Academy Award Nominee Portraits 2011/2012: Jonah Hill
Actor in a Supporting Role: MONEYBALL
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012
365 Movie Challenge
Day 7
Moneyball (2011)
4/5
The newly minted Academy Award nominated Moneyball is a film I believe everyone can find joy in. Even though the two biggest componets are baseball and math, it approaches it in a that’s understandable and easy to follow. It also doesn’t hurt that Brad Pitt is virtually in every scene.
Pitt plays Billy Beane, manager of the Oakland Athletics, who have just lost the World Series and two of its best players. Down and out of options, Billy recruits new-to-the-baseball-scene Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) who introduces a mathematical approach to hiring a whole new team. For the first half of the season (and the film) no one wants to believe that this new approach works, so they renounce it. It’s not ‘till the second half when everyone starts to band together as a team and gain some confidence then do they start to suceed and exceed everyones expectations.
Moneyball was recently nominated for 6 Academy Awards; Best Picture, Best Actor (Brad Pitt), Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Sound Mixing. Pitt and Hill are at their best when they are sharing scenes. They have a noticable chemistry, and the film would not have worked at all if they weren’t as good as they are. But the real star here are Steve Zallian and Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay and Christopher Tellefsen’s editing. They work wonderfully together. They are the main reasons why the film is so easy to follow and because of that, so enjoyable.
Moneyball is fantastic film and I recommend it to anyone who is willing to give it a chance. When Oscar night comes around, I know I’ll definitely be rooting for Zallian and Sorkin to win that Best Adapted Screenplay trophy. Fingers crossed.
Tomorrow’s Film: Glory (1989)
Reactions to Academy Award nominations: Jonah Hill, Moneyball (Best Supporting Actor): ”I am so humbled, appreciative and in shock about this incredible honor. I’d like to thank the Academy, Sony Pictures , the cast and crew of Moneyball, Brad Pitt, and, most of all, our brilliant director Bennett Miller.”
