John Goodman (star of the just-released Captive State) first became known to audiences in 1988 for his portrayal as Dan Conner on the hit sitcom Roseanne (and is currently playing the character on its spinoff show, The Conners). Since then, he’s become an incredibly recognizable name in the business, and has gone on to appear in numerous highly recognizable films. Appearing in at least three films a year on average the last decade or so (with the occasional year off here and there), he’s showing no signs of stopping, either. With over 100 film credits to his name, here’s a look back at ten of his best (in alphabetical order).
1) Argo
Based on a true story, Ben Affleck’s 2012 movie about the 1979-1981 Iran hostage crisis received widespread critical acclaim, going on to win three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and being nominated for four more. While a dramatic thriller, the film had some slight comedic overtones due to the nature of its premise of staging a fake sci-fi film as a way of saving the hostages. This is also supported by some of the sharp banter that keeps the film constantly moving at a nice, brisk pace. Goodman plays John Chambers, a makeup artist who formerly worked for the CIA and puts the lead CIA operative Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) in contact with film producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) so they can create the fake sci-fi film. Goodman’s and Arkin’s back-and-forth exchanges are among the film’s highlights, and are a large part in why this film is one of the more fun films to win Best Picture in recent years.
2) Barton Fink
One of many collaborations between Goodman and the Coen Bros. finds the actor in a period piece set in the 1940’s. Barton Fink was widely praised upon release though isn’t always as immediately recognizable as many of the Coen Bros’ later, more well-known films. Goodman plays Charlie Meadows, the titular character’s chatty neighbor who drops by and trades stories with the writer about life, as Fink (John Turturro) tries writing film scripts and encounters writer’s block. Having been filmed early on in Goodman’s career as Roseanne was riding the waves of success, the Coen Bros. took advantage of the actor’s charm that won over household audiences for the previous five years, saying he had a “warm and friendly image that he projects for the viewer.” The film wound up being a darkly comic satire of Hollywood and the writing process, and is considered by many to be one of the Coens’ best films. Though this would not ultimately be their best collaboration with Goodman, as the next film discussed will reveal.
3) The Big Lebowski
Even if you haven’t seen The Big Lebowski (and if you haven’t, you really need to change that), you’ve definitely seen images of Goodman’s character appear somewhere on the Internet in one meme or another. Goodman’s Walter Sobchak is one of the Coens’ greatest creations of all-time, thanks immensely to Goodman’s crazed performance. A loud Vietnam veteran with unusual hangups and constantly calls back to his days of being in the war, this is Goodman at his most unhinged. While just about every moment in The Big Lebowski is a grand old time, Goodman is by far the film’s highlight, as he attempts to assist his friend The Dude (Jeff Bridges) solve a whacky kidnapping case, always veering from the original plan and taking the situation into his own hands to either incredibly helpful or disastrous results that landed some of the film’s biggest laughs. One part neo-noir film, one part drug-fueled comedy, The Big Lebowski is one of those films that perfectly defines “cult classic” and is consistently hailed as one of the Coens’ absolute best works.
4) Bringing Out the Dead
A much more straightforward movie than The Big Lebowski but one that still finds Goodman playing up the role of the loud-mouthed sidekick. This time, he’s paired up with Nicolas Cage, who stars in the movie as a burned out paramedic who works a graveyard shift over the course of three nights and begins to lose his sanity. Cage is given three different partners over the course of the three nights, with Goodman being the first, playing a character named Larry. While he disappears after the film’s first act, he’s still incredibly enjoyable to watch, bringing all his usual grandiose bravado to the screen, and giving us some engaging banter with Cage, who at this point in the movie hasn’t yet completely lost his mind. The movie is directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, and is often one of his most overlooked movies, as this is more of a stark contrast to some of Scorsese’s usual fare - this being a character-based drama while Scorsese is known more for his countless mob movies starring either Robert De Niro or Leonardo DiCaprio. Still, Bringing Out the Dead is a trippy, tense, sometimes darkly funny movie that may be a bit heavy at times but still makes for a great time.
5) The Emperor’s New Groove
Goodman’s likable charm from the sitcom world made him a prime candidate for voice-over work in more family friendly works. Goodman would find himself collaborating multiple times with Disney, the first outing being The Emperor’s New Groove. Probably the most straightforward of Goodman’s voice-over roles, he voices Pacha, the sidekick of the titular emperor (David Spade), whom he helps take his kingdom back from his evil ex-advisor (Eartha Kitt) and turn him back from a llama to a human. While it gained very positive reviews, did well at the box office, and even got its own spin-off movie and sequel, this one has often been overlooked by Disney fans in recent years, and is rarely discussed these days. However, the film is an incredibly funny, highly energetic buddy movie that highly relies on slapstick humor but often to positive results. As opposed to loudmouth characters like Walter Sobchak or Larry, Pacha is a much more kind-hearted, laid-back individual who is usually the straight man for Emperor Kuzco’s wild antics. Though that doesn’t make him any less sympathetic, and Pacha is easily one of the kindest, most likable characters in the film, especially thanks to Goodman’s warm voice acting skills.
