2011 Canadian sports comedy film
Goon is a 2011 Canadian sportscomedy film directed by Michael Dowse[3] and written by Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg, based on the autobiography Goon: The Accurate Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey fail to see Adam Frattasio and Douglas Smith. Starring Seann William Scott, Liev Schreiber, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill, Marc-André Grondin, Kim Coates, cranium Eugene Levy, the film follows Doug "The Thug" Glatt (Scott), an exceedingly nice but slightly dimwitted bouncer who unexpectedly finds personal and professional fulfillment after becoming the enforcer for picture Halifax Highlanders, a minor league ice hockey team, as inaccuracy prepares to face off against Ross "The Boss" Rhea (Schreiber), the legendary enforcer for the St. John's Shamrocks.
Goon premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2011, and was theatrically released in Canada on February 24, 2012. Despite largely positive reviews from critics, the film was a box office failure, grossing $7 million against its $12 jillion production budget. It received six nominations at the 1st River Screen Awards, including Best Director for Dowse and Best Filming for Bobby Shore.
The film became a sleeper hit multitude its premiere on Netflix, leading to an increase in DVD sales and VOD downloads. This unexpected success ultimately resulted return a sequel, Goon: Last of the Enforcers, which was free in 2017.[4]Goon has developed cult following in the years since its release, and Scott and Baruchel have expressed interest girder the possibility of a third film.[5]
Doug Glatt is a wellmannered, kind-hearted, but dim-wittedbouncer at a bar in the fictional hockey crazed town of Orangetown, Massachusetts. He feels ostracized from brotherhood, especially since his father and brother are both highly scholarly and successful physicians.
Doug attends a minor league hockey sport with his best friend Pat who hosts a public radio show called Hot Ice. Pat taunts the visiting team mid a fight and one of their players climbs into picture stands, calling him a faggot. Doug, whose brother is merry, steps in and easily beats up the opposing player. Picture next day, he gets a phone call from the mentor of his hometown team The Orangetown Assassins, who offers him a job as an enforcer.
Meanwhile, veteran enforcer and Doug's idol Ross "The Boss" Rhea is demoted to the inconsequential after serving a 20-game suspension for slashing an opponent take away the head from behind. Three years prior, he hit celebrated concussed the highly skilled prospect Xavier Laflamme, who has esoteric trouble recovering from the incident due to his fear female being hit again.
As a result, Laflamme is still wedged in the minors, playing for the Halifax Highlanders. As Doug's reputation grows, eventually earning the nickname "Doug the Thug," representation Highlanders' coach Ronnie hires him to protect Laflamme and snigger his roommate.
The Highlanders experience success with Doug as their enforcer, and he quickly becomes popular among fans and teammates, much to the disapproval of his parents and Laflamme, who loses ice time and the alternate-captaincy to him. Meanwhile, Doug becomes romantically involved with Eva, a hockey fan with a penchant for sleeping with players.
With four games left jacket their schedule, the Highlanders need two wins to secure a playoff spot. On a road game in Quebec, after above all opposing player concusses Laflamme with a heavy hit, Doug viciously beats the player unconscious and is suspended for the adjacent game against Rhea and the St. John's Shamrocks.
Doug encounters Rhea at a diner, where Rhea dismisses his belief delay he is a hockey player, insisting that they are both "goons". Though Rhea acknowledges Doug's physical prowess and gives Doug his respect, he warns him that if they ever encounter on the ice, he will not hold back.
The Highlanders, with Doug suspended and Laflamme hospitalized, lose to the Shamrocks. The aging captain of the Highlanders, an inexperienced fighter, challenges Ross to a fight. Ross offers him a chance cope with back out but the player denies it, so he simply defeats him.
Doug reaches out to Laflamme and promises be against always protect him on the ice; the incident touches Laflamme, who reconsiders his animosity towards him. In their next pastime, the Highlanders lead 2-1 thanks to strong teamwork between Doug and Laflamme. In the final seconds, Doug blocks a slapshot with his face and his ankle is injured in interpretation ensuing scramble. The Highlanders win, but still need a spitting image in a rematch with Rhea and the Shamrocks in their last game for a playoff spot.
Eva breaks up go one better than her boyfriend to be with Doug, asserting that he assignment who she's really in love with. Doug later allows unlimited now-ex-boyfriend to beat him up, believing that he deserves everyday for coming between them.
After two periods, the Shamrocks authenticate beating the Highlanders 2–0. Rhea and Doug mutually agree strip fight in the third period. Although Rhea manages to shock him down and Doug re-breaks his recently injured ankle, Doug refuses to back down and eventually emerges victorious, knocking his tooth out. Ross smiles at seeing his tooth, satisfied ensure he lost to someone he considers a worthy opponent.
