Foxcatcher Page #10

MARK (ON PHONE)

No, I wasn’t - listen, I gotta run

DAVE (ON PHONE)

What’re you doing?

MARK (ON PHONE)

I just - I gotta run.

DAVE (ON PHONE)

(beat)

Okay. Call me soon.

56.

MARK (ON PHONE)

I will

DAVE (ON PHONE)

- You’re a tough man to track down

MARK (ON PHONE)

- Yeah, well

DAVE (ON PHONE)

- Call me

MARK (ON PHONE)

- I will. I gotta roll

CUT TO:

EXT. VERANDA/BIG HOUSE - NIGHT

Bowie’s “China Girl” PLAYS through outdoor speakers. Mark

crops du Pont’s hair with an ELECTRIC CLIPPER. It’s

unseasonably warm out - Mark’s in shorts and flip flops.

Both men are drinking from bottles of champagne. Du Pont’s

drunk enough that his defenses are down. A vanity table is on

the veranda with a mirror and a bowl of COCAINE.

MARK:

Looking good.

(no reply)

Looking tough.

Mark finishes buzzing -- looks at du Pont’s crew cut in the

mirror. Du Pont seems melancholy.

MARK (CONT’D)

I think you’re ready.

(beat)

We just need some more talc.

They both reach over to the bowl of “talc”, rub some on their

gums -- then they each snort a line.

MARK (CONT’D)

Yah! I think you’re ready.

DU PONT:

I appreciate this...

MARK:

You’ve done the training, you

learned the moves. You’re ready to

rumble, boss.

57.

DU PONT:

No. Mark. I appreciate this.

MARK:

(after a moment)

It’s nothing.

DU PONT:

When I was fourteen - my father had

left us long before that - my best

friend was Clifford Holt, our

gardener’s son. Then I found out

Mother had been paying Cliff to be

friends with me.

Mark is moved, but doesn’t know what to say.

MARK:

We all have demons.

DU PONT:

(totally sincere)

It’s good to know you and I have

come to this... friendship without

any of that nonsense. Financial

nonsense.

Neither mentions that du Pont is actually paying Mark.

Silence. Mark struggles whether to admit something. Then

MARK:

When Dave’s son, Alex, was born he

had some problems with his lungs.

It looked like he wasn’t gonna

live. I was sitting in the hospital

waiting room, and all I could think

was:
Maybe it’s better if he dies.

Dave won’t be distracted. We can

get back to training together.

(beat)

Alex is fine now and, you know,

he’s my nephew. I’m not proud I

wanted him to die, but it’s the

truth. That’s just the truth.

(then)

You gotta conquer your demons.

Du Pont stands up. Expressionless, he disappears through the

sliding glass doors into the house. Mark LOOKS OUT over the

dark grounds of Foxcatcher. Quiet.

Then Mark jumps out of his skin as a MACHINE GUN FIRES

several rounds behind him.

58.

When he turns around, there’s du Pont, a determined look on

his face, pointing a semi-automatic MACHINE GUN out into the

rolling landscape.

DU PONT:

Conquer demons.

He FIRES again, a short burst of bullets into the dark. Du

Pont fires again, a sustained volley into the dark...

MARK:

(over the gunfire)

Yeahhhhh!!!!

Du Pont ceases fire and looks out. He begins lowering the gun

when it accidentally goes off, firing a few bullets into the

wood deck - though he doesn’t seem to notice.

DU PONT:

They’re dead.

CUT TO:

INT. LEAR JET - DAY

SILENCE, save for the steady HUM of flight inside the cabin.

Du Pont’s gazing out the window of this private jet; he’s

trying to be brave, but he’s clearly terrified of the

upcoming match.

Mark sits next to du Pont, on the aisle.

CUT TO:

INT. PHOENIX ARENA - DAY

Between periods at the “Du Pont Masters Open and Collegiate

Invitational”. Very few people in the Masters gym bleachers.

Large posters of the oiled-up Mark on the walls.

