Billy Bob Thornton as Howard D. Doyle in Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
As is to be expected from the Coen Brothers, Intolerable Cruelty is a brilliant tale full of twists and turns that takes the characters of divorce attorney Miles Massey (George Clooney) and gold-digger Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine Zeta Jones) on a rollercoaster of weddings, divorces, heart-attacks and attempted murders. The success of the complex plot rests on the audience never really knowing what to expect of Marilyn, as she tries to manipulate her way to financial independence.
For this reason, it is a glorious moment when she arrives at the office of Miles Massey – who is already infatuated with her – with a new ‘husband-to-be’ in tow. The tension ramps up as Marilyn introduces Miles to Howard D. Doyle (Billy Bob Thornton) of Doyle Oil, under the pretext of executing a pre-nuptial agreement.
While Thornton makes two more brief appearances in the movie, it is this scene that makes him stand-out, as he launches into lengthy monologue after lengthy monologue on subjects ranging from the health of his grandfather, the shopping habits of his bride-to-be and his strategies on the football field.
The combination of Thornton’s monotonous Texan drawl, well-chosen vocabulary interspersed with occasional vulgarity, and the attempts of Clooney and Zeta Jones to interrupt him make this a hilarious and impressive cameo.
