Happy anniversary to Richard Linklater’s most perfect film
I am someone who loves movies. I always look for something to enjoy and when a movie truly consumes me and takes over my ever waking thought, that’s how you know it is perfect. And that’s what happened one year ago today with Hit Man.
The Richard Linklater film took the true story of fake hit man Gary Johnson and brought it to audiences with a romantic comedy twist. While I am a fan of Linklater’s work, I think Hit Man really took the title of his best work for me. Yes, I am including my 20+ year love of School of Rock in that. But there is something just so special about what Linklater and star and co-writer Glen Powell did with this movie.
Very few films actually break me in the way that Hit Man did. Maybe it was the out of this world performance from Powell who had to play so many different hit man personas while also bringing Gary to life. Or maybe it was Adria Arjona’s Madison who’s allure is enough to break Ron/Gary. Whatever it is, there is something magical about Hit Man that truly just makes me so incredibly happy.
Linklater and Powell did something special with their adaptation. The original story, which is from an article in Texas Monthly, detailed Gary Johnson’s story and how he ended up becoming a fake hit man to capture people trying to hire someone to commit murder for them. They turned Gary’s story into its own epic and I truly do think that is one of the smartest ways to adapt something like this.
A perfect little twisted love story
Madison and Ron/Gary’s relationship is less than perfect. They’re both lying to each other and yet they make each other better in their own twisted way. Madison needs him to get out of a relationship and Gary sees how Ron makes him a more confident person. Together, they’re unstoppable and call me twisted in the head but I kind of love these two together.
I say “twisted” because of where Hit Man goes, which obviously is not how the real Gary Johnson’s life went. But I love that they gave Gary. He passed away prior to the film shooting so he didn’t get to see the final product but there is a nice nod to Gary Johnson at the end of the film that explains that a lot of what we see in Hit Man didn’t actually happen.
But even if they give Gary a love story with Madison and let things go a little off the rails, I think that we can all learn things from Hit Man. If we want to have a little fun with our adaptations, why not make things go a little sideways?
So on this, the one year anniversary of my beloved favorite film from last year, why not celebrate by watching Gary and Madison fall in love and try to cover their tracks? Well, that and Glen Powell’s perfect Patrick Bateman impression.
(featured image: Netflix)
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