Inner Child: Jonah Hill
“For me, it’s that 14-year-old overweight and unattractive kid who felt ugly to the world, who listened to hip hop and wanted so badly to be accepted by this community of skaters.”
Childhood entails fond memories, simple joys, and a prevailing sense of innocence. But with childhood comes the inevitable growing pains. Although fleeting, youth serves as the foundation of one’s life, and growth within this period sets the stage for the following years.
Once individuals enter adulthood, their ‘inner child’ prevails. An inner child appears different to everyone. For some, it is a naive self without regard for reality. For others, it is a confident kid with fearless aspirations. Or, it may be an insecure soul, fearful of the world’s judgment. But, the commonality in all ‘inner childs’ is they frequently are sheltered from others.
Actor Jonah Hill considers the inner child in his directorial debut in Mid90s. Mid90s primarily serves as a nostalgic piece, crediting the 1990s skater scene. The film firmly embraces his inner child when he could not accept himself; he found confidence and acceptance in the skater community. Hill made it his mission to authentically portray the community from a place of respect and understanding.
Complimenting the film, Hill created a magazine entitled ‘Inner Child.’ Hill recognizes that everyone contains a snapshot of themselves from their youth they wish to shelter from the world. Within the magazine, Hill interviews various individuals he admires and centers the conversation around the question, “What is that snapshot for you?” After sharing their unfavorable snapshots, the interviewees then share how they achieved self-love and reached their full potential.
Hill encourages others to embrace this burdening snapshot, or ‘inner child’ in the pursuit of self-love and growth. Through the film and magazine, Hill honors his childhood and motivates others to do the same, embracing who they are.
