The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009)

Used-car liquidator Don Ready is hired by a flailing auto dealership to turn their Fourth of July sale into a majorly profitable event.

Director:

Neal Brennan

Writers:

Andy Stock, Rick Stempson

Stars:

Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, James Brolin

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeremy Piven	...	Don Ready
Ving Rhames	...	Jibby Newsome
James Brolin	...	Ben Selleck
David Koechner	...	Brent Gage
Kathryn Hahn	...	Babs Merrick
Ed Helms	...	Paxton Harding
Jordana Spiro	...	Ivy Selleck
Tony Hale	...	Wade Zooha
Ken Jeong	...	Teddy Dang
Rob Riggle	...	Peter Selleck
Alan Thicke	...	Stu Harding
Charles Napier	...	Dick Lewiston
Jonathan Sadowski	...	Blake
Noureen DeWulf	...	Heather
Wendie Malick	...	Tammy Selleck

Storyline

In a desperate attempt to save his rapidly failing used car dealership, Ben Selleck hires a crack team of "car mercenaries" to ramp up sales during the Fourth of July weekend. Led by the fast-talking, foul-mouthed, self-assured Don "The Goods" Ready, the group has three days to sell over 200 cars. But as Don undertakes his newest mission, and quickly falls for the boss's daughter Ivy, he realizes he'll have to trust more than his cars and his crafty skills in deceit to make a success out of the daunting weekend.

---

Plot Keywords:

fourth of july | karaoke | flashback | sales talk | thrown through a window | 

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, nudity, pervasive language and some drug material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 August 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Goods: The Don Ready Story

Filming Locations:

Alhambra, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$5,642,137 (USA) (14 August 2009)

Gross:

$15,102,127 (USA) (25 September 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Vantage, Gary Sanchez Productions, Kevin Messick Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Trans Am at Selleck Motors most likely wasn't used in the making of Smokey and the Bandit. The most telling sign of this is that the interior is golden brown, and not dark blue which was the color of the interior in the original Bandit car.

---

Goofs

During the scene where Don is making a tandem skydive into the Selleck dealership, there are a number of obvious mistakes regarding the parachute gear: You can see there is no main parachute connected at the "three ring circus" connector point on the main harness as the two are in the aircraft doorway; There is no drogue parachute used during the freefall; Under canopy, there are only 5 or 6 straight cords connecting the parachute to the harness, instead of 10 to 12 split lines; The parachute the two land under is very small (less than 200 square feet), instead of the 400 - 500 square feet required for a tandem rig; and when Cessna Jim pulls his parachute up after landing, it is not connected anywhere to the harness.

---

Quotes

Don Ready: Make sure your underwear is *tight* tomorrow... because you will have a boner.
Peter Selleck: Hahaha!
Jibby Newsome: Amen
Ben Selleck: I like the sound of that, Right Brent?

---

Crazy Credits

After the credits there is a scene with Don Ready and Ivy Selleck set to music.

---

Connections

References American Idol (2002)

---

Soundtracks

"The Goods"
Written by Adam McKay & Lyle Workman
Performed by Mark Campbell and the Work Release Crew
Produced by Lyle Workman

User Reviews

Plot? Who says a comedy needs a plot?

Plot? Who says a comedy needs a plot? Apparently no one ever told Andy Stock or Rick Stemson, but that doesn't seem to matter much. The Goods is an absolutely hilarious look at the irreverent business of selling used cars that hasn't been addressed this well since "Cadillac Man" or "Used Cars".

They picked the perfect cast for this side splitter. Jeremy Piven is one of those guys who can pull off the two-dimensional character with finesse. His portrayal of Don Ready is the perfect lead for this cast of unlikely car salesmen trying to save the failing dealership. Ving Rhames plays his role with audacity, as do both Kathryn Hahn and David Koechner, all three exceptional comedians in their own right.

Seeing Alan Thicke and James Brolin in the film, along with Wendie Mallck, reminds us that older actors may not take the stage often, but when they do, they know their stuff. While their roles are brief, they are exceptional and add the right amount of balance to the film.

All in all, while I don't see this film walking away with any Oscars, it is an entertaining adult comedy with some great lines and a few scenes so ridiculous they are priceless. The kiddies need to be in bed or out playing in the yard though. Rated a serious R of language and nudity. Oh, don't forget to keep your eyes peeled for a cameo by the ever hot Gina Gershon.