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After Last Week's "Treme," How Can You Look at Goodman Without a Certain Achiness?

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (9)

JOHN-GOODMAN-WEIGHT-LOSS.jpg

All week, John Goodman has been in the news — well, the Entertainment news, anyway — because the man, who was once pushing 400 pounds, lost a considerable amount of weight recently. I don’t guess that really warrants a post, but I’m posting this clip from Letterman a couple of nights ago — where Goodman amusingly discusses his weight loss — because I haven’t been able to look at Goodman all week without my heart going soft. I don’t want to spoil anything for those still behind on “Treme,” but man: If you saw last week’s episode, you can’t help but wonder if Goodman’s experience in New Orleans, or some of the themes of rebirth entailed in that show, had anything to do with his weight-loss decision.

It’s probably a dumb thing for me to consider or speculate upon, but it’s early on a Friday morning, there’s not a lot going on, and like a lot of folks, I’m a huge fan of Goodman, and he seems like such a goddamn good guy that you just kind of hate the thought of losing the guy prematurely.

I got no snark for this post, but I am looking forward to Sunday’s season finale of “Treme.” And for any of you “The Wire” fans wondering if you should follow “Treme” in its DVD run, well, you should. It’s got plenty of flaws, mostly of the self-indulgent nature, and it’s very much an aimless character study (unlike “The Wire,” which perfectly balanced story and character), but the characters are beautifully drawn and superbly acted, not least of which is Goodman, who best represents New Orleans’ smug stubbornness.

Here’s the clip:









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Comments

Goodman reminds me of my old man when he carries as much weight as he was on Treme.

And that makes me sad.

Posted by: PissBoy at June 18, 2010 8:27 AM

Goodman is a consistenly outstanding performer and I hope he stays slimmer so we can continue to enjoy his inevitable future work with the Coen Brothers and his also inevitable Oscar nominations. And it's always nice to be reminded that he has a comedian's soul.

Posted by: Kballs at June 18, 2010 8:41 AM

He was looking really rough in that show, so I'm glad he's slimmed down. The man is practically a national treasure, it would be a shame to have him go early.

Posted by: Snath at June 18, 2010 8:43 AM

I caught Matinee for the first time, ever, on NetFlix streaming last night... what a fun movie, made even better by Goodman's winking performance. I need to put more effort into appreciating his works. And more producers need to work up quirky and fun concepts like Matinee

Posted by: lubeg at June 18, 2010 10:16 AM

I was really worried about John Goodman in seeing how fat he was in Treme, specially with his age coming, and I was trying to remember anyone that weight as much as he did and survived until his current age... and I couldn't think of anyone! So I thought he was clearly approaching his deadline... and I was even worried that his great character on Treme would end up being supidly written out because John Goodman would just have a heart attack and die any day now. So, I guess I didn't have to worry about that... then I got so happy that he was finally losing weight, and then I saw last week's Treme...

I'm completely depressed since watching that. Not just because of what happened to him, but the entire episode had some post-Mardi Gras depression all over it, even if it had parties in it! Even the nice moments, like Ladonna finally getting her roof fixed, Davis apparently having some really happy moments, everything seemed to me tainted by a lot of depression. And I thought I didn't care about Treme's characters, until the end. It's similar to what happened in The Wire: until Wallace's death, I thought The Wire's characters weren't human enough, until they made us experience a brutal scene that made us feel for them.

And overall Treme really still has to pick up some kind of pace, even if it's nice to watch all those people jamming and having fun, I hope at some point there will be a story somewhere. But this last episode showed how even without a real recognizible story you can make an amazing show. I'm kind of afraid of the finale, actually.

Posted by: zito at June 18, 2010 10:17 AM

Watching JG on Treme this season has solidified my belief that I NEED him to be on my TV at least once a week otherwise the world just ain't right. Regarding the pacing of the show itself. My husband and in-laws who are all from and still live in New Orleans describe the time period directly following the storm as the Pax Katrina because everyone was all sweet and nice and helpful and getting along...And then it all went to shit again about 6 months later so I'm sure, if they are going to keep with the realism, that the pace will be picking up in the second season.

Posted by: JenVegas at June 18, 2010 11:02 AM

I love John Goodman so much. I want to hug him. I bet he gives really good hugs. And is a cuddler. Hold me, John Goodman, hold me.

Posted by: Pinky McLadybits at June 18, 2010 11:42 AM

As someone who has been living in New Orleans since the storm, I love Treme for its accuracy in portraying the many idiosyncrasies of this amazingly unique city. However, I wonder: do the constant references make any sense to the non-locals? What is its general reception among the Pajibans?

Posted by: Zippy at June 18, 2010 1:42 PM

Zippy, I think we're figuring it out. We're certainly tuning in.
It's quickly become one of my favorite shows on TV.

Posted by: Whorish Mouth at June 18, 2010 2:01 PM