And another package. And another.

CUT TO:

INT. MARK’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Mark sits on his one metal FOLDING CHAIR, at his table,

eating his bowl of noodles. Moths tap against the window.

CUT TO:

INT. MARK’S APARTMENT/BEDROOM - LATER/NIGHT

Mark, in just boxer shorts, crosses off another day on his

wall calendar. 427 days to Seoul. He looks around, then drops

to the floor and starts a monstrous number of push-ups.

CUT TO:

EXT. INDUSTRIAL ROAD - EARLY MORNING

Mark runs hard past warehouses and auto repair outlets.

CUT TO:

EXT. FIELD AND HILL NEXT TO CAR DEMOLITION YARD - MORNING

Mark runs through knee-high weeds dragging a CAR TIRE

attached to a rope behind him. He reaches a hill and heads

straight up, dragging the tire all the way

MARK (V.O.)

Coach Teller? This is Mark Schultz-

CUT TO:

6.

INT. MARK’S APARTMENT - DAY

An ink-stained directory of Wisconsin Public Schools lies

open on the kitchen table.

MARK (ON PHONE)

I won a freestyle wrestling gold

medal at the ‘84 Olympics.

Mark, the phone tucked against his shoulder, slips a BLANK

TAPE into a cheap VCR. He slides a HAND-LABELED TAPE into a

second VCR, wired to the first. We can read the label: “THE

MARK SCHULTZ WRESTLING CLINIC.” He starts making a copy.

MARK (ON PHONE) (CONT’D)

I’m arranging a clinic in your area

next weekend, and I wanted to

invite you and some of your

wrestlers to join...

JUMP CUT TO:

MARK (ON PHONE) (CONT’D)

That’s Dave, my brother. I wrestle

at 180... No, he won’t be there,

just me... Okay - well, good luck

with your season, coach.

JUMP TO:

On the screen is a montage of highlights from Mark’s career:

take downs, pins. He’s an animal - powerful, aggressive.

MARK (ON PHONE) (CONT’D)

Yes, there’s a small fee.

JUMP TO:

MARK (ON PHONE) (CONT’D)

S-C-H-U-L-T-Z....

JUMP TO:

On the screen, Mark wrestles Resit Karabajak, a Turkish

wrestler, in his first round match at the ‘84 Olympics.

MARK (ON PHONE) (CONT’D)

A unique, character-building

opportunity for young wrestlers....

Yes, a small fee...

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