Maddie’s monthly music & movies: February

Maddie Hughes ’16:

Music of the Month: This time of year usually feels slow—schoolwork is kicking in, the cold is biting, and many of us can’t wait for spring to arrive. Throughout the month of February, kick back with some relaxing tunes to help you get through your work, adding songs like “Rivers and Roads” by The Head and the Heart, “Bow and Arrow” by Reuben and the Dark, “Sun” by Sleeping at Last, and instrumentals of old classics such as “La Vie En Rose” by Louis Armstrong to your perfect study playlist. And taking a cue from the Super Bowl, if you ever need music to cheer you up on a dreary day, crank that throwback early 2000s music—you’ll know all of the words to Missy Elliot’s “Work It” in no time.

Movie of the Month: Grabbing the attention of many students at Episcopal Academy, Foxcatcher has been more than just the talk of Hollywood’s award season. Due to the connection the movie had with our school, students were naturally intrigued by this new movie – as was I. After our chapel with guest speaker Thomas Bergstrom, John DuPont’s defense attorney, I decided to watch the movie to see what all of the hype was about.

Excellent and unexpected performances by actors Steve Carell and Channing Tatum gave the movie a unique, gritty edge. Besides Carell and Tatum, Mark Ruffalo helped to lead the movie with his portrayal of Dave Schultz, the man murdered by John DuPont. The sheer transformation of Carell, usually typecast in a comedic role, also lends itself to the movie’s success as Carell captures DuPont almost perfectly. However, the movie does not purely revolve around DuPont’s character. Foxcatcher begins with Mark Schultz, (Tatum), a reserved, successful wrestler clearly struggling in the shadow of his more popular brother, Dave. Though remarkably close to each other, Mark desires to be recognized for his own achievements. Receiving a call from the eccentric yet mysterious millionaire DuPont, Mark journeys to Pennsylvania, where he is offered a luxurious house on the DuPont estate in exchange for his training.

In a heartwarming moment, Mark attempts to bring his brother Dave back to Pennsylvania with him, but realizes that it is impossible and finally leaves by himself. The new beginnings are, at first, positive for Tatum’s character. The movie portrays Mark developing a strong bond with DuPont—though it is clear that some of the bond comes from DuPont’s emotional manipulation. Eventually, DuPont demands that Dave Schultz come to his wrestling training center, and Mark is set off into his downward spiral again. Tatum’s emotional transformation is also remarkable acting, and one of the most powerful scenes in the film is his appearance at the Olympic Trials. Though the movie contained such pivotal moments, the downfalls came with the rushed ending. The movie included Dave Schultz’s murder—however, it did not document the passage of time between DuPont’s mother’s death and Dave’s murder, and also excluded any events preceding the murder and the standoff afterwards. The lack of explanation allowed for a poor ending to an otherwise excellent movie.

Overall, however, I would recommend this movie. Despite its few shortcomings, the dynamic performances by the trifecta of Carell, Tatum, and Ruffalo push this movie into an award-winning category.