| Mid90s | |
|---|---|
.png) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jonah Hill |
| Written by | Jonah Hill |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Christopher Blauvelt |
| Edited by | Nick Houy |
| Music by | |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | A24 |
Release dates |
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Running time | 85 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.7 million[2] |
| Box office | $9.3 million[3][4] |
Mid90s (stylized asmid90s) is a 2018 Americancoming-of-agecomedy-dramaskate film written and directed byJonah Hill, in his feature directorial debut. The plot follows Stevie, a 13-year-old boy in 1990s Los Angeles. To escape a troubled home life, he begins spending time with an older group ofskateboarders. The cast includesSunny Suljic,Lucas Hedges,Na-Kel Smith,Alexa Demie, andKatherine Waterston.
Mid90s served as a passion project for Jonah Hill, who was inspired by his experiences growing up in Los Angeles in the 1990s. Influenced by filmmakers likeMartin Scorsese andSpike Jonze, Hill aimed to authentically portray1990s skate culture. Filming took place in variousLos Angeles neighborhoods.Mid90s was filmed with a4:3 aspect ratio reminiscent ofVHS skate tapes, usingSuper 16mmfilm stock onskate videos. The soundtrack featured1990s hip hop music,punk andalternative rock.
The film had its world premiere at theToronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2018, and was released theatrically in the United States on October 19, 2018, byA24. It was well received by critics, who called it a "promising first outing for Hill", and praised the sense of nostalgia.[5] It grossed $9.3 million at the box office on a budget of $1.7 million.
In 1996, 13-year-old Stevie lives in Los Angeles with his physically abusive older brother Ian and single mother Dabney. One day, Stevie bikes past Motor Avenue Skateshop, admires the boastful camaraderie of the skateboarders outside, and returns the following day. Back home, he trades with his brother for a skateboard, brings it to the shop and befriends young skater Ruben, who introduces him to the rest of the group: charismatic leader Ray, loudmouth "Fuckshit", and quiet "Fourth Grade". Although an inexperienced skater, Stevie is drawn to the group and aspires to imitate theirdaredevil behavior andanti-social attitudes. Stevie is nicknamed "Sunburn" by Ray, and his acceptance into the group causes Ruben to resent him.
While attempting askateboard trick between two rooftops, Stevie falls and suffers a head injury. Dabney's concerns are dismissed by Stevie, who continues to admire the group. Later, Ian has a tense standoff with Fuckshit as Stevie watches, but Ian appears intimidated by the group and leaves. Stevie begins smoking, drinking, and experimenting withmarijuana. At a party, he has his first kiss and sexual experience with an older teenage girl named Estee. After Stevie comes home intoxicated, he and Ian get into a violent fight. Ian has an emotional breakdown when Stevie says that he has no friends and, following the conflict, a distressed Stevie attempts toasphyxiate himself with a cord from aSNES controller, one of several self-harm incidents. The next day, Dabney forbids Stevie from hanging out with the boys. Stevie lashes out and refuses to obey.
Having alienated his family, Stevie sits alone behind the skate shop. Ray consoles Stevie, telling him even though he thinks his life is bad, the other boys have it worse: Fourth Grade is poor to the point of not being able to afford socks, Ruben's mother is an abusive drug addict, Fuckshit's reckless partying is worsening, and Ray lost his younger brother, who was hit by a car a few years prior. Ray takes Stevie out to skate at night, and they fall asleep outside theSanta Monica Courthouse.
The shop hosts a party in the back of the store. Ray hopes to make a career in skating and chats up two professionals as potential sponsors, but Fuckshit embarrasses him in front of the pros and Stevie is provoked into a brawl with Ruben. Discouraged, Ray tells everyone to go home. However, an intoxicated Fuckshit insists on driving the group to another party. Talking animatedly anddriving inattentively, Fuckshit crashes and flips the car on its side. Stevie is knocked unconscious and is rushed to the hospital.
Stevie later awakens in a hospital bed, and sees Ian in a chair alongside him. Ian gives Stevie a container of orange juice to comfort him. Dabney enters the hospital and sees Stevie's friends asleep in the waiting room. Dabney encourages them to visit Stevie's room. After a while, Fourth Grade, who has been filming their adventures, says he has something to show them. He plugs his camera into a TV to play them askate video of their daily activities. Fourth Grade has titled the filmMid90s.
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Additionally,Jerrod Carmichael makes an uncredited cameo as a security guard whom Stevie and his friends taunt.
