TJE 7/15 – Goon (2011)

I'm seriously conflicted about "Goon." It's the story of a bouncer named Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott), who gets into fights at the drop of a hat, and is a terrible disappointment to the rest of his family. Then one day, he gets into an altercation at a hockey game, and withstands such a beating that he's recruited to be an enforcer for the local team. Doug can't really play hockey, but he's an excellent bruiser, which eventually gets him placed with the minor league Halifax Highlanders. There, he faces contentious teammates, a dysfunctional team dynamic, and a chance at love with a girl named Eva (Allison Pill).

Based on a true story, "Goon" follows the template of your average sports movie. Unlikely local man beats the odds, joins the big sports team, and helps them to victory. However, "Goon" isn't really interested in being an inspiration as it is in showing a rougher, unvarnished side of the sport that the public doesn't get to see. In this case, it's the incredible amount of violence that Doug's position requires, and the nonstop jackassery going on behind the scenes - often aimed at guys who are on the same team. There is so much swearing in this movie, I eventually just became numb to it. Doug's best friend Pat (Jay Baruchel, also one of the credited writers) literally cannot go two lines without using crude language or lobbing ugly insults at someone. Admittedly, one of the funnier scenes is when he finds himself seated near Doug's straight-laced parents (Eugene Levy, Ellen David) during a game, and totally fails at trying to stop the onslaught coming out of his own mouth.

And then there's the violence. If you like hockey fights, "Goon" has tons of them, and they're brutal, graphic, and clearly one of the big selling points. The whole film builds up to the face-off between Doug and his idol, Ross Rhea (Liev Schreiber), who pulled a dirty stunt that injured Doug's troubled teammate Xavier Laflamme (Marc-André Grondin) in a previous game. I went into "Goon" thinking that I was going to be watching a hockey movie, but it was more like watching a boxing or MMA movie. Instead of getting in the ring, Doug gets out on the ice, where it's always inevitable that things will come to blows. For people who like hockey fights, that's great, but I'm a hockey fan who always found the fighting to be one of those little quirks of the game that I could take or leave. Is it odd that I actually wanted to see more of the hockey than the lip-splitting and face-pummeling?

Though I respect that the filmmakers wanted to show the harder-edged reality of this corner of the hockey culture, I had a really tough time with the overwhelming nastiness of the content, to the point where it was hard to stay focused on what was going on. It doesn't help that the film plays fast and loose with timelines and Doug's skill level. One minute he can barely skate, and the next he's pitching in to score goals, upstaging other players. We barely see any of his development as a player onscreen. Instead, it's just fight after fight, intercut with his developing relationship with Eva and teambuilding with the other guys. I wish we'd seen more of some of the other players. The script takes the time to introduce many of them, but they barely figure into the plot at all.

I liked Seann William Scott here, in a role that really plays to his strengths. Doug is dumb, but very self-aware, loyal, and good-natured. He doesn't let the behavior of his teammates, the disapproval of his family, or the cynicism of anyone else get him down. When he tries to win over Eva, he's genuinely sweet, and willing to overlook the fact that she is a self-described "bad girlfriend" who sets off a lot of warning bells. He fits what "Goon " is going for, which is to demystify the idea of a sports hero to a certain extent, and spotlight a guy who accepts that he has certain limitations, but is able to find glory within those limitations. I also liked Liev Schreiber, who gets in a few good scenes. And add another winning turn by Allison Pill to the pile. Would someone please give this woman bigger parts already?

At best, "Goon" is a very unconventional sports movie that is trying to bring something different to the table. However, I don't think it's well executed enough to escape its niche. For a certain breed of hockey fans, "Goon" should go over very well, but I wouldn't recommend it for general audiences. There's just too much sports culture shock if you're not familiar with the game, and too much potentially squicky content even if you are.
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