6) Monsters, Inc.
The much more well-known Disney voice acting job by Goodman was the following year after Emperor’s New Groove, where Goodman took part in a film by Disney subsidiary, Pixar. Once again playing a warmer, kind-hearted individual, Goodman’s Sully is often the straight man and foil for his friend Mike Wazowski’s (Billy Crystal) antics. Though unlike Pacha, he can be a lot more aggressive in nature when he needs to be (and one would certainly hope so, given he’s literally a monster) and is a little quicker on his feet. Monsters, Inc. once again saw Goodman putting his likability to great use, as he played a father figure to the human child whom he nicknames Boo. Much of the film focuses on Sully and Boo’s relationship as he protects her from the other monsters who want to utilize her for their own selfish needs, and it makes for some of the most touching, heart-breaking moments in a Pixar film to date. One of Pixar’s earliest films, Monsters, Inc. is deeply emotional, outright hilarious, and still goes down as one of the company’s very best films.
7) ParaNorman
Alright, so I’m cheating a bit with this one, as Goodman only has a brief role in this movie, but it’s still a memorable one. ParaNorman is another animated movie, this time following an eleven-year-old boy named Norman who can speak with the dead, and finds his town subject to a witch’s curse. Goodman appears at the beginning of the movie as the voice of Norman’s uncle, Mr. Prenderghast, a kooky old man who contains the book that can help stop the witch’s curse, but dies not too long after he first appears, and his ghost talking Norman into taking up the mantle of stopping the curse. While it’s a small part, Goodman gets to change up his voice-acting style from his Disney work. Voicing the character with an exaggerated accent and deranged mannerisms, Prenderghast’s ghost speaking with Norman is one of the funnier exchanges in the movie, and Prenderghast’s comically over-the-top death scene in the film’s first few minutes is another highlight. ParaNorman is produced by Laika, a stop-motion animation company that handles fantasy and horror themed films that are targeted towards both kids and adults. This film will not only be a joy for kids to watch, but also a highly emotional experience for adults, as well as a fun treat for horror fans.
8) Patriots Day
One of the most horrifying acts of terror in the last decade was the Boston Marathon bombings back in 2013. A movie on such a sensitive topic that affected many, especially only three years after the actual attack, was one that lead itself to being the subject of high scrutiny. However, despite complaints from those in the Boston area for its heavy focus on Mark Wahlberg’s fictional lead character, the film overall received positive reviews, and is actually a pretty well-crafted story that does a solid job portraying the events surrounding the aftermath of the bombing. While Wahlberg is the lead character, it’s otherwise more of an ensemble piece, with Goodman playing real-life Boston police commissioner Ed Davis. This one finds a more hardened Goodman, still cranking up the volume in terms of his delivery. Although unlike his kinder Disney characters, Goodman’s portrayal of Davis is more like a version of Walter Sobchak that you take seriously. Here, he’s filled with pure rage, and his drive to get to the bottom of the investigation makes for some fiery exchanges, and makes for a solid performance. Though honestly, I don’t know if I completely buy his Boston accent here.
9) Raising Arizona
Goodman’s first collaboration with the Coen Bros. also sees him alongside his Bringing Out the Dead co-star Nicolas Cage for the first time. Cage plays a former criminal named Hi who kidnaps a millionaire’s baby after learning he’s infertile. Goodman - a year before Roseanne was released and he became a star - appears alongside William Forsythe as Gale and Evelle Snoats, respectively, as Hi’s two former cellmates who break out of prison and wind up taking the baby for themselves upon learning whose baby it really is. Raising Arizona was the Coens’ second film, and it took some time for audiences to warm up to it, receiving mixed reviews upon initial release. The film is a deranged tale that blends fantasy and reality together, with fairy-tale elements constantly looming over the story’s crime elements. The movie has an upbeat, manic energy characterized by many of the performers’ - Cage and Goodman’s included - wild energy. One of the Coens’ earliest, this still goes down as one of their funniest over twenty years later.
10) 10 Cloverfield Lane
The second entry into the Cloverfield series gives us a much different story than the original’s found-footage monster movie. This follows Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a woman named Michelle who gets into a car accident and winds up in a bunker owned by Goodman as a man named Howard, whose motivations she questions as she looks to eventually leave. This is another great example of a deranged Goodman at work, though a lot more dangerous than Walter Sobchak. Goodman’s performance is a lot more menacing in 10 Cloverfield Lane, giving a rare outright villainous turn, proving to be a nice change of pace for the actor. The film itself proved to be a worthy successor to the surprise horror hit, offering creepy thrills through the danger of real human beings rather than a monster like in the first film, showing that the genre can give us effective characters just as it can provide effective scares.
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