John Goodman – An Unrecognised Genius

You may have seen him as Fred Flintstone, as a Vietnam War veteran in “The Big Lebowski” or simply as funny family man Dan Conner in the sitcom Roseanne. But every time you’ve seen Golden Globe and Saturn Award winner John Goodman on screen, you’ve certainly not been disappointed and have been thoroughly entertained.

The now 68-year-old actor is famous for his versatile acting talent, which he has proven time and again in countless roles. In the course of his film career, he has embodied almost every personality and shone in character portrayals of a prehistoric caveman as well as a mentally unstable soldier or in the psycho science fiction horror film “10 Cloverfield Lane” as the crazy, creepy Howard.

The best 6 John Goodman movies

So if you’re looking for films in which the American actor shows off all his skills, we’ve put together six mostly underrated John Goodman performances for you in this article, which are sure to keep you entertained for a few hours.

Inside Llewyn Davis

This 2013 adaptation is a beautifully constructed story produced by the Coen Brothers, depicting a week in the life of an aspiring folk singer from Greenwich Village, New York in the 196s. The film is set in a time described as the “eve of the pop revolution” and the beginning of the folk music scene. The main character Llewyn Davis, based on the character of the legendary guitarist Dave Van Ronk, is excellent at playing the guitar but can also whip up a frenzy in those around him.

He stumbles from one disaster to the next, first getting beaten up outside a famous nightclub and then impregnating his best friend’s girlfriend. Finally, courtesy of jazz mogul Roland Turner, played brilliantly by Goodman, he finds himself on his way to Chicago to become part of the most successful folk groups in the USA. On this journey, however, Goodman makes fun of Llewyn’s musical talent, his supposed talent and, finally, the death of his best friend.

The result is a very entertaining scene between the two characters, which shows Goodman in particular at his acting best.

Barton Fink

This film was the only one to win all three main prizes at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991, so it was all the more surprising that Goodman did not even receive an Oscar nomination for his role. The award went to his co-star Michael Lerner instead.

In this film, also produced by the Coen brothers, Goodman plays the good-natured salesman Charlie Meadows, who befriends the title character Fink in Hollywood in the 1940s. This friendship dominates what is by far the most cynical reckoning with the unscrupulousness of Hollywood’s commerce-orientated film industry. Over the course of the film, the plot shifts from comedy to the horror genre, where Charlie’s true nature is revealed.

Charlie’s character was clearly tailored by the Coen producers to Goodman, a person with a cheerful demeanour, but who has the gift of becoming a brutal serial killer by the end of the film.

Barton Fink is a strange, disturbing story, but Goodman’s talent for versatility comes to the fore several times throughout the film, making this one of the Coen brothers’ best films.

The Artist

Michel Hazanavicious’ French film “The Artist” won a number of Oscars, including “Best Picture” and “Best Director”, and John Goodman was instrumental in the film’s great success. His acting portrayal of film producer Al Zimmer perfectly captures the zeitgeist of the 1920s; a time dominated by fat-cat studio bosses and competitive actors.

Goodman’s larger-than-life personality and razor-sharp acting and comedic skills completely breathed new life into the character he played in this silent film. Few actors are allowed to deliver such wonderful performances without a single line of dialogue, but he did it brilliantly.

However, “The Artist” manages to surprise all viewers in the very last minute of the film, when it finally becomes a sound film with just two spoken sentences.

Jean Dujardin is a world-famous star of the silent film era whose career ended abruptly with the advent of sound film.

The Gambler

Goodman’s acting ability to portray several character levels of a personality at the same time also comes to the fore in this remake of the classic 1974 film.

In this 25 million dollar feature film, Goodman himself plays Jim, a teacher who has serious gambling problems, but who nevertheless repeatedly makes a fatherly promise to his family to completely change his attitude to life before threatening to eliminate his entire family in the next sentence. Many actors would be faced with the challenge of portraying two completely diametrical sides of a character in just a few seconds, but Goodman manages this with skilful ease.

By the way, if you like intense sensations, you should definitely pay attention to the Richard Casino deposit bonus. It adds an extra level of excitement to online gaming. Try it and have even more fun! Don’t forget that feature films often hyperbolise reality, so just because you spin the slots in your spare time for fun doesn’t mean you’ll become a gambling addict. Play wisely.

And especially at the end of the film, when Jim has to recover the money he owes to various loan sharks, Goodman’s performance is captivating as a non-imposing character actor who radiates a strong aura of danger but also humanity.

Argo

Some films always manage to provide a crazy plot with nerve-wracking suspense. And this is exactly what the US thriller “Argo”, produced by Ben Affleck, achieves.

The film focuses on a peripheral episode of the embassy occupation in Tehran at the end of 1979, in which six escaped US hostages are to be rescued by CIA agent Tony Mendez. To divert attention from this rescue operation, a Hollywood producer (Alan Arkin) and a make-up artist (John Goodman) are asked for help. Their task was to fake a film production company looking for exotic locations for a science fiction film in Iran, disguise the six American fugitives as Canadian filmmakers and then fly them out of the country using fake papers.

Based on this unbelievable but true story, the chemistry between Goodman and Arkin is right from the start of the film as they both attempt to complete this almost impossible task in enemy territory in spectacular fashion. What followed was another SAG award for Goodman, who once again proved his talent for unusual roles.

Matinee

Amid the turmoil of the Cuban Missile Crisis in the United States, Goodman plays a small-time film director, Lawrence Woolsey, who prefers to entertain his audience with slapstick horror films.

He takes his latest title, “Mant!” – a film about a creature half man, half ant – to the Florida Keys to sell his film to various publishers. Goodman’s energy brought to the screen fits well with the plot, which manages to thrill the audience with some funny moments as well as a few scares.

The film is certainly underrated in many ways, but Goodman’s performance in this production has certainly been widely acclaimed. Many film enthusiasts who are addicted to classic Hollywood will quickly choose this film as one of their favourites.

In addition to the lead roles discussed in these six films, there are also a whole host of other top casts played by John Goodman, such as “10, Cloverfield Lane” or “The Blues Brothers”, all of which have also been rated worth seeing. Take a look at these masterpieces and enjoy the many facets of a classic Goodman performance.