About Ben Stiller

Many appreciate or dislike
Ben Stiller the actor.
But what about Ben Stiller
the director?

They're airing Stasky and Hutch on Spike tonight and I wanted to use that as an excuse to blog about Ben Stiller, actor, director, writer, producer, who has been around for some time in the film industry: some like him, some dislike him. So let's take a look at one of the founders of the "frat pack."

Being the son of Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, I guess it was kind of hard not to emulate the family affairs. However Ben took his time and didn't go directly to stardom as other child stars or celebrities children. He starred in a few minor shows and had roles in movies just like everyone else trying to make a name for themselves. The first signal of Ben's talent was picked up by Fox and was a satire like called "The Ben Stiller Show", featuring the talents of Judd Apatow, David Cross, Andy Dick, Janeane Garofalo and of course Stiller. The short lived show was cancelled due to low ratings, but managed to pick an Emmy for outstanding writing. After that, Stiller went on though another series of minor roles, including voice of additional characters in the cartoon "2 Stupid Dogs." Then, in 1994 Stiller got his big breakthrough.

My first love Winona Ryder with Ben Stiller and Ethan Hawke
in Reality Bites: a comedy about love in the 90s

Reality Bites was Stiller's serious directing debut, telling the story of a love triangle between three Generation X characters, Lelaina Pierce (Winona Ryder), Troy Dyer (Ethan Hawke) and Michael Grates (Stiller). It also starred friends from the Ben Stiller show, Garofalo, Dick, as well as featuring first comers Renne Zellwegger, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Steve Zahn and Amy Stiller. While not a masterpiece, Reality Bites became a cult movie in the 90s and it had a lot of influence in teenagers back in the day, because it dealt with the delicate subject of 20 year old characters becoming the responsible adults they had criticized and disliked all their lives, while trying to fit in a new society that is different than the one where baby boomers found themselves when they were in the same situation. So it kind of deals with the never ending conflict of being "alternative" and thinking different, against being a "conformist" and doing what you are told to do. Despite mixed reviews, many -including myself- consider Reality Bites a wonderful effort from Ben.

Following suit to his parents, Stiller went on to consolidate his competencies as a satiric comedian and directed the complex story of an obsessed cable employee who wants to become best friends with one of his customers. Starring Jim Carrey, who had just had the best years in his career, and Matthew Broderick, "The Cable Guy" was a comedy that in my opinion, was ahead of its time. The "Mortal Kombat" line when Chip Douglas and Steve Kovacs are at the satellite was a vision that became true fact in less than ten years. Like Reality Bites before, Cable Guy produced mixed impressions in audiences. I remember that the people I knew who went and saw it, either soundly hated it or loved it with all their hearts. I think the problem with Cable Guy was that the humor was way satiric, way smart and way way very dark, which is a combination that is dangerous.

A prime example of one of the "too satiric/too dark" jokes in The Cable Guy

Let's face it: it's easier to make people laugh with fart jokes or show breasts, than to actually make a joke filled with subtle messages. Another similarity with Reality Bites was the superb cast that participated: apart from Carrey, Broderick and the Stiller show cast, it also had Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Leslie Mann. The frat pack was born, but it would be in 2001 when it would fully come together with Ben's next film.

Zoolander starred Stiller alongside with pal Owen Wilson, telling the story of Derek Zoolander -the greatest male model on Earth- who is recruited and brainwashed by Mogatu (Will Ferrell) a fashion designer, to kill Malasia's Prime Minister during a fashion show. Derek's low intelligence gets him in several crazy situations, that range from a "freak gasoline accident", to a spoof of 2001, to an orgy with nepalese midgets, to a walk-off show called by David Bowie, all of this while his friends and enemies try to stop the assassination.

"If nobody has any objections, I believe I can be at your service" - David Bowie

Stiller once again reunites an excellent cast: apart from the already named, we also have Milla Jovovich, David Duchovny, Vince Vaughn, Jon Voight, Christine Taylor and even Ben's dad Jerry Stiller himself. Everyone has a stellar performance without overshadowing anyone, and the movie even has space to feature cameos from Cuba Gooding Jr, Donald Trump, Natalie Portman, Billy Zane and Winona Ryder. This time, Stiller sticked with the satire formula from Cable Guy, but he loses the "too dark humor" element, which resulted in a very fresh film that critics and audiences enjoyed, for its creativity and original positioning. Many believed this was Stiller's peak and that it would be impossible to surpass such an achievement. He proved them wrong.

Released in 2008, Tropic Thunder maintains Stiller's formula of satirizing, but this time he picks on his own people: Hollywood! From the very start (and I mean the VERY beginning since you push the Play button), Tropic Thunder is a brutal and relentless satire that mocks actors, directors, writers, producers, stunts, assistant directors, plain assistants, special effects, and basically anything and anyone that has to do with the actual making of a movie. I'm not going to say much, because eventually I'm planning on writing a blog exclusively about this brilliant film, so let me put it this way: there are so many subtle jokes in Tropic Thunder that after you have seen the movie, you literally have to watch the movie again in a play/rewind/play/repeat chapter mode.

Tropic Thunder tells the story of, five actors in a big budget war-movie
who are forced to become the characters they are portraying. 

This time Stiller's attention to detail is so on spot that one could say he's applying the "satire/too smart" formula. Like its predecessors, there is no waste in the cast: Stiller stars again, this time backed by Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. whose character is so awesome, hilarious and brilliantly portrayed that he got himself an Oscar nomination, losing to the late Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight. Honestly if it would have depended on me, I would have called it a tie and give both of them an Oscar. Alongside the three main characters, we also have Matthew McConaughey, Danny McBride, Nick Nolte, Maria Meneounos, Bill Hader and someone who I prefer not to name for now. The script is solid and while it has a few plot holes, it is a definite assessment about Ben Stiller's ability to make the best out of the resources he has and even more. Oh yes, and don't forget the cameos: Jason Bateman, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jon Voight, Tyra Banks, Christine Taylor and my favorite one MTV's Best Kiss winner Tobey Maguire.

I wonder if it was Ben who
came up with this idea...

So no mention of Meet the parents? or Something about Mary? Along Came Polly? Not for now. I wanted to focus on Ben's four gems (as I like to call them), rather than mentioning his already known acting roles, because while watching Starsky and Hutch tonight, I realized how different Ben Stiller's movies are when he is just acting where he definitely gives 100% of himself, as those where he is acting and directing, where I believe he gives about 300% of himself in true raw effort.

I truly recommend you to take some time and watch the mentioned films, because they show something different in the genre of comedy and they are all equally inventive and enjoyable. Ben Stiller's style is true comedy, with no bounds on to what to make fun or to respect whatsoever, but it means no harm at all. He thinks out of the box and all he wants at the end of the day is for audiences to have good laugh, and more importantly to have his films earn a place in their memories, forever.