Before reading this review on Jonah Hill’s (True Story, War Dogs) directorial debut effort Mid90’s, I ask that you watch this quick 90-second video that someone compiled about him and put on YouTube. It is completely heartbreaking and, hopefully, will change your impression of this living legend of an actor. Perceived for many years as being Hollywood’s next fat man, perhaps in the same mold as the gone too early Jim Belushi, John Candy, Chris Farley, Hill broke into the Hollywood with roles in iconic comedies like Superbad, Funny People, Get Him to the Greek, Cyrus, This Is the End, 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, Hail, Caesar, Knocked Up; movies that in one way or another accentuated his overweight character. And if you, like me, laughed at the jokes aimed at his weight in any of these movies and are feeling guilty after watching this clip, first of all, relax; you were supposed to. Secondly, reevaluate. It doesn’t take a genius to see that Hill has battled his weight throughout his career (he has numerous roles interspersed in his career in which he is thin). With this video, it is clearly evident that this is an insecure man trying to roll with comments that he is insecure with when he can and to challenge it in a super-friendly way when it is too difficult to let them just wash off his shoulders. But for all of those who say Hill is someone who is just a Hollywood funny man who capitalizes on jokes about his weight, let’s look at this stat for a second. Hill has as many Academy Award nominations (as an actor) as Bruce Willis, Robert Redford, Jim Carey, Ewan McGregor, Jim Carrey, Hugh Grant, Richard Gere, Jeff Daniels, Kevin Costner, Guy Pearce, John Goodman, and Jeff Goldblum, Ben Stiller, Channing Tatum, Owen Wilson, and Vince Vaughn…COMBINED. Costner (Dances With Wolves) and Redford (The Sting) each have one. Hill with Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street already has two. Not only that, he should earn his third this year for Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot. And now he’s directing?!?! And directing a very good movie with a unique lens…I don’t say it lightly when I say he is a Hollywood treasure and living legend.
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