John Goodman, Coen Brothers Team Up Again

Written by Jon Williams

Inside Llewyn Davis, released theatrically earlier this month, follows the trials and tribulations of a young folk singer in 1961, flailing through a stalled career following the death of his partner.  It’s among the best films of 2013, garnering critical acclaim and a number of awards and nominations. The movie and the performances have been well regarded, as has its soundtrack, which, like 2000’s O Brother Where Art Thou? (also by the Coen Brothers), was overseen by producer T Bone Burnett.

Also like several other Coen Brothers productions, Inside Llewyn Davis features John Goodman in a prominent role, this time as a fellow musician who berates the title character on an ill-fated trip to Chicago. Goodman’s association with Joel and Ethan Coen dates back to 1987, when he was featured in Raising Arizona. Widely regarded as one of the funniest films of all time, it was one of the earliest efforts from the filmmaking team.

Since then, Goodman has gone on to act onscreen in four more of the Coens’ films: Barton Fink (1991), The Big Lebowski (1998), O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000), and Inside Llewyn Davis. In addition, he served as the narrator to their 1994 film The Hudsucker Proxy. Goodman considers his role in Lebowski to be one of his favorites, as his character, Walter Sobchak, is the one for which he’s recognized the most by fans.

Of course, Goodman has had quite a notable career outside of Coen Brothers films as well. He’s best known for his role as Dan Conner, Roseanne’s husband in the sitcom Roseanne, which ran from 1988 to 1997, and he voiced the monster James P. Sullivan in the Disney/Pixar hit Monsters, Inc. and the sequel Monsters University (as well as an appearance in Cars). He’s also played such characters as Santa Claus, Fred Flintstone, and Babe Ruth. Recently he starred as the villain in The Hangover Part III, and next will be seen alongside George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Bill Murray in the upcoming adaptation of The Monuments Men, scheduled to hit theaters in February.

This is just a small sampling of the titles available from Midwest Tape, both from John Goodman and from the Coen Brothers. For more, SmartBrowse ‘John Goodman,’ ‘Joel Coen,’ and ‘Ethan Coen’ on our website.