Top 5 Coen Bros. Characters

By Austin Johnson

I already took on the challenge of ranking my Top 5 Coen Brothers Films, but in honor of Filmgazm Episode 25 that releases on August 21st, I have decided to go a step further and rank my favorite characters that Joel and Ethan have brought to the screen. The list of nominees for my Top 5 is fucking hefty. Hell, I could make a list of my Top 5 characters from The Big Lebowski alone. I could stretch this list to 10 or even 20, but I feel like I need to keep it as exclusive as possible to properly pinpoint the ones that I truly love. This was an intense and pensive process that I have no problem going through, because it was centered around two men that have made a collection of some of the best films I have ever seen.

Here at Filmgazm, we adore the Coens and find their filmography to be one of the finest in the history of film. It’s rare to find a director who has made a handful of classics, but this is 2 brothers who have contributed 18 films that all have something to say. Worst case scenario with the Coens is you laugh a little bit and like some characters. That’s worst case… best case is a legendary film that we all talk about anytime film is brought up. The consistency is jarring and something to be praised. That’s what we do on episode 25 and that’s what I’m doing here. So, I highly encourage you explore your mind and make your own list of favorite Coen characters to grace the screen.

5.) Charlie Meadows in Barton Fink (1991)

“I pulled off early today. Took your advice, went to a doctor about this ear. He says 'You have an ear infection, ten dollars please.' So I says
'I told you I had an ear infection, you give me ten dollars!'
Well, that started an argument.”

Starting off this list is a role played by quite possibly the most valuable Coen actor ever. John Goodman has been in six Coen films, always portraying someone unforgettable. This was just the second time Goodman worked with the Coens, but I find Meadows to be one of the most refined and captivating characters they’ve ever come up with. Goodman received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Musical. I really don’t understand why the Globes do that. Just for fun, here’s who else was nominated with Goodman. Ben Kingsley for Bugsy, Harvey Keitel for Bugsy, Ned Beatty for Hear My Song, and Jack Palance who won for City Slickers. Charlie Meadows shows up in Barton Fink when Barton travels to Hollywood to write a movie. Fink checks in at the Hotel Earle and makes a noise complaint early on. Meadows then visits Fink as he was the source of noise. This first visit and apology from Meadows is my favorite scene of the whole film as it introduces this larger than life character that accelerates the story tremendously. He helps Barton and then unleashes some of the most evil terror the Coens have ever written. Joel and Ethan always write characters specifically for Goodman and I promise you’ll read more about him soon.

4.) H.I. McDunnough in Raising Arizona (1987)

“I tried to stand up and fly straight, but it wasn't easy with that sumbitch Reagan in the White House. I dunno. They say he's a decent man, so maybe his advisors are confused.”

This is the furthest I go for my characters, reaching all the way back to 1987, with the very first lovable loser in the Coens' filmography. Not only were the Coens new to the screen, but so was Nicolas Cage, who has obviously had an insane career. This role created some serious fandom for him though, as the film made an unexpected 30 million dollars at the box office after the Coens' debut film, Blood Simple only made around 5 million. Cage proved to be a face that America enjoyed and wanted more of, and oh boy have we gotten more. H.I. is a thief at heart, who specializes in robbing convenience stores. He very rarely contributes to society, going in and out of jail for robbery. He is the exact kind of guy that would have the audacity to continually hit on a police officer while getting in trouble with the law over and over. This tactic works, and he eventually marries that police officer, creating one of the wackiest couples in cinematic history. H.I. tries his best to be a stand up man, working a normal job and going home to his new wife, but when an opportunity comes to be a thief, H.I. has a hard time saying no. Shit, especially when his wife is the one enticing him.

3.) Larry Gopnik in A Serious Man (2009)

“You understand the dead cat? But... you... you can't really understand the physics without understanding the math. The math tells how it really works. That's the real thing; the stories I give you in class are just illustrative; they're like, fables, say, to help give you a picture. An imperfect model. I mean - even I don't understand the dead cat. The math is how it really works.”

We are introduced to Larry Gopnik as a man who lives an average life in Minnesota during the 1960’s. He has a wife, two children, and a brother who sleeps on his couch. Stuhlbarg is an extraordinary actor, who still doesn’t get the right amount of recognition, but this was in 2009. He was 40, and unknown due to being a stage actor through most of his 20’s and 30’s. This role got Stuhlbarg on the map, a nomination from the Golden Globes, and the pleasure of working with the Coens, who have a very dedicated fanbase. Stuhlbarg hasn’t ever been in any other Coen film, but he did appear in the FX television series, Fargo, which is obviously influenced by the Coens. It’s great, because Stuhlbarg plays a guy named Sy. Ding ding, Sy is the name of a dude that takes part in making Larry Gopnik’s life miserable in A Serious Man. Thanks for that Noah Hawley, you’re the man. Gopnik is a college professor and a member of the Jewish community and takes that faith seriously, but he contradicts any foundational belief in a religion when he is speaking to one of his classes. They are discussing the uncertainty principle and he says, “it proves we can’t ever really know... what’s going on...”. He accepts this as a fact, while remaining a believer in God. Gopnik has encounters with a wide range of everyday kind of people that have some sort of affect on him and his decline in life as he knows it. When this decline begins, Gopnik turns to his embedded religion for answers. I find Gopnik to be an extremely rewatchable kind of character, even if the happenings presented to us are depressing. We can’t deny that the things that happen to Gopnik, happen in real life. The Coens have mastered the art of simplicity, and Gopnik may not be one of the first names that comes to our minds when discussing their work, but he leaves a lasting imprint that mustn’t be ignored

2.) Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men (2007)

“I think you do. So this is what I'll offer - you bring me the money and I'll let her go. Otherwise she's accountable, same as you. That's the best deal you're gonna get. I won't tell you you can save yourself, because you can't."

The Coens showcase violence really well, and I truly believe Anton Chigurh is their masterpiece when it comes to violent villains. Javier Bardem is another Coen one timer, who knocked it out of the park in his only go around. He has been up for three Oscars and managed to get the win for Best Supporting Actor at the 80th Academy Awards for this role, beating out Casey Affleck, PSH, Hal Holbrook, and Tom Wilkinson. This is an unforgettable character that every film lover has a deep love for. We all look at coin flips a little bit different now, thanks to Anton psychologically freaking the shit out of people with one before killing them. No Country is the only Best Picture win that the Coens have received, and I’d say Anton is a massive part of that. He’s a shocking figure with some of the most precise decision making we have ever seen in a villain. The chases/showdowns between him and Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) are immaculate.

1.) Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski (1998)

“Has the whole world gone crazy? Am I the only one around
here who gives a shit about the rules? Mark it zero!”

And coming in at number one is Walter Sobchak, the wildest of wild cards. I adore The Dude, but his sidekick is the one who steals the show for me as a viewer. John Goodman is a Coen mainstay that has contributed greatly to their timeless films, and it’s a damn shame he hasn’t ever been up for an Oscar. He is the definition of a fan favorite. We all know about him breaking through as Dan Conner in Roseanne, a character you can’t be anything but excited for. Goodman has done that time and time again, winning our hearts over due to his wonderful presence on the screen. I think Walter dresses just how Goodman would on a day off. The cargo shorts, t-shirt, vest, bandana, and sunglasses. Shit, I just wanna sit back with him, smoke some cigarettes and share a case Miller Lite. His past of taking part in the Vietnam war and being converted to Judaism is masterful character background work. His outbursts are so memorable that fans of his often quote him very loudly. "You see what happens Larry?!" I get extremely excited when a conversation about the Coens comes up, because that means some Walter quotes are just around the corner.