Ben Stiller Wishes More People Would Watch His Dramatic Biopic With Owen Wilson

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TV writer and novelist Jerry Stahl got his big break when the Transatlantic Review published one of his short stories in 1976. That, however, doesn't pay the bills, so the young Stahl, as he explained in a Salon interview, started writing articles for pornographic publications. He contributed to Penthouse Letters, wrote ad copy for sexual supplements, etc. Stahl has also been very frank about his struggles with heroin addiction as he began to move through the Hollywood machine in the 1980s. Stahl wrote episodes of "ALF," "Moonlighting," and others, and wrote extensively about his addiction and TV writing career in the celebrated 1995 memoir "Permanent Midnight." 

In 1998, writer/director David Veloz, and star Ben Stiller, teamed up to adapt "Permanent Midnight" into a feature film. Stiller played Stahl, and it was a very unflinching look at the horrors of addiction, but also the absurdity of Hollywood. Stahl is a great writer and very intelligent, and Stiller captured his dark sense of humor, as well as his sweaty desperation, with aplomb. Owen Wilson plays a fellow addict named Nicky. It seems that the makers of the "Permanent Midnight" movie couldn't get the rights to talk about "ALF," so Stahl is seen contributing to a TV show called "Mr. Chompers" instead. And no, Stahl did not write the "Gilligan's Island" reunion episode of "ALF." The film also stars Elizabeth Hurley, Janeane Garofalo, Fred Willard, Connie Nielsen, and Cheryl Ladd. 

"Permanent Midnight" caused a minor stir in the '90s indie cinema scene, even if it wasn't a huge hit. Stiller especially was praised for his dark dramatic turn, having been known mostly for comedy up to that point. In a 2024 interview with Collider, Stiller noted that he wished more people would see "Permanent Midnight," as he remains proud of his work on it.

Collider asked Stiller directly if there were any films or TV projects that he wished more people had seen. Stiller is, after all, rather prolific, and it's easy to see some of his shows fall through the cracks; remember "Heat Vision and Jack?" The pilot Ben Stiller directed for Jack Black and Owen Wilson? Stiller was quick to answer that he wished more people had seen his Jerry Stahl biopic, saying: 

"I've always liked that little movie 'Permanent Midnight' that I did back in '97, '98 about Jerry Stahl, the comedy writer. It's a true story. He was a heroin addict, and figured it out. I just always felt that was a good little movie. Every once in a while, someone will shout out, 'Hey, Permanent Midnight!' It's great." 

And Stiller wasn't kidding about Stahl figuring it out. After the release of the "Permanent Midnight" movie, Stahl received more attention as a writer (as he pointed out in the Salon interview), and he secured several lucrative Hollywood writing positions. He penned the Michael Bay ultra-blockbuster "Bad Boys II," and ten episodes of the hit series "CSI." On the After Ellen website, it was indicated that Stahl was one of the reasons why trans representation saw some steps forward on "CSI." Stahl also penned multiple episodes of Marc Maron's sitcom "Maron" in 2013. 

Stahl also wrote the books "Perv: A Love Story," "Plainclothes Naked," and the speculative autobiography of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle "I, Fatty." Stahl definitely figured it out. The man is still kicking at 72.

Stiller, meanwhile, remained prolific after "Midnight," making two to four films — as actor or producer — every year from 1999 to the present. That's in addition to his many one-off appearances on multiple TV shows, and his executive producing/directing work on the series "Severance," which has made a huge amount of money for Apple TV. "Permanent Midnight" may not have been huge in terms of box office or awards, but it was certainly significant.

That said, many critics weren't hugely fond of "Permanent Midnight." On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a merely decent 60% approval rating, based on 53 reviews. As mentioned, critics did like Stiller's turn away from comedy, although some critics — like Glen Lovell from Variety — felt that Stiller's performance was a desperate attempt to be taken seriously, not a great feat of acting. Other critics felt "Permanent Midnight" was too dour, no matter how true. After all, there is a scene wherein Jerry, in the throes of heroin hunger, tries shooting up in his own neck. That's not exactly fun. 

Roger Ebert, however, liked the movie, giving it three stars. Ebert admired that "Permanent Midnight" didn't make the life of a junkie, even a successful one, look glamorous or fun. Jerry Stahl's life is a litany of addictive behavior, and Ebert observes that Stahl, even though clearly high, was only able to keep his job because he so effectively churned out quality scripts. Ebert also liked the detail from Stahl's own life that he would recycle personal tragedies into "ALF" plots. There is high, tragic absurdity to the film. 

The film is currently available on Prime Video.