In the past few years, there has been renewed interest in 1990s American culture. Brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Polo Ralph Lauren are experiencing a resurgence of their styles from the ’90s, worn by millennials that shop at places like Urban Outfitters. The film “Mid90s,” however, focuses on the skateboard culture of the ’90s.
In his directorial debut, Jonah Hill gives audiences an authentic look into the lives of young skateboarders in Los Angeles, all on 16mm film and a 4:3 aspect ratio. The most important aspect that went into crafting this genuine community was Hill’s decision to cast real skateboarders. In a sport where style and attitude are everything, it only made sense to find real skaters with those qualities.
Stevie, played by Sunny Suljic, is a lonely 13-year-old who lives with his single mother and his abusive older brother, Ian, played by Lucas Hedges from “Ladybird.” Although Ian beats him, it’s clear that Stevie looks up to him and longs for a better relationship. In the scenes devoted to Stevie and Ian’s rooms, the smallest details aptly highlight the nostalgia of the ’90s. Stevie’s room is decorated with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sheets and Ian’s is filled with the popular CDs from the era.
Soon enough, Stevie discovers Motor, the local Los Angeles skate shop where a crew of skaters spend their time when they are not tearing up the city on four wheels. Armed with his brother’s outdated cruiser skateboard from the ’80s, Stevie begins learning how to skate. He slowly becomes a part of the group of skaters he admires. This is where Hill’s casting decisions shine through. Each member of the crew — Ray, Fourth Grade, Ruben, and F*cksh*t — represents unique paths in the skateboarding world. Stevie looks up to all of them, yet he interacts with them in different ways. As Stevie spends more time with the boys, he is able to escape his home life and find a chosen family. Ray, played by Na-Kel Smith, and F*cksh*t, played by Olan Prenatt, are the leaders of the group, as well as the protagonist and antagonist in this snapshot of skateboard culture.
Ray and F*cksh*t both skateboard because they love the feeling of wood under their feet. However, Ray sees a bigger future outside of L.A. He dreams about becoming a professional skateboarder and, as a result, chooses skating over drinking and drugs. F*cksh*t on the other hand, prefers the partying that comes along with skateboarding. Ultimately, this paradox threatens to fracture the “family” that the boys have made together.
Besides the iconic fashion, music, and style of the ’90s, there is a huge benefit to setting this film in an era before Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. Without the distraction of smart phones, Hill creates a space for meaningful exchanges between the characters. One of the best scenes of the film is a conversation between Stevie and Ray outside the skate shop, after Stevie has had a particularly difficult time at home. Ray explains, “A lot of the time, we feel like our lives are the worst, but I think if you looked in anybody else’s closet, you wouldn’t trade your sh*t for their sh*t.” This observation, coming from a 17-year-old skateboarder, seems as though it couldn’t possibly happen if he had been scrolling through Instagram at the same time. Removal from today’s obsession with social media, allows these characters to actually see what their peers are going through.
Not only does Hill give audiences an accurate, honest representation of skate culture in the mid-90s, he tells the story of a young kid struggling to survive. Through Stevie’s eyes, the film explores explosive emotions and the struggle to cope with them, a notion of toxic masculinity portrayed by his brother, and the ability to choose your family. Hill holds nothing back and shows that even when you choose a new family, there will always be fractures and struggles.