Foxcatcher Page #11

There’s KNOCKING at the door, but the guys don’t notice it.

Much LOUDER KNOCKING. Garcia opens the door. It’s du Pont.

Mark RISES to greet him as Dan MUTES the video.

MARK:

(completely genuine)

Hi, Boss. How you doing? Any

soreness from the match?

DU PONT:

I went by the gym - it’s almost

noon - and there’s no one in there.

There is no one in there. In the

gym.

MARK:

Yeah, no, exactly - we’ve got an

intense workout scheduled this

afternoon. Real intense one. So

we’re taking the morning to rest

up.

DU PONT:

Who precisely is in charge around

here?

MARK:

Well, I mean, I am.

DU PONT:

Where do we stand on Dave?

MARK:

(beat)

On what?

DU PONT:

David Schultz. Your brother. When

is he coming to Foxcatcher?

62.

Beat. Mark glances at the other guys.

DU PONT (CONT’D)

We need someone to take charge

around here, someone to lead.

MARK:

John, seriously, I don’t know how

else to say it. It’s not gonna

happen. You can’t buy Dave. It’s

just not gonna happen.

Du Pont SLAPS Mark. HARD. Across the face. SILENCE.

Mark could destroy du Pont. He doesn’t seem to even consider

it. He just stands there, like a chastened schoolboy, his

face reddening. Du Pont WALKS OUT past the muted UFC on TV

Once he’s gone, no one speaks. Then:

GARCIA:

You got b*tch-slapped.

Mark turns to Garcia.

GARCIA (CONT’D)

Oh sh*t.

Garcia runs into the other room.

CUT TO:

INT. BATHROOM/THE CHALET - DAY

Mark stands at the sink STARING at his reflection as the

mirror fogs over from the RUNNING SHOWER: bleached hair, one

side of his face is red where du Pont slapped him.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM/THE CHALET - DAY

Mark sits on the edge of his bed. He’s neatly dressed, his

wet hair brushed. His face shaved. He doesn’t move.

CUT TO:

63.

EXT. FOXCATCHER LAWN - DAY

Mark walks quickly across the vast lawn toward the Big House.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE ENTRANCE/BIG HOUSE - DAY

Mark enters the Big House through the rear office entrance.

No one’s in the reception area.

MARK:

Hello?... Hello?

He starts up the stairs, two at a time. Stan Beck comes out

of his office, meets him at the top.

STAN BECK:

Mark. How are things?

MARK:

I need to see John.

STAN BECK:

Mr. du Pont’s not available right

now.

MARK:

Stan, please. I need to see him.

STAN BECK:

He’s got a very full schedule this

afternoon. But I’ll let him know

you stopped by.

MARK:

(more and more upset)

Listen - I - something happened.

There was a - misunderstanding. I

think I did something wrong and I

really need to talk to him about it-

STAN BECK:

-Mark, I hear you. But Mr. du

Pont’s away for the afternoon on

business. He’s simply not here.

Mark doesn’t move.

STAN BECK (CONT’D)

You’re going to have to do this

later.

64.

Mark’s frozen, not knowing what to do, where to go...

PRELAP:
KNOCKING on a DOOR...

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM/THE CHALET - THAT NIGHT/LATE

Mark awakens with a start to the sound of someone KNOCKING at

the front door. He looks at the clock. It’s 3 a.m.

CUT TO:

I/E. FRONT DOOR/THE CHALET - NIGHT

Mark opens the door to find du Pont standing there, in his

SWEATS. He clearly hasn’t been to bed. And it’s clearly an

artificial stimulant that’s been keeping him awake.

DU PONT:

New moves. Wrestling moves. Need to

try them out.

MARK:

Oh, uh

DU PONT:

In the gym.

Beat. Mark forces the cobwebs from his head.

MARK:

Yeah, of course. Just... just give

me a minute.