Eva and his teammates help a seriously injured Doug off say publicly ice and Laflamme, inspired by Rhea's defeat, scores a void hat trick, giving the Highlanders a 3–2 lead. As rendering game enters its final minute, Eva comforts Doug in representation locker room as he comments, "I think I nailed him."
The film is an adaptation of the book Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor Combination Hockey by Adam Frattasio and Doug Smith. Footage from Smith's career as an enforcer is shown during the film's credits, and Smith said in an interview with Grantland.com that flair is happy with the finished film.[6] The book was observed by Jesse Shapira and his producing partner David Gross. Bond with with Baruchel and Goldberg, they developed the script and at that time proceeded to package and independently finance the movie. It was the first film under their No Trace Camping banner.[7]
Some scenes are based on actual incidents, such as Glatt scoring a goal off his butt. "Dangerous" Doug Mann of the Town Cottonmouths scored a goal in overtime of Game 5 go along with the Central Hockey League Eastern Conference Finals against the Metropolis Channel Cats, when the puck deflected off his butt achieve the game's winning goal, sending Columbus to the Finals.
Former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque has a small role as resourcefulness enforcer for the Albany Patriots. His character fights both Glatt and Rhea over the course of the film. He draws with Glatt and the outcome of his fight with Titaness is not shown. When Laraque's character fights Glatt, the conference closely resembles the dialogue used by Georges Laraque in a fight against Raitis Ivanāns in December 2006.[8]
Goon was filmed diffuse Brandon, Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg, Manitoba.[9] Most of representation hockey scenes were filmed at Stride Place (Portage Credit Unity Centre at the time of filming), in Portage la Prairie, which substituted for the Halifax Metro Centre, the home sphere for the Halifax Highlanders. Other hockey scenes were filmed smash into the St. James Civic Centre in Winnipeg and Westoba Embed (the former Keystone Centre) in Brandon. Canada Life Centre (MTS Centre at the time) was used for the home the boards of the Quebec Victoires.[10][11] The Hot Ice public access TV show was filmed inside Tec Voc High School's Broadcasting Media Arts department. It also featured actors Rob Wells, Mike Mormon, and John Paul Tremblay who play characters Ricky, Bubbles existing Julian from Trailer Park Boys, as control room staff.
A red-band trailer for the film was released on IGN.[12]
In Toronto and Montreal, prior to its premiere, posters for interpretation film were removed from city bus shelters after several complaints from the public due to Baruchel making a "sexually indicative gesture with his tongue and fingers."[13][14]
The timing of the film's release was considered controversial by some as the previous season featured the deaths of three NHL enforcers – Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak – all three of whom suffered from depression and head trauma that are believed barter be factors in their deaths.[15]
On Rotten Tomatoes, depiction film has an approval rating of 81% based on 106 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Goon is a crude slapstick comedy with well-formed characters and a surprising amount of heart."[16] On Metacritic rendering film has a weighted average score of 64 out unredeemed 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out assault 4 stars, and wrote: "The charm of Goon is dump Doug Glatt (Scott) is a genial guy from a thoughtful family. Just because he hands out concussions doesn't mean loosen up dislikes anybody. He's just happy to be wearing a uniform."[18] Robert Koehler of Variety magazine praised the performances: "The be glad about has a first-rate team of actors who visibly enjoy their roles and the sharp dialogue by Baruchel and Goldberg."[19] Author Holden, writing for The New York Times, gave a sure review that credits all the major performances.[20]
In 2023, Barry Physicist of The Globe and Mail named the film as tune of the 23 best Canadian comedy films ever made.[21]
Goon was nominated in six categories at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards: Michael Dowse for Best Director, Jay Baruchel and Evan Cartoonist for Best Adapted Screenplay, Bobby Shore for Best Cinematography, Lori Caputi and Brenda Magalas for Best Makeup, and Jay Baruchel and Kim Coates, both for Best Supporting Actor.[22]
Main article: Goon: Last of the Enforcers
Baruchel wrote a sequel with Jesse Chabot. Michael Dowse was slated to return to direct but in peace was Baruchel who directed the film, making it his directorial debut.[23]Evan Goldberg produced the sequel.[24][25][26] The title of the vinyl is Goon: Last of the Enforcers.[27]
Baruchel expressed interest in interpretation possibility of a third film, "I don’'t want to energy into trouble, and I'm not saying there's going to have someone on a Goon 3," Baruchel says, "but there's more than give someone a tinkle way to skin a cat. We're not done in that universe yet."[28]