The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
By Renee Longstreet,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Anything-goes comic raunch-fest is funny, but not for kids.

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The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
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What's the Story?
Selleck Auto sales is in trouble -- cars just aren't moving. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so Don Ready (Jeremy Piven) and his overworked cavalry of on-call super salespeople (Ving Rhames, Kathryn Hahn, David Koechner) ride to the rescue. With just one long weekend to turn things around and hundreds of cars to sell, the "only" things standing in their way are the economic downturn, shoddy vehicles, overinflated prices, and Selleck's ineffectual staff and bizarre family. Plus, there's the mandatory obnoxious rival -- in this case smarmy Paxton Harding (Ed Helms), who fancies himself a rock star and has delusions of grandeur. Ready may be a confirmed predator, but he's about to experience some truly life-changing moments -- and maybe learn a lesson or two about love and honor along the way.
Is It Any Good?
It's irreverent and beyond crass, but THE GOODS: LIVE HARD, SELL HART is also very funny. No cow is too sacred to be decimated here. Piven and a long list of brave comic performers and character actors (including a hilarious turn by producer Will Ferrell) give it their all, whether they're on screen for only a few moments or in leading roles.
It's not a movie for the easily offended, and it's definitely not a movie for kids. But if gross-out, testosterone-filled humor and the skewering of political correctness makes you laugh, then The Goods is a definite must-see.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's over-the-top style of humor. How far will filmmakers go to elicit laughter? Did any scenes make you uncomfortable?
The movie is full of jokes about race, weight, religion, sexuality, etc. Is that a form of stereotyping? Is it OK to play up stereotypes in the name of humor?
It's usually important for a movie to have a character the audience can root for. How do the filmmakers make the main characters likeable in spite of their outrageous, ridiculous behavior?
How does the movie depict "families"? How is Don's gang of salespeople like a family? Are there things to admire about their relationship? How does that family compare with the actual Selleck family?
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 14, 2009
- On DVD or streaming: December 15, 2009
- Cast: Jeremy Piven, Kathryn Hahn, Ving Rhames
- Director: Neal Brennan
- Inclusion Information: Black actors
- Studio: Paramount Vantage
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: sexual content, nudity, pervasive language and some drug material
- Last updated: March 28, 2023
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