The shot intrinsic to melodramatic sports movies came to life inside the Palais at the Cannes Film Festival’s “Foxcatcher” premiere Monday night.
Fast forward to 1:05 for the money shot.
Stars Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo “carried the coach off the field in victory” or rather lifted “Foxcatcher” director Bennett Miller off the ground during a prolonged standing ovation. Steve Carell seemed to struggle with the emotion of the live, heated response coming at him from above in the “balcon,” around in his row, and even behind. (His wife, Nancy Walls, was seated directly behind him).
The big burly bald guy coming into frame is the real life subject of the movie, Olympic gold medalist Mark Schultz, who could be this awards season’s Tony Mendez (the real Ben Affleck in “Argo”) or Philomena Lee. He trained Channing Tatum for the role.
Also read: ‘Foxcatcher’ Bennett Miller Makes Another Great Film About the American Dream
On Monday night, Schultz already had one award: the most ecstatic member of the film party, despite having just seen the most traumatic part of his life on screen. Grinning ear-to-ear, Schultz snapped photos on his phone, gave the thumbs up sign, and only asked for a coke at Annapurna’s after-party at Baoli Beach. (Even though the event was thrown by TheWrap’s Cannes Party partner, Stella Artois). Schultz had seen “much rougher” earlier cut of the film several months ago, he said.
Upon her entrance to the theater, mega-producer Megan Ellison got hugs and kisses from both Diane von Furstenberg (in an aisle seat) and Jessica Chastain (Ellison’s “Zero Dark Thirty” lead, seated directly in front of her for the screening). Ellison anchored the A-list row in the center seated next to director Miller, who raised both of the reserved Ellison’s hands in a champion’s pose during the ovation as well.
Next to those two, the seating hierarchy had Carell, Tatum, and Ruffalo, followed by Sony Pictures Classics co-presidents Tom Bernard and Michael Barker.
“It’s a winner,” Bernard told a well wisher at the after-party as he headed to the VIP, behind a wall and out of sight, where all of the key players hunkered down.
Despite only 48 hours in Cannes, wrestler Schultz still showed an Olympian’s fortitude. He told TheWrap he had been using his time in the south of France to go swimming. Be aware, it’s been raining here all day Monday and the beach has been nearly as foul and dark as the tragic tone of the film’s story.
Non-affiliated faces at the after-party included Brett Ratner, Willem Dafoe, the aforementioned Chastain, Don Johnson, Amy Sacco (who is still in town after three nights of her Bungalow 8 pop up), and the always-around Lady Victoria Hervey (who had an umbrella man following her, except when she needed him to approach the VIP rope to introduce her…successfully).
Danielle Peland and her Brilliant Consulting Group produced the night for Annapurna and Sony Pictures Classics.
TheWrap’s Party Report from Cannes is appropriately presented by a festive partner, Stella Artois, the official beer of the Cannes Film Festival for 13 years.