The 2000 cult classic John Goodman made for the money: “Honest to god, that’s the only reason”
He can star in as many cult classics as he likes, and he’s been in a few, but no matter what happens, only one movie will ever be remembered as the cultiest cult classic that John Goodman has ever starred in.
That film is, obviously, the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski, which is also the only one of his pictures that Goodman will actively rewatch and enjoy without being consumed by the self-loathing and disappointment that’s plagued him for his entire professional life.
As far as cult flicks go, it’s not a bad one to be sitting at the top of the pile. This being Goodman, though, his long-standing reputation as one of Hollywood’s premiere scene-stealers and character actor extraordinaries means that it’s far from the only worthwhile entry into his pantheon of beloved gems.
While The Big Lebowski is undeniable, you also wouldn’t have to travel too far or look too hard to find at least a handful of people who’d state a case for Revenge of the Nerds, True Stories, Arachnophobia, The Flintstones, The Borrowers, Speed Racer, or even Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets deserving a spot in Goodman’s cult flick hall of fame.
There’s no doubt that the Coens’ weed-fuelled odyssey is at the top of the pile, but what comes second? It’s enough to open a can of worms, based largely on Goodman’s ever-reliable presence, but Coyote Ugly would be a decent shout, with the musical dramedy continuing to win over new converts with each passing generation, cementing it as a rite of passage for cult film aficionados.
Like most self-respecting cult movies, it was largely dismissed by critics, but found eternal life on home video, to the point that it was one of the rare pictures to release two soundtracks to capitalise on its post-theatrical popularity, with a stage musical currently in development and set to premiere in London’s West End in 2027.
There’s been a groundswell of support behind a legacy sequel for years, and while that may or may not ever materialise, the easiest way to convince Goodman to reprise the role of Bill Sanford, the father of Piper Perabo’s protagonist, would be to wave a big, fat, irresistible cheque right in front of his face.
When reflecting on his career choices, and there have been a lot of them, when he’s soared past 200 credits across film, television, theatre, video games, and commercials, the Coen brothers regular revealed that his pivot into animated voiceover work in the early 1990s had as much to do with making something his children could watch as it did with his own lifelong love of the medium.
As for what convinced him to make Coyote Ugly? The answer was simple. “For the money,” he confessed. “Honest to God, that’s the only reason I did it.” There are some corners of the internet where saying a bad word about David McNally’s feature-length directorial debut can get you killed, but for Goodman, it was nothing but a money job, not that it was his first or last.
