1995 Cult Classic Starring Ben Stiller Could 'Never' Be Made Today

Ben Stiller has been enjoying this New York Knicks NBA Finals run as much as anyone.

The 60-year-old Hollywood star, known for roles in movies like "Meet the Parents" and "Along Came Polly," is a lifelong Knicks fan. He's been courtside for nearly every big Knicks game this postseason, even traveling to San Antonio for the first games of the NBA Finals. Stiller was back on the wood for Game 3, as the Knicks welcomed the Spurs to Madison Square Garden. The Knicks disappointed, falling to the Spurs, 115-111, but hopes are still high in New York.

When it comes to his work, Stiller has been getting more and more involved in the directing world in recent years. He's been behind the lens for Apple TV's "Severance," starring Adam Scott and Britt Lower, which has become a fan favorite, racking up 10 Emmy Awards over two seasons (and Season 3 is coming soon). Stiller was also the director of the highly-rated show about an upstate New York prison escape, "Escape at Dannemora," which came out in 2018.

But Stiller of course remains best known for his acting work.

The son of the late Jerry Stiller (Seinfeld, King of Queens) has starred in hit comedies like "Tropic Thunder," "Zoolander," "There's Something About Mary," and many others.

However, his 1995 cult classic, "Heavyweights," remains a fan favorite for many. But could it be made today? Some say "never."

'Heavyweights' remains a fan favorite to many, but it likely couldn't be made today

The comedy film, which focuses on a group of overweight adolescents sent to a "fat camp" in the wilderness, came out in February of 1995. The movie, directed by Steven Brill and co-written by Judd Apatow, helped launch Stiller's career. He played a villainous businessman who takes over the camp and turns it into a summer of hell for the young campers.

But the plot - a bunch of 11 and 12-year-old boys being tormented and tortured by an easy-to-root-against rich guy - is likely not something that most studios would sign up for today.

Even some of the movie's actors, like Shaun Weiss (who played Josh) were terrified of Stiller's character on set.

"And I'm gonna be honest. Like, Ben wasn't trying to be funny. Right? He was very intense and very, like, scary. He was definitely a little scary. I think he wanted to have that effect on us, and I'm pretty sure it worked on everyone," Weiss said last year. "For me, definitely."

"He was very deliberate in not establishing friendly relationships with us. I don't know if that worked for him because he didn't like kids or fat kids or what, but he definitely made a choice to do that. And I think it worked."

Many fans still love the film, though.

The movie "is one of those perfect films from my younger years that probably would never get made today," writes Jed Kidley of BroBible.

And it remains a good memory for Weiss and others who worked on it.

"Somehow I don't think this will be at the head of the Disney+ queue ever. In fact I'm not sure they are aware they made it. But that was an incredibly fun summer in North Carolina 30 years ago," Stiller joked on X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2025.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM.