Could there be two more different movies dealing with Olympians playing in Denver arthouses this weekend than “Touch the Wall” and “Foxcatcher”?
Fresh from a rousing world premiere screening at the 37th Starz Denver Film Festival, “Touch the Wall” is a scrappy, independent documentary about swimmers Missy Franklin and Kara Lynn Joyce.
“Foxcatcher” recounts the story of chemical company heir John du Pont and his tragic relationship to brother wrestlers Mark and Dave Schultz. As directed by Bennett Miller, the film is cautionary, the story peculiar.
On the other hand, the relationship at the heart of co-directors Christo Brock and Grant Barbeito’s saga is touching and irrepressibly edifying, thanks to the film’s stars.
The co-directors began shooting Franklin when she was 14. She was special, to be sure — a cholorine-soaked phenom with a blazingly authentic personality — but how special the filmmakers couldn’t have guessed. At the 2012 summer Olympic Games, the unusually tall 17-year-old with the impressive wingspan won five medals (four of them gold) while conquering the nation’s heart.
A year into filming the youngster, the documentary duo met Franklin’s new teammate. In her mid-20s, Joyce relocated from California to swim with the coach Tim Schmitz of the Colorado Stars.
For a spell, her bold move sharpens Joyce’s game, training with the team and in particular phenom Franklin. The two have a sisterly spirit. It’s a camaraderie the film captures well.
“Touch the Wall” offers an unique lesson in the dance between competition and collaboration. As talented a swimmer as Franklin already was, Joyce’s presence in the pool upped Franklin’s game.
Because Franklin was a magnet for the press, a fair amount of her story became known. The only child of older parents Dick and D.A. Franklin, she got loads of encouragement from them, yet seems merely loved, not spoiled by it. In this regard the documentary can be rich viewing not just for young athletes but their folks, too.
Franklin’s parents have been caretakers — not exploiters — of their daughter’s talent. And “Touch the Wall” reminds us that often they were second-guessed if not outright criticized: for not moving from Colorado to a “swim state,” for supporting Missy’s decision not to go pro but to swim for University of California at Berkeley.
As incandescent as Franklin is, at 19, she remains a work in progress. There was (and is, thankfully) a lot of puppy in this young woman.
The filmmakers found their dramatic arc and tension — gentle but real — in four-time silver medalist Joyce’s desire to make the U.S. national team and compete in the Olympics one last time.
What “Touch the Wall” lacks aesthetically, it makes up for in doggedly authentic access — the kind of fly-on-the-wall view you get because of their trust.
Directors Barbeito and Brock have delivered an often exhilarating ride, full of insights about friendship, about the dance between teamwork and individual achievement, about the competitive will.
Lisa Kennedy: 303-954-1567, lkennedy@denverpost.com or twitter.com/bylisakennedy
