Goon: A Good Heart for the Worst of the Game

Goon (2012) - MovieWeb

I must be working too much. Creatively, the best I've come up is pondering how little trauma is present in those children who witness their parents being senselessly murdered. You would think with the frequency in which it occurs, and no one can say it is too few, we'd get a Batman, Nightwing or Red Hood out of it. Being a millionaire is not necessarily a requirement, all you have to do is find someone who wants justice as much as you and was a trust-fund baby. If only we had a mass shooting at an Ivy League university...

That's a little too dark to tweet. It's definitely a tough premise to tag @midnight under #PointsMe.

The problem with the lack of creativity is namely the lack of Twitter and Facebook activity. It is awkward for my last three post to be a request to read the same screw the WWE blog (which reminds me that I have two hours left to jump on #Raw...phew...took care of that). Also, despite they were playful jabs about the girl I've been hanging out with recently (and I'd like to think all of my jabs as playful [it's my straight left and left hook you gotta worry about]), you don't want to place the Facebook friend request when they the bruises are still fresh.

Unfortunately, the jobs don't let me visit my folks and get satirically charged from my culturally insensitive mother. Fortunately, this give me a perfect transition into my review for the Jay Baruchel penned attempt to revive the hockey comedy genre, "Goon."

I think Baruchel's characters maybe a little too over the top with their obscenities (and homophobia) to prep the movie-going public for a "Slap Shot" reboot, but the film's story of misfits that few people, even fewer parents, seem to understand makes it a sports film that anyone with a never say die attitude can thoroughly enjoy.

Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott) is a kindhearted bouncer in Orangetown, MA, who just wants to find something to be passionate about. He is not cut from the same fabric of his Jewish-doctor father (Eugene Levy), has difficulty relating to his gay brother (David Paetkau) and just does not have the mean streak of his trash-talking, hockey-loving best friend Pat (Jay Baruchel).

Watching hockey seems to be his primary way of relaxing, but that is even made difficult when a visiting hockey player to Orangetown decides that Pat needed to shut his mouth during a five for fighting. Standing up for his less athletically-inclined friend, Doug decimates the "tough guy" to the point where the hometown coach decides that he is the ideal minor league enforcer regardless of actual hockey...or skating...talent.

With a little work from coach Rollie Hortense (Nicholas Campbell), Doug seems to have found his role in the world. Rollie's brother who coaches AA, Ronnie (Kim Coates), determines that he is the perfect addition to the Halifax Highlanders. Ronnie needs someone to protect and spiritually revive the play of the former first round pick, Xavier LaFlamme (Marc-Andre Grondin). Since Doug's idol, fellow enforcer and known headhunter Ross Rhea (Liev Schreiber), has returned to the minors to end his career, Xavier and his chemistry better develop quickly or the Glatt experiment will be for not.

As a fan of minor league hockey (sorry Hawks fans, I had to get to know the guys with the Indian Head on their sweaters before I cheered for them, hence, I cheered the Flyers on [Broad Street=Bush League] back in 2010), I really enjoyed "Goon," despite the strained attempts to remind us of the Paul Newman classic. It just cannot be that movie since the characters were not mean enough. After one locker room sequence in Halifax, you feel that the crude dialogue and scenario were just a desperate attempt to recreate the hockey cinema standard bearer's atmosphere.

The lack of meanness almost made the casting of Scott a mistake. Dimwitted characters, we know he can do that, but without a Stifler edge or at least a "Dude's Where's My Car?" confidence, the actor loses his charm. To Bauchel's credit (and perhaps casting experience), he knows how to incorporate a caring love interest (Amanda Pill in this case) to provide a third dimension to bring out his depth. His dialogue also features some great spots that shows there's something working in our naive protagonist head, so it works out well.

Scott and Schreiber's performances show the good spirits that tough guys can have which you do not usually see in sports films about bullies. These characters are far more admirable than the Hanson Brothers who were only dense and comic relief. The issue anyone would have with the movie, and discourage olde time hockey fans from watching it, is that it is a celebration and justification for what most consider to be the worst element of hockey. This element is fighting. With the exception of Don Cherry, no hockey pundit (who didn't play) will advocate that anyone should see this film.

Hopefully, if say...Michael Wilbon, saw this, they would leave knowing that this is not a film about violence, but one about good people trying to find their place in a world that just assume write them off. This is the story of my life, and I envy the characters for making it the way I try to live. Pardon that stint of cynicism because "Goon" is based on a true story. It is actually a message of hope, all be it for a short time of the emotional high I have been searching for.

The persons behind "Goon" could have probably spent more time studying the locker room atmosphere, but they do a fine job in presenting characters who have goals that most of society seem to feel are worth spitting on. It displays a great understanding of why some of us love the sport of hockey, and any one who wants to see the International game, should leave with an appreciation of why it's okay to drop the gloves.

If I've convinced you to watch this film, available on Netflix Streaming, maybe you'll give me a chance to convince you to give my B-movie zombie/wrestling project "Main Event of the Dead" support.

If you need a treatment of the script for "Main Event of the Dead" please e-mail me at russthebus07@gmail.com.

 

 

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