Channing Tatum Deserved an Oscar Nom for This Powerful Sports Drama

Brad Pitt is often mentioned when discussing “character actors with the bodies of leading men,” and the same description could apply to Channing Tatum. Although Tatum got his start in a series of romantic comedies that didn’t exactly give him much room to flex his acting muscles, he subsequently appeared in more challenging projects thanks to his recurring partnership with Steven Soderbergh. Tatum’s inherent charisma made him more interesting as a character actor, as he was able to subvert his star persona by taking on challenging roles that required more immersion. Although he became an actor who could steal a film with a supporting role, Tatum gave the best leading performance of his career in the gripping sports drama Foxcatcher.

Ever since the project was announced, Foxcatcher seemed bound for glory at the Academy Awards. The film hailed from the underrated director Bennett Miller, whose previous films Capote and Moneyball had both earned Best Picture nominations, as well as acting recognition for their stars. Foxcatcher is an epic sports drama about the dark reality of the American dream, and features a shocking ending that is bound to leave even the most steely viewers wiping away tears. While his co-stars Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo were both nominated in the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories, respectively, Tatum’s career-best performance in Foxcatcher was completely ignored by the Oscars.

Foxcatcher

Run Time

134 minutes

Director

Bennett Miller

Release Date

November 14, 2014

Actors

Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Vanessa Redgrave

Rating

R

U.S. Olympic wrestling champions and brothers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz join "Team Foxcatcher", led by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont, as they train for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, but John's self-destructive behavior threatens to consume them all.

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What Is ‘Foxcatcher’ About?

Foxcatcher tells the incredibly tragic true story of the Schultz brothers, two highly successful wrestlers who earned gold medals for the United States during the 1984 Olympic Summer Games in California. While Mark (Tatum) is proud of the work that he has put into his craft, he can’t help but feel overshadowed by the success of his older brother, Dave (Ruffalo), who was placed in the spotlight for the majority of their respective careers. Mark has little to do but give inspirational speeches to elementary classes, but he receives a surprising opportunity when he’s invited to have a meeting with the eccentric philanthropist John du Pont (played by Carell in a rare dramatic performance). It becomes clear to Mark that du Pont wants to support him in the upcoming World Championship competition. Other potential backers reach out to Dave first, du Pont is the only one who contacts Mark specifically.

Tatum does a great job at showing the tormented state of Mark’s psychology that leads him to make such an unexpected decision. Mark is still trying to prove himself, as even winning an Olympic medal isn’t enough to make him not feel like the “lesser” of his two siblings. Working with Dave is a challenging situation. While Mark clearly needs a mentor who can help him perfect his craft as an athlete, he does not feel that his brother can properly assess his skills given their close relationship. Du Pont obviously has unclear motivations, but he seems like the only option for Mark if he truly wants to leave a legacy of his own. It’s impressive that Tatum, whilst at his most physically intimidating, is able to show such a sensitive side of masculinity.

Tatum also transforms himself physically in order to ensure that the wrestling scenes feel authentic. While anyone who has seen that Magic Mike franchise knows that Tatum can bulk up if need be, Foxcatcher required a very different type of physical acting. The nature of wrestling requires athletes to bludgeon themselves and take tremendous hits in order to prove their endurance. At points, Mark puts so much effort into stretching his body’s physical capabilities that it borders on self-abuse. Mark isn’t a particularly verbose character, but Tatum is able to give subtle hints about his psychology through his physical mannerisms alone.

‘Foxcatcher’ Doesn’t Work Without Channing Tatum

Anyone who didn’t know the true story of Foxcatcher going in may have been taken off guard by one of the most disturbing movie endings in recent memory. After a series of disputes regarding the leadership makeup of the team, du Pont murdered Dave in 1996, with the film suggesting it was out of jealousy for his relationship with Mark. Tatum is put in the most morally challenging position within the tragedy. He has to come to grips with the fact that du Pont was not only an abuser, but someone who sought to use his success as a means to enhance his own ego. He also has to cope with his complicated feelings about Dave. Despite the quarrels that the two had over the years, Mark always looked up to his brother and cared deeply for him. Foxcatcher is a very cold film, but Tatum was able to give it the needed amount of heart.

Tatum’s Oscar snub is disappointing considering how much he contributed to the film’s success. It’s easy to see why Carell was slotted into the Best Actor category, as awards voting bodies are often attracted to comedic actors who take on more serious parts, especially if it's a transformative role that requires an extensive amount of makeup. Dave is the victim and turning point in the story, so Ruffalo’s nomination also makes sense. However, Tatum had to show the psychological torment that Mark expected when caught in a war between two different mentors. Considering that the weak Best Actor race included nominees such as Bradley Cooper in American Sniper and Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game, it's disappointing that Tatum didn’t manage to slip in.

Channing Tatum Is Getting Better as an Actor

While he’s yet to receive his first Academy Award nomination, Tatum has been steadily improving as an actor by choosing interesting projects. Whether it's showing up for a cameo in The Hateful Eight, doing an elaborate dance number in Hail, Caesar!, or making an old-fashioned romantic comedy like Fly Me To The Moon, Tatum has set himself up for an exciting series of projects in the next stage of his career.

Foxcatcher is streaming on Peacock in the U.S.

Watch on Peacock