Through large OPEN DOORS, in the adjoining gym, a larger

crowd cheers on a number of NCAA wrestlers. FRED COLE and

another USA WRESTLING OFFICIAL look in from the other gym.

They SEE the posters of Mark on the walls, and they SEE:

An exhausted du Pont, in his Foxcatcher singlet, is slumped

in his chair, encouraging Mark to massage his shoulders. Mark

OBLIGES. Mark glances at the OPEN DOORS, notices Fred Cole.

Self-conscious, he ignores Cole and focuses on John.

59.

MARK:

When he gives you the slightest

opening, you gotta shoot in on him.

Be aggressive. Show him who’s boss.

Du Pont nods wearily. He can barely move.

CUT TO:

The final minute of the match. It’s clearly RIGGED. The OTHER

WRESTLER is trying to let the exhausted du Pont get the best

of him. Mark watches.

The REF blows the end of match whistle. The wrestlers stand,

du Pont struggling to his feet. The ref takes each of their

hands, and raises... du Pont’s. He’s “won”.

Du Pont limps off the mat. He approaches Mark, THROWS his

arms around him the way Mark hugged du Pont at the Worlds.

Mark glances toward the open doors to the other gym.

CUT TO:

INT. LOCKER ROOM/PHOENIX ARENA - MINUTES LATER

Mark and an exhausted du Pont enter the locker room. Mark

SEES, off in a corner, Brandon speaking quietly with the

OTHER WRESTLER from du Pont’s match. He watches Brandon HAND

the other wrestler an ENVELOPE.

CUT TO:

EXT. FOXCATCHER LAWN - EVENING/ESTABLISHING

The helicopter is on the lawn, blades slowing, shutting down.

DU PONT (V.O.)

I’ve rearranged some of the horse

ribbons, Mother...

CUT TO:

INT. JEAN DU PONT’S ROOMS/FOXCATCHER - EVENING

John is seated in front of his mother, next to a window in

her third floor room. She’s in her wheelchair, with the

oxygen tubes in her nose, imperious as ever.

DU PONT:

... Some of the older prizes in the

trophy case.

(MORE)

60.

DU PONT (CONT'D)

To make room for Team Foxcatcher

medals.... For the wrestling

awards.

Silence. Jean just looks at her son, not reacting.

DU PONT (CONT’D)

Including this, Mother. Ha. Which

I’ve actually just won.

He takes his WINNER’S PLAQUE out of a duffel bag, trying to

be casual, but seeming all the more like an eager 9 year-old.

He holds it out for her. She doesn’t take it, but leans

forward slightly to read what’s inscribed on it: “FIRST

PLACE, OVER-50, DU PONT MASTER’S INVITATIONAL: JOHN ‘EAGLE’

DU PONT.” She sits back.

JEAN:

Which ribbons?

DU PONT:

I’m sorry?

JEAN:

Which ribbons did you move?

DU PONT:

Just some of the older ones. From

the case. From the Rosemont case.

Silence.

JEAN:

I’ll have a look later to see

exactly what you’ve done.

CUT TO:

INT. TROPHY ROOM - DAY

C/U’s of Jean’s ribbons in the case, horse photos, etc.

CUT TO:

EXT. FOXCATCHER ESTATE - NEXT MORNING/ESTABLISHING

On the vast lawn, the gardener drives his mower.

CUT TO:

61.

INT. FOXCATCHER GYM - LATE MORNING

Du Pont, in Foxcatcher sweats, walks in. The gym is EMPTY.

CUT TO:

INT. GARCIA AND ZEREGA’S BUNGALOW/FOXCATCHER - LATE MORNING

Mark and the team are watching a VIDEOTAPE Garcia has gotten

of an early ULTIMATE FIGHTING MATCH. It’s an American street

fighter versus a huge Brazilian Jujutsu expert. The match is

brutal and bloody and the wrestlers watching are CLEARLY INTO

IT. Mark is lying on the couch - attentive, but quiet.

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