Mid90s was Jonah Hill's first project as a writer and director, a passion project drawn from his own experiences growing up in Los Angeles.[8][9] Influenced by filmmakers likeMartin Scorsese andSpike Jonze, Hill sought to create an authentic portrayal of1990s skate culture and the experience of youth at that time. Hill consulted Jonze, who encouraged him to create something personal.[10] On March 30, 2016, it was announced thatJonah Hill would be making his directorial debut from his ownspec script,Mid90s, a film he would not appear in.[11] In March 2017,Lucas Hedges joined the cast.[12] In July 2017, it was reported thatKatherine Waterston had signed on and thatSunny Suljic was cast in the lead role. It was also revealed that principal production on the film had commenced.[13] On August 1, 2017,Alexa Demie joined the cast.[14]
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The set design recreated the director's childhood experiences. For example, Stevie's room started out messy with posters ofTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but was later changed to reflect his new individuality.[15] To familiarize themselves with the time period, some cast members listened to songs from the 1990s on aniPod.[16]Mid90s was shot in various Los Angeles locations, includingVenice andCulver City.[17][10][18] Hill and cinematographerChristopher Blauvelt employed a4:3 aspect ratio to echo the look ofVHS skate tapes.[19] Filming withSuper 16mm stock matched the aesthetic ofskate videos.[20][21][22] Although some of the cast members were actors, Hill used real-life skateboarders who had little acting history.[23] Hill collaborated with editor Nick Houy in editing.[24]
Mid90s features an original score byTrent Reznor andAtticus Ross, as well as recordings byPixies,Morrissey,Herbie Hancock,ESG,the Mamas and the Papas,Souls of Mischief,Nirvana,the Pharcyde,Misfits,Bad Brains and various1990s hip hop music.
Mid90s had its world premiere at theToronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2018,[25] and was also screened at theNew York Film Festival on October 7, 2018.[26] It was released inselect theaters in the United States on October 19, 2018, with a wide release the following weekend.[27] The film was released in UK and Irish cinemas on April 12, 2019.[28]
Mid90s was released on DVD and Blu-ray on January 8, 2019.[29] The film made $480,000 in DVD sales and $470,000 in Blu-ray sales.[4]
Mid90s grossed $249,500 from four theaters in its opening weekend for an average of $62,375 per venue, good for the third best of 2018.[30] It expanded to 1,206 theaters the following week and made $3 million, finishing 10th at the box office.[31] In its third weekend of release the film made $1.36 million.[32] The box office closed, grossing $9.3 million.[4]
Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 81% based on 228 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Mid90s tells a clear-eyed yet nostalgic coming-of-age tale that might mark the start of an auspicious new career for debuting writer-director Jonah Hill."[33] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[34] Audiences polled byPostTrak gave the film an 83% overall positive score and a 62% "definite recommend".[31]
Owen Gleiberman ofVariety called the film "a coming-of-age tale that's unvarnished enough to believe," specifying, "the fact that a star like Hill built this movie from the ground up, and did it with so much integrity and flair, lends it an undeniable hipster quotient."[35] Writing forThe Hollywood Reporter, John DeFore said, "in emotional punch and shoulda-seen-this-coming skill, it is more like Hill'sLady Bird, a gem that feels simultaneously informed by its author's adolescence and the product of a serious artist's observational distance."[36]Michael Phillips of theChicago Tribune gave the film 2 out of 4 stars and said, "Vivid in bits and pieces,Mid90s feels like a research scrapbook for a movie, not a movie. The more Hill throws you around in the name of creating a harsh, immediate impression, the more the impressions blur."[37]
Connore Lagore ofVox Magazine said, "But despite some stop-and-go moments between the highest highs and the lowest lows, Hill craftsMid90s into an ultimately charming nostalgia trip."[38] Liam Gaughan ofCollider connectedMid90s with mental health struggles associated with youth.[39] Gaughan noted the ending ambiguous note ofMid90s, saying, "This was perhaps the best decision Hill could have made on his first feature".[39] Sarah Fingerhood of the34th Street made connections of the actors and the attitudes of their characters, concluding, "Mid90s is Jonah Hill's debut as a director and what a startling debut it is; a visually beautiful and carefully crafted film that has a timeless message to all those that see it."[40]
Some critical reviews called attention to the film's use ofhomophobic andracist slurs, as well as its treatment oftoxic masculinity. Sam Adams ofSlate wrote, "The skaters' dialogue is liberally spiced with homophobic and occasional racist slurs, and while anyone old enough to remember the 1990s can attest to the accuracy of their omnipresence, the movie's inclusion of them feels like another cheap shortcut to verisimilitude."[41][42] Other criticisms cited a scene ofjuvenile sexuality between Stevie and Estee for its uncomfortable undertones given the ages of the characters and actors.[43] In response, Hill commented, "The point of the movie is that nothing's black or white. I'm not a moralist; I'm not here to tell an audience how they should feel."[44]
| Award | Category | Subject | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin International Film Festival | Teddy Award for Best Feature Film | Jonah Hill | Nominated | [45] |
| Critics' Choice Movie Award | Best Young Performer | Sunny Suljic | Nominated | [46] |
| Independent Spirit Award | Best Editing | Nick Houy | Nominated | [47] |
| NBR Award | Top Ten Independent Films | Won | [48] | |
