“Goon” (2011), now on DVD, is a bizarre mix of genres, tones and moods, but it fits because the role of hockey enforcer is one of the most bizarre in all of sports. On one hand, it’s noble, because an enforcer serves as a deterrent to the other team roughing up your team’s star. On the other hand, the role is detested by many people who would appreciate the skill and grace of the game if not for all the fighting.
And, of course, even the NHL — who’s core fanbase likes the fighting — has to crack down on violence when things get particularly brutal, as with the infamous Todd Bertuzzi hit on Steve Moore in 2004, a carbon copy of which sets up “Goon.” Whether out of genuine concern for player safety or fear of getting sued, the NHL will likely move in a direction of being more safe as the years go by.
But the goon remains, and “Goon” doesn’t glorify it or denounce it; goons just are what they are, the movie seems to say. We know all the action is leading up to a showdown between new goon Doug “The Thug” Glatt (Seann William Scott), of the Halifax Highlanders, and aging goon Ross “The Boss” Rhea (Liev Schreiber), of the St. John’s Shamrocks. (Rhea is the Bertuzzi character.)
But like the “Rocky” films that end with prizefights, “Goon” is about so much more than the final battle. Scott moves farther and farther away from his famous “American Pie” Stifler persona as the film progresses. Doug is a nice guy who happens to be good at fighting because he has a superhero-like thick skull. He’s also not book smart, as he points out in a dinner scene with his parents that goes from cliched (his parents don’t support his career choice) to poignant when he openly calls out “I’m stupid, OK?!” He amends that he is “fist smart,” though.
Doug’s also incredibly sweet in his budding relationship with hockey fan/alcoholic Eva (Alison Pill). Sort of like the lunkhead in “Of Mice and Men,” Doug is completely lovable throughout the whole movie, seeking approval from his foulmouthed coach, fumbling after Eva and preparing for a showdown with Rhea — not because the fight means anything in particular to him, but simply because he’s been told (by his team, by his coach, and by the passionate followers of eastern Canadian minor-league hockey) that that’s what he’s supposed to do.
The hockey scenes are quite good; either “Goon” cast hockey players as actors or seamlessly incorporated stunt doubles. The establishing shots of eastern Canadian towns in the winter are gorgeous; the indoor shots of gritty bars also have a certain beauty to them. This is all the more striking considering how packed the film is with swearing — mainly courtesy of Doug’s hockey-loving pal Ryan (Jay Baruchel, who also co-wrote) — and a stunning amount of violence.
Does “Goon” accurately take us into the world of thuggery in hockey? Are the bus trips and locker-room talk and pre-fight chatter really like they are portrayed here? Although “Goon” feels like a parody of testosterone-fueled sports flicks at times — as with the filthy-minded eastern European duo on the Highlanders who give their goalie such a hard time that he says “Guys, I’m on your team!” — it also has a poignant truthfulness under it all. A lot of that is due to the understated performance by Scott, who goes from being the goofball in heartfelt movies to the heart of a sometimes goofy movie.
