A Serious Man
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Joel Coen, Ethan Coen |
| Headquarters | Bloomington, Minnesota , United States |
| Products | Film |
A Serious Man is a 2009 dark comedy-drama crafted by Joel and Ethan Coen, who also took on the roles of producers, editors, and directors. Set against the backdrop of 1967,[1] the story follows Michael Stuhlbarg portraying a Jewish man from Minnesota whose career and family life begin to collapse, leading him to question his spiritual beliefs.
The movie garnered extensive praise from critics and was featured in the Top 10 Film Lists of 2009 by both the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. It received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Picture and Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, while Stuhlbarg earned a nomination for a Golden Globe Award. It is widely considered one of the Coen brothers’ most accomplished films and ranks among the most significant cinematic works of the 21st century.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Plot
In 19th-century Eastern Europe, a Jewish man invites Reb Groshkover, who assisted him in returning home, to share some soup. His wife insists that Groshkover is deceased and that the visitor must be a dybbuk. Although Groshkover dismisses her claim with laughter, she stabs him with an ice pick. Bleeding heavily, he departs into the snowy night.
Fast forward to 1967 in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, where Larry Gopnik, a physics professor, confronts turmoil both at work and at home. His wife Judith desires a divorce to marry the widower Sy Ableman. Their son Danny is indebted to a threatening peer from Hebrew school; the money is concealed inside a confiscated transistor radio. Their daughter Sarah withdraws from school and isolates herself socially. Larry’s brother Arthur, who is homeless and facing charges including illegal gambling, solicitation, and sodomy, temporarily lodges on Larry’s couch while obsessively developing his "Mentaculus," described as a "probability map of the universe."
Larry faces academic challenges when Clive Park, a South Korean student anxious about losing his scholarship, begs not to fail. Larry discovers an envelope containing cash left by Clive; when he tries to return it, Clive’s father threatens him over possible bribery or grade disputes. Meanwhile, Larry becomes the target of anonymous letters opposing his tenure application. Judith and Sy compel Larry and Arthur to stay in a motel; Judith drains their bank accounts, leaving Larry under financial strain and prompting him to hire a divorce lawyer.
Turning to his Jewish faith for comfort, Larry seeks advice from two rabbis who provide differing viewpoints but no definitive answers. Following simultaneous car accidents involving Larry and Sy—resulting in Sy’s death—Larry pays for Sy’s funeral at Judith’s insistence. At the funeral service, Sy is remembered as "a serious man." Larry’s neighbor Vivienne Samsky introduces him to marijuana, which triggers disturbing dreams.
Larry supports Arthur through his legal difficulties and is touched by Danny’s bar mitzvah speech, unaware that Danny has been using marijuana. Judith apologizes for recent hardships and reveals that Sy respected Larry enough to advocate on his behalf regarding tenure. Danny briefly meets senior rabbi Marshak, who enigmatically references Jefferson Airplane’s "Somebody to Love" before returning the radio.
Larry’s department chair compliments Danny’s bar mitzvah performance and implies that tenure approval is forthcoming. A $3,000 legal bill arrives for Arthur’s defense. Larry changes Clive’s grade from an F to a C− just as his doctor requests an urgent consultation concerning chest X-ray results. Meanwhile, a large tornado approaches Danny’s school while staff struggle to open the emergency shelter.
Cast
- Michael Stuhlbarg portrays Larry Gopnik
- Richard Kind appears as Arthur Gopnik
- Fred Melamed plays Sy Ableman
- Sari Lennick acts as Judith Gopnik
- Aaron Wolff embodies Danny Gopnik
- Jessica McManus features as Sarah Gopnik
- Alan Mandell takes on the role of Rabbi Marshak
- Adam Arkin is cast as Don Milgram
- George Wyner portrays Rabbi Nachtner
- Amy Landecker appears as Mrs. Vivienne Samsky
- Peter Breitmayer performs as Mr. Brandt
- Brent Braunschweig plays Mitch Brandt
- Katherine Borowitz acts as Mimi Nudell
- Allen Lewis Rickman is Velvel
- Yelena Shmulenson appears as Dora
- Fyvush Finkel plays Dybbuk?
- Simon Helberg takes the role of Rabbi Scott Ginsler
- Raye Birk appears as Dr. Shapiro
- Michael Lerner portrays Solomon Schlutz
- David Kang is cast as Clive
- Steve Park plays Clive's father
- Ari Hoptman acts as Arlen Finkle
- Andrew S. Lentz appears as Cursing Boy on Bus
- Amanda Day is featured as Art Student
- Landyn Banx plays Actor
Production
The Coen brothers aimed to capture the genuine suburban atmosphere of late 1960s St. Louis Park, Minnesota. After evaluating potential sites in Edina, Richfield, Brooklyn Center, and Hopkins, they ultimately chose Bloomington for principal filming. The visual style was influenced by Brad Zellar’s Suburban World: The Norling Photographs, which chronicles Bloomington during the 1950s and 60s.
