Films with Olympic Ties Seek Oscar Gold

(ATR) Two films with strong Olympic connections are among those with high hopes at the 87th Academy Awards.

The ceremony will take place in Los Angeles, and among the nominees are "Foxcatcher" and "Unbroken."

"Foxcatcher" tells the tragic story of brother wrestlers Mark and Dave Schultz. Both won gold medals for the U.S. at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. In the course of their subsequent training, they come in contact with wealthy heir John DuPont, who offers to sponsor them and allow them to train at his home in Pennsylvania.

The film stars best actor nominee Steve Carell, best supporting actor nominee Mark Ruffalo, and Channing Tatum. Bennett Miller (Capote, Moneyball) is nominated for best director. The film is in the running for best makeup and best original screenplay as well.

The story of "Unbroken" is the life of Louis Zamperini. Based on the biography by Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand, the film shows how Zamperini ran his way to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin at the age 19 where he finished eighth in the 5000 meters.

He later survived a plane crash while serving the United States in World War II. He was taken by the Japanese as a prisoner of war after 47 days at sea. After his release in 1945, Zamperini lived to the age of 97 before dying last July.

The film is cited for its technical achievements, receiving nominations for best cinematography, best sound mixing, and best sound editing.

A third film, best picture nominee American Sniper, makes mention of a fictional Olympian. U.S. military sniper Chris Kyle - played by best actor nominee Bradley Cooper - is assigned to take out a Syrian sniper named Mustafa, who is said to have competed as an Olympic shooter.

The identity of such a shooter could not be confirmed, though, and was likely an exaggeration made for the sake of good storytelling.

Written by Nick Devlin

Homepage photo: Getty Images

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