Ben Stilleris a prolific comedic actor, writer, and director. Right now,it is Stiller’s behind-the-scenes work that is getting him the most recognition.He serves as a writer, director, and producer for the hitApple TV+ seriesSeverance, which is currently in season 2 for the streamer. Prior to the sci-fi series, Stiller helped develop the miniseriesEscape at Dannemora, which was critically acclaimed. In addition to his TV directing, Stiller has also helmed films such asReality BitesandZoolander.
While his career in directing and producing is flourishing now,Stiller’s most iconic workis the work that he has done as an actor. Sometimes, he is in front of the screen for his own projects, such as whenhe played the lead inZoolander.His other famous work has includedMeet the Parentsand its sequels,Tropic Thunder, andThere’s Something About Mary. Now, Stiller speaks about his 1990s comedy flop that ended up becoming a cult classic decades later.
Stiller Thinks Disney Forgot About Heavyweights
Heavyweights Flopped In Theaters
Stiller speaks about his 1990s comedyHeavyweightsand whether it is one of Disney’s most underappreciated works. Released in 1995, the dark comedy tells the story of a group of overweight kids who are pushed into joining a camp to promote their weight loss, only to discover that the ex-fitness instructor running it is an overly intense fanatic. Stiller plays Tony Perkis, the camp leader in the film, whose cast also includesTim Blake Nelson, Aaron Schwartz, Allen Covert, and Tom McGowan.Heavyweightsdid not do very well at the time of its release,making just $17.6 million in theaters.
Speaking on social media,Stillerreacts toHeavyweights' change in reception over time. The actor was responding to a post that calledHeavyweights"the most underrated Disney movie of all time." While Stiller insists that he had fun making the movie,he writes that he is “not sure [Disney is] aware they made it.“And he “doesn’t think it will be at the head of the Disney+ queue ever.”
However,Disney+also posted a response to this statement, confirming they remember the film.
How Heavyweights Made A Comeback
Home Video Helped The Movie
As mentioned,Heavyweightsdid not do well in theaters. It’s $17.6 million gross was based ona budget of $10 million. Though this budget was fairly small, most films need to make 2-2.5x their budget in order to break even, and more than that to turn a profit, because of the added cost of marketing and distribution. As such,Heavyweightslikely lost Disney money, and thus was far from a success at the time of its release.
Heavyweights' theatrical performance is far from its full story.
Stiller’s career quickly moved on fromHeavyweights, ensuring that the movie was not a big knock to his status. He was already heating up by makingReality Bitesthe year prior, and continued to grow when he was inThere’s Something About Maryin 1998. As such,the ’90s were generally a huge period of growth for Stiller, even thoughHeavyweightswas not necessarily a main contributor. The depth of his career also makes it easier for people to forget about his Tony Perkis performance, because he has been a part of so many more successful films.
That said,Heavyweights' theatrical performance is far from its full story. Though it received mixed reviews from critics at the time, getting a 50% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences later came to appreciate the movie.It developed a greater fan base on home video and TV airingsafter it was released on VHS in 1995, and later on DVD and Blu-ray in 2003 and 2012, respectively. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes now reflects this growth, as it stands at a respectable 77%. As of 2019, it is also available on Disney+.
Our Take On Stiller’s Heavyweights Sentiment
The 30th Anniversary Could Renew Interest In The Movie
Disney has produced a lot of films over the years, so it is unsurprising that there are a lot of flops in their filmography, as they have to dedicate their marketing efforts towards some films more than others. That said, it will be interesting to see if Disney+ makes any more of a promotional effort withHeavyweightsas it enters its 30th anniversary year. Given how many hits he has made, Stiller could be a marketable way to getHeavyweightsmore exposure.
Disney’s 15 Biggest Animated Box Office Flops
Disney Animation has seen several major box office flops due to confusing premises or problems with a theatrical release in the age of streaming.
The movie’s popularity on home video also shows that the film can survive outside of theaters. It has developed enough of a cult following over time that it could have some streaming success many years later. Given the 30th anniversary year andStiller’s current popularity because of his involvement inSeverance, now just might be the time whenHeavyweightswill get the streaming boost that it is capable of.
