Mr. Movie review: ‘Mid90s’ the best bonding movie of the year

Jonah Hill is an interesting actor. He started out doing goofy comedy that mostly appealed to kids and younger people. Two Oscar and two Golden Globe nominations later, Hill has proved to be — to the surprise of some — a very good dramatic actor as well.

He’s also done some writing and was responsible for the stories of the two Jump Street flicks, Sausage Party and Why Him.

Now Hill has stretched from story concepts into writing screenplays and directing. His film is “Mid90s.” and the subject is skateboarding. When Hill comes to mind, thoughts of skateboarding do not follow.

Hill’s film isn’t just about skateboarding; it’s the bonding mechanism he uses to tell a wonderful coming of age story and one about how kids then — and even now — connect and grow as friends.

It’s hard to imagine the formerly rotund Hill flying down a hill or sliding down a stair rail, but it appears he skateboarded as a kid. That leads to thoughts that his film might be autobiographical. He swears it is not.

Catharsis or not, Hill’s movie is about kids connecting with kids, and it’s a good one.

“Mid90s” is obviously set in the 1990s. Stevie is 13. He’s small for his age. Stevie’s older brother Ian regularly beats on him. His mother is nice but not deeply involved in his life.

Stevie wants to learn skateboarding and starts hanging out with a group of guys whose lives revolve around the sport. They’re older, but something about Stevie resonates with them.

From there Hill’s film delves into their love of skateboarding, loyalty to each other and their growing friendship. It’s a little more complicated than that, but you get the picture.

Other than Sunny Suljic (“The House with the Clock in its Walls”), Katherine Waterston (“Alien: Covenant,” “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”) and Lucas Hedges (“Manchester by the Sea”), the crew has very little acting experience. They do, however, have the skateboarding skills to play key parts.

Their skills are, interestingly, as varied as their characters. That lends even more credibility to Hill’s movie. The most interesting relationship is between Suljic’s Stevie and the older Na-Kel Smith. He plays Ray and serves as the group’s de facto leader. Both are very charismatic and give high-caliber performances.

The diminutive Suljic lights up the screen. Once in a while in real life you’ll meet someone like him. He’s impossible not to like. All through the movie you fret and worry about him. You hope against hope that he succeeds. Every success brings a smile and a silent attaboy.

As for Smith, his charisma is off the charts. He has a lot of wonderful lines, but the power of his performance is in what he doesn’t say. It’s how Smith stands, or sits, or looks that makes him stand out.

It’s deep without saying much.

So is Hill’s movie. This isn’t totally a comedy, though it’s loaded with humor. While packed with plenty of dramatic parts, it is also not totally a drama. Places in the film will have you beaming and smiling from ear to ear. At the same time, it’s not a feel-good movie.

“Mid90s” is a film about bonding. It’s about kids being kids and is told by a guy who — judging by a lot of his acting roles — can be the biggest kid in the room.

This one isn’t going to be huge in terms of dollars raked in at the box office. Since it’s about skateboarders, that, too, is likely to lead to disinterest at other levels. What Hill has done, though, is make the year’s best indie film.

This story was originally published October 25, 2018 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Mr. Movie review: ‘Mid90s’ the best bonding movie of the year."