CUT TO:

INT. FOXCATCHER GYM - NIGHT

Mark and du Pont are down on the wrestling mat. Du Pont on

top. He’s both weirdly aggressive with Mark - trying to get

him in various holds - and also, in the bizarre way he’s

pressing against Mark, quasi-sexual. Mark is BLANK-FACED.

Just waiting for it to end.

FADE OUT.

65.

EXT. FOXCATCHER ESTATE - DAY

WIDE SHOT of the Foxcatcher estate. In the distance, a

HELICOPTER approaches, the rotors getting louder and louder.

CUT TO:

EXT. FOXCATCHER LAWN - DAY

The helicopter has LANDED, the rotors still WHIRRING LOUDLY.

(We won’t hear dialogue in the following sequence.)

DAVE and NANCY and the kids descend from the helicopter,

GREETED warmly by the wrestling team. MARK IS ABSENT.

Du Pont emerges from the Big House, trailed by Brandon. WE

SEE du Pont notice what a warm reception Dave gets from the

team. He comes down the steps, greets Dave and the family.

CLOSE ON:
Mark, who’s at the very far end of the lawn, just

inside the ring of trees, WATCHING. His HEAD is COMPLETELY

SHAVED.

MARK’S POV:
Brandon and the team escort Nancy and the kids

toward their new home. Du Pont and Dave ascend the Big House

steps together. Du Pont puts his arm around Dave’s shoulder.

Far away, the Big House front door CLOSES.

CUT TO:

I/E. FRONT DOOR/THE CHALET - EARLY EVENING

The door OPENS. Mark has opened it from the inside. He’s

looking out at:
Dave, on his porch. Beat.

DAVE:

Hey.

MARK:

Hey, Dave.

DAVE:

How you doing?

MARK:

Good. I’m good.

DAVE:

I hadn’t seen you yet. I just want

to make sure everything’s okay.

66.

MARK:

Yeah. I’m just concentrating.

Trials are in 50 days.

Silence.

DAVE:

You know, Nancy and the kids are

here.

MARK:

How they doing?

DAVE:

Good. You should stop in, say hi.

MARK:

I will.

(beat)

I will.

As the brothers stand in the doorway looking at each other,

PRELAP:
the sound of a GUNSHOT.

CUT TO:

EXT. FOXCATCHER WOODS - DAY

A deer STAGGERS. It’s been hit by a rifle shot. It stumbles,

starts to move away.

REVERSE onto Dave, holding his RIFLE. He’s hunting with Dan

Bane and TWO WRESTLERS we don’t recognize (recruited by him

in the few weeks he’s been there.) Dave FIRES again.

HEAR:
opening of THE DOOBIE BROTHERS’ “Listen to the Music”

CUT TO:

EXT. BACKYARD/DAVE AND NANCY’S HOUSE/FOXCATCHER - DAY

A BOOMBOX plays The Doobie Brothers. The deer CARCASS hangs

from a large tree. Dave SKINS it with a long knife. Dave’s

son, Alex, sits on the picnic table, watching. Danielle runs

around the yard with some of the other wrestlers’ kids.

CUT TO:

67.

EXT. BACKYARD/DAVE AND NANCY’S HOUSE - EVENING

MUSIC in the background. The (now dozen or so) wrestlers and

their families are gathered around the picnic table, the keg,

the roasting deer on the SPIT over the fire.

Du Pont is at the table. Mark stays very much ON THE

PERIPHERY of the group. Dave’s holding court at the table -

in front of a huge platter of venison steaks -

DAVE:

There’s this big match between an

American and a Russian. The Russian

is a monster, never lost, kills

everybody with this hold called The

Pretzel. So the American coach

tells his wrestler, “Listen,

whatever you do don’t let this guy

get you in The Pretzel or you’re

dead.” Sure enough, match starts,

the Russian gets him in The

Pretzel.

There are smiles around the table.

DAVE (CONT’D)

The coach buries his head in his

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