Filming commenced on September 8, 2008, in Minnesota, with locations including Normandale Community College in Bloomington and the B'nai Emet Synagogue situated in St. Louis Park. Additional shooting took place at St. Olaf College and inside the shuttered Shingle Creek Elementary School to recreate period-appropriate interiors. Scenes set in legal offices were shot at Minneapolis’s Meshbesher & Spence law firm, whose founder is referenced within the movie. The production wrapped on November 6, 2008, completing 44 days of shooting ahead of schedule and within budget constraints.
Roger Deakins served as cinematographer for his tenth project with the Coen brothers, while costume design was led by Mary Zophres on her ninth collaboration with the duo.
The narrative draws inspiration from a rabbi from the Coens’ youth who maintained private discussions with students after religious classes concluded. Ethan Coen mentioned that the film begins with an original Yiddish folk tale created by the brothers themselves.
Open casting calls for the roles of Danny and Sarah were conducted in May 2008 at the Sabes Jewish Community Center in St. Louis Park and later in Chicago during June 2008. Notably, Patton Oswalt and Marc Maron auditioned for Arthur and Larry Gopnik respectively but were ultimately not selected.
Music
Carter Burwell composed all original music for the film, continuing his work on every previous Coen brothers production except for O Brother, Where Art Thou?. The soundtrack incorporates Yiddish songs such as "Dem Milner's Trern" by Mark Warshawsky, performed by Sidor Belarsky, which underscores Jewish cultural elements. Additionally, it features prominent 1960s tracks from artists like Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix, enhancing the film’s historical setting.
Release and reception
The movie debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2009, followed by a limited release across U.S. theaters beginning October 2, 2009.
Box office
| Release date | Domestic Gross | International Gross | Total Gross | U.S. Box Office Rank | Global Box Office Rank | Production Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2, 2009 | $9,228,768 | $22,201,566 | $31,430,334 | #3,818 | Not available | $7,000,000 |
A Serious Man generated $9.2 million within the United States and an additional $22.2 million overseas, culminating in a worldwide total of approximately $31.4 million, surpassing its $7 million production budget.
Critical response
The film A Serious Man was met with predominantly favorable critiques, maintaining an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 227 reviews and an average score of 7.90 out of 10. The critical consensus remarks that the Coen brothers combine dark humor with deeply personal subject matter to produce what may be their most sophisticated—if not their finest—work to date. On Metacritic, it achieved a score of 85 out of 100, signifying "universal acclaim."
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film four stars, emphasizing the significance of the Yiddish folktale prologue and proposing a thematic connection to a curse influencing the protagonist's fate. Steve Zemmelman, writing for Jung Journal: Culture and Psyche, linked this prologue to the recurring Jefferson Airplane soundtrack theme, symbolizing the disruption of order in Larry's existence.
Claudia Puig from USA Today commended the movie as "a marvelously unusual, darkly humorous, and thoroughly captivating" examination of themes such as faith, family dynamics, mortality, and misfortune. Time critic Richard Corliss described it as both "unsettling" and "lingering."
Multiple reviewers drew comparisons to the Biblical Book of Job. K. L. Evans characterized it as a Job narrative focusing on a protagonist beset by adversity, while David Tollerton highlighted its absurdist portrayal of human suffering and divine interaction. Slate's Juliet Lapidos interpreted the opening sequence as advocating for active perseverance.
In contrast, Joe Morgenstern from The Wall Street Journal criticized the film for its perceived cynicism and absence of redeeming qualities in its characters. David Denby of The New Yorker acknowledged the film's craftsmanship but found its script and character development bleak and difficult to endure. Zemmelman attributed such critiques to the film’s ambiguous storytelling and intricate dialogue.
Todd McCarthy observed that "A Serious Man is the type of film one can create after winning an Oscar," a view shared by Ebert. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded it five stars, calling it "an odd yet magnificent film" culminating in a striking apocalyptic vision that solidified the Coens' status as premier American filmmakers.
The movie was ranked 82nd in a BBC international critics' poll listing the greatest films since 2000 and secured the 36th position on The New York Times's 2025 compilation of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century."
Accolades
A Serious Man received numerous honors and nominations, particularly acknowledging its screenplay, performances, and cinematography. Joel and Ethan Coen won Best Original Screenplay at both the 2009 National Board of Review Awards and the 2010 National Society of Film Critics Awards. The screenplay also earned nominations for Best Original Screenplay at the 2010 Academy Awards, Writers Guild of America Awards, BAFTA Awards, Critics' Choice Awards, and Boston Society of Film Critics Awards.
The film was nominated for Best Picture at the 82nd Academy Awards and garnered recognition from the Critics' Choice Awards, Boston Society of Film Critics, and Chicago Film Critics Association. It appeared on several top ten lists for 2009 compiled by organizations including the National Board of Review, American Film Institute, Satellite Awards, and Southeastern Film Critics Association.
Michael Stuhlbarg was honored with the Chaplin Virtuoso Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. The ensemble cast—including Stuhlbarg, Kind, Melamed, and Lennick—was nominated for a Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast. At the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards, Roger Deakins secured Best Cinematography while Joel and Ethan Coen along with their cast and casting directors were presented with the Robert Altman Award.
Deakins additionally earned accolades at both the 2009 Hollywood Awards and San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards as well as receiving the Nikola Tesla Award at the Satellite Awards.
External links
- Official website for A Serious Man
- IMDb
- Box Office Mojo
- Rotten Tomatoes
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