by #LizPublika
Foxcatcher (2014)
Directed by Bennett Miller
Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
Starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, and Vanessa Redgrave
The biographical thriller is a sports film that's loosely based on the events surrounding multimillionaire heir and wrestling enthusiast John du Pont, from the wealthy du Pont family. In 1986, he recruited two 1984 U.S. Olympic gold medalist wrestlers, Mark Schultz and his older brother David, to help coach U.S. wrestlers for participation in national, world, and Olympic competition. The movie loosely covers the events that lead to the subsequent murder of David Schultz by du Pont in January 1996.
I, Tonya (2017)
Directed by Craig Gillespie
Written by Steven Rogers
Starring Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Julianne Nicholson, Bobby Cannavale, and Allison Janney
In 1994, the ex-husband of two-time Olympian figure skater Tonya Harding — the first American woman to complete a triple axel during a competition in 1991 — conspired to injure 2-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan in a spectacularly poorly conceived attack that forced her to withdraw from the national championship. Harding's life and legacy instantly become tarnished and she's became forever associated with one of the most infamous scandals in sports history.
Molly's Game (2017)
Directed and Written by Aaron Sorkin
Based on Molly's Game (2014) written by Molly Bloom
Starring Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, and Bill Camp
The film is based on Molly Bloom, the world-class skier who was severely injured during the qualifying Olympic games and subsequently began a decade-long reign as the host of the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game. Covering the events before and after her arrest in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons, the film details her experiences with Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknown to her, the Russian mob. Joining forces with criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, Molly seeks to clear her name.