Al Joad Appreciation Thread

I always thought Al Joad was the most underrated character in the book. He was good-natured but not one-dimensional, had a penchant for women and cars, looked up to Tom for the right reasons, and developed as a young adult when responsibilites started piling up, albeit in a more subtle manner. I don't know why, but he struck me as the most relatable of all the characters - so of course, I kept a watchful eye on the actor playing Joad in the film version.

Of course, he's simplified as a character in the film, but I guess all the characters undergo a book-to-film-adaptation metamorphosis so to speak (although in his case its pretty bad- he comes off as a comic yokel).

Still I thought O.Z. Whitehead did a good job with what he was given, and its a shame he didn't have a more successful career overall.

Am I alone in having Al Joad for a favorite character, here?