Monsters Inc and Best John Goodman Movies
By Ben Johnson
One of the most recognizable personalities in Hollywood has a big week coming up. Not only does John Goodman turn 61 on Thursday, but his next movie, Pixar’s prequel Monsters University, hits theaters the next day. The man best known for being able to withstand the aural onslaught that is Roseanne for a decade has also established himself over the last thirty years as one of the most reliable character actors in the biz. There are a host of movies on Goodman’s resume, and I, your loyal movie blogger, have cherry-picked the top five for your viewing pleasure. And no, The Hangover Part III is not on this list.
O Brother, Where Art Thou
Among the less heralded Coen Bros. movies out there, this loose adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey is a hell of a lot of fun. While O Brother lacks the pathos of most Coen films, it makes up for that with a fantastic soundtrack and memorable performances from George Clooney and Goodman, who has a bit part as one-eyed con-artist Big Dan, the evil Cyclops in this backwoods Odyssey. What has always set the Coens apart from other filmmakers is their scripts, and they’ve rarely had a comedic mouthpiece quite like Clooney’s Everett McGill, whose stream-of-consciousness monologues are scene-stealers (or annoy you to tears, depending on your tastes). Goodman makes the most of his brief screen time as Big Dan, a man who not only keeps pace with Clooney’s character on an intellectual level but also outmatches him physically, by the end doing most of his talking with a giant tree branch. The Coens have certainly done better and more complete movies, but I’ve always thought O Brother deserved a lot more attention than it’s received.
Monsters, Inc.
Pixar has found a lot of success by humanizing the most foreign of characters, and this endearing movie about the world of monsters on the other side of our closets has a lot of heart. The movie teams Goodman with Billy Crystal as the voices of Sully and Mike, best friends just trying to make a living as “scarers” when they’re forced to protect possibly the cutest ever animated human child when she accidentally wanders into their world. Goodman has done a lot of voice acting throughout his career, but nothing as memorable as the not-as-scary-as-he-looks Sully. He showcases both his trademark bellow and a softer side that is rarely seen in his live action roles, and while the green one-eyed Mike is a fun character in his own rite, Sully is really the emotional center. Monsters University has its work cut out for it if it’s going to approach the heart and humor of Monsters, Inc.
The Artist
I remember being pretty skeptical about The Artist going into it. I was expecting the movie to feel gimmicky and overwrought, and was genuinely surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did (though I didn’t think it deserved to win Best Picture over The Descendants). Goodman’s role, like most of his big screen appearances, is a supporting one as the movie producer working with Jean Dujardin’s silent movie star during the transition into talkies. Goodman has a naturally expressive face that works wonderfully in a silent movie, with all big grins and cigar chomping that you’d expect in the physical performance of “Hollywood big-wig.” Clear Oscar bait that it is, The Artist is not usually my kind of movie, but it definitely merits watching. It tries to do something both retro and unique in a movie industry full of reboots and adaptations instead of original ideas. The fact that Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, and Goodman are fun to watch throughout is a bonus.
Raising Arizona
The Coen brothers’ Raising Arizona is a black comedy about an ex-con and his wife who kidnap a baby to bring up as their own. The movie really belongs to Nicolas Cage (who won the Best Actor Oscar for this part – forgot he has “Academy Award winner” in front of his name, didn’t you?) and Holly Hunter as H.I. and Ed McDonough, but as usual, Goodman is a larger-than-life presence when he’s on screen. He and William Forsythe play escaped convict brothers who spend the majority of the film either sloppily eating their way through the McDonoughs’ house or screaming at the top of their lungs as one scheme or another goes wrong. The brothers represent the animal side of H.I.’s criminal past, operating purely on thoughtless impulse throughout the film to hilarious results. Raising Arizona is one of the most purely funny movies the Coens have ever done, with some of the quirkiest characters you’ll find in any of their original scripts.
The Big Lebowski
I can’t count how many times I’ve seen The Big Lebowski. It has to number in the dozens. I frequently quote it in conversation, commonly to the confusion of my girlfriend, and two Halloweens ago I went as Walter Sobchak, who just happens to be the best character John Goodman has ever played. There is no shortage of memorable moments when everyone’s favorite gun-toting bowler is on screen. From his obsession with tying everything back to the Vietnam War to his insistence that “I can get you a toe by 3:00 – with nail polish,” Walter is the perfect overly intense foil and partner in crime to Jeff Bridges’ laid-back stoner Dude. The whole movie is full of hilarious set pieces and supporting characters, and if somehow you still have yet to see the ultimate slacker/detective comedy, Lebowski needs to be on your short list.