Back in late April, I had the great pleasure of catching a screening of a gorgeous 35mm print of director Bennett Miller’s first film CAPOTE at Ebertfest 2014 in Champaign/Urbana, Illinois. As of the date of the screening, the film’s star Philip Seymour Hoffman (who went on to win an Oscar for his role as writer Truman Capote) had not been dead even two months, so needless to say, the screening was a cathartic and emotional experience for everyone in the theater, including Miller, who had not spoken publicly about Hoffman’s passing to date (although he did a bit during the post-screening Q&A).
By pure coincidence and a bit of unexpected fate, the following morning, I found myself on the same flight from Chicago to New York City as Miller. As I approached my gate, I spotted Miller sitting alone and decided to be bold and chat with him for a while, just to express my appreciation for the experience the evening prior and to tell him how excited I was for his upcoming film FOXCATCHER, the true story of Olympic medal-winning brothers Mark and Dave Schultz and their bizarre and destructive relationship with their sponsor, multimillionaire John du Pont. We ended up chatting for about 30 minutes about all sorts of things, but it was clear that more than anything, Miller was eager to have people see FOXCATCHER (his third feature; his first since MONEYBALL), if only to see just how different his actors Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo looked and performed.
And now we jump ahead to the present. FOXCATHER is an extraordinary piece of somber, tense art that is about the twisted, frayed fiber of the American dream, and one rich man’s attempt to find camaraderie and a mission by paying to train and coach a wrestling squad aimed squarely at more Olympic gold. It’s a story and film that are both fascinating, mesmerizing with mild undercurrents of terrifying. And I have a limited number of seats to an early Chicago screening of FOXCATCHER that includes a post-screening Q&A with director Bennett Miller.
This advance Chicago screening of FOXCATCHER will take place Tuesday, November 4 at 7:00pm at a theater in downtown Chicago (the exact location will only be given to those who win). All winners must check in no later than 6:30pm, or your seats will be given away.
To win, send me an email to FoxcatcherChicago@aintitcoolmail.com (please note the new email address) with the subject line “Team Foxcatcher" (exactly like that). In the body of the email, I need your Name, whether or not you're bringing a Guest (winners can bring one guest, whose name is not required), and the answer to the following question: “If given the chance, what question would you ask Bennett Miller during the Q&A?” The most thoughtful and interesting questions (as determined by me) will win. Basically I’m looking to stockpile my portion of the audience with good questions, just in case, so you may well get your chance to ask. Winners will hear from me soon, so keep an eye on your email over the weekend.
Although this screening is NOT exclusively for AICN readers, winners’ seats will be reserved until 6:30pm, at which point your seats will be given away. So you should arrive early to make sure you get in and get a good seat. If you can't arrive early, don't enter this contest. If there's even the slightest chance you or your guest will have to back out of attending if you do win, don't enter. If you have a job that might make you late or unable to attend, or an ill/pregnant relative, or a temperamental significant other, or a scratchy throat, do not enter.
I want you to read the previous paragraph and this paragraph very carefully. We've had way too many last-minute cancellations at recent screenings, so the 24-hour cancellation policy does not apply for this screening. If you enter this contest, win, and cancel or don't show up for ANY REASON, the black list will become your new best friend.
Good luck, everyone! And thanks to Sony Pictures Classic for giving us this great screening and bringing our guest to Chicago.
