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A Serious Man

  • 2009
  • R
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
160K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,310
152
Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man (2009)
A black comedy set in 1967 and centered on on Larry Gopnik (Stuhlbarg), a Midwestern professor who watches his life unravel when his wife prepares to leave him because his inept brother (Kind) won't move out of the house.
Play trailer1:41
8 Videos
99+ Photos
Dark ComedyPeriod DramaPsychological DramaQuirky ComedyTragedyComedyDrama

Larry Gopnik, a Midwestern physics teacher, watches his life unravel over multiple sudden incidents. Despite seeking meaning and answers amidst his turmoils, he seems to keep sinking.Larry Gopnik, a Midwestern physics teacher, watches his life unravel over multiple sudden incidents. Despite seeking meaning and answers amidst his turmoils, he seems to keep sinking.Larry Gopnik, a Midwestern physics teacher, watches his life unravel over multiple sudden incidents. Despite seeking meaning and answers amidst his turmoils, he seems to keep sinking.

  • Directors
    • Ethan Coen
    • Joel Coen
  • Writers
    • Joel Coen
    • Ethan Coen
  • Stars
    • Michael Stuhlbarg
    • Richard Kind
    • Sari Lennick
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    160K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,310
    152
    • Directors
      • Ethan Coen
      • Joel Coen
    • Writers
      • Joel Coen
      • Ethan Coen
    • Stars
      • Michael Stuhlbarg
      • Richard Kind
      • Sari Lennick
    • 451User reviews
    • 326Critic reviews
    • 88Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 17 wins & 80 nominations total

    Videos8

    A Serious Man -- Trailer #1
    Trailer 1:41
    A Serious Man -- Trailer #1
    A Guide to the Films of the Coen Brothers
    Clip 1:56
    A Guide to the Films of the Coen Brothers
    A Guide to the Films of the Coen Brothers
    Clip 1:56
    A Guide to the Films of the Coen Brothers
    "Living Arrangements" from A Serious Man
    Clip 0:44
    "Living Arrangements" from A Serious Man
    "I Tried to Be a Serious Man" from A Serious Man
    Clip 0:58
    "I Tried to Be a Serious Man" from A Serious Man
    A Serious Man
    Interview 0:46
    A Serious Man
    A Serious Man
    Interview 0:27
    A Serious Man

    Photos122

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 116
    View Poster

    Top Cast76

    Michael Stuhlbarg
    Michael Stuhlbarg
    • Larry Gopnik
    Richard Kind
    Richard Kind
    • Uncle Arthur
    Sari Lennick
    Sari Lennick
    • Judith Gopnik
    Fred Melamed
    Fred Melamed
    • Sy Ableman
    Aaron Wolff
    Aaron Wolff
    • Danny Gopnik
    Jessica McManus
    Jessica McManus
    • Sarah Gopnik
    Peter Breitmayer
    Peter Breitmayer
    • Mr. Brandt
    Brent Braunschweig
    • Mitch Brandt
    David Kang
    • Clive Park
    Benjamin Portnoe
    • Danny's Reefer Buddy
    Jack Swiler
    • Boy on Bus
    Andrew S. Lentz
    • Cursing Boy on Bus
    Jon Kaminski Jr.
    • Mike Fagle
    Ari Hoptman
    • Arlen Finkle
    Alan Mandell
    • Rabbi Marshak
    Amy Landecker
    Amy Landecker
    • Mrs. Samsky
    George Wyner
    George Wyner
    • Rabbi Nachtner
    Michael Tezla
    • Dr. Sussman
    • Directors
      • Ethan Coen
      • Joel Coen
    • Writers
      • Joel Coen
      • Ethan Coen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews451

    7.0159.5K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'A Serious Man' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
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    Quirky Comedy
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    Drama

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      Since minors are only allowed on film sets for only a few hours a day when compared to the adult cast and crew, the sets for Dr. Sussman's bedroom, the Jolly Roger Motel Room, and the sci-fi movie that Danny is watching on the television were all built in the gym of the same high school all the Hebrew school scenes were shot so if any of the scenes involving children were taking too long to shoot, they could knock off any of these other scenes without having to transport the entire crew and adjust the schedule accordingly.
    • Goofs
      In the final scenes where Larry changes Clive's failing grade, you can clearly see the erasure marks of the new grade before he erases the old one. This could denote the film makers needing several takes to get the right shot. Yet, it could also have been chosen to be included on purpose to show that Larry struggled many times with the morality of passing Clive, going so far as to update his grade, but had changed his mind.
    • Quotes
      • Rabbi Nachtner: You know Lee Sussman.
      • Larry Gopnik: Doctor Sussman? I think I - yeah.
      • Rabbi Nachtner: Did he ever tell you about the goy's teeth?
      • Larry Gopnik: No... I- What goy?
      • Rabbi Nachtner: So... Lee is at work one day; you know he has the orthodontic practice there at Great Bear. He's making a plaster mold - it's for corrective bridge work - in the mouth of one of his patients, Russell Kraus. The mold dries and Lee is examining it one day before fabricating an appliance. He notices something unusual. There appears to be something engraved on the inside of the patient's lower incisors. He vav shin yud ayin nun yud. "Hwshy 'ny". "Help me, save me". This in a goy's mouth, Larry. He calls the goy back on the pretense of needing additional measurements for the appliance. "How are you? Noticed any other problems with your teeth?" No. There it is. "Hwshy 'ny". "Help me". Son of a gun. Sussman goes home. Can Sussman eat? Sussman can't eat. Can Sussman sleep? Sussman can't sleep. Sussman looks at the molds of his other patients, goy and Jew alike, seeking other messages. He finds none. He looks in his own mouth. Nothing. He looks in his wife's mouth. Nothing. But Sussman is an educated man. Not the world's greatest sage, maybe, no Rabbi Marshak, but he knows a thing or two from the Zohar and the Caballah. He knows that every Hebrew letter has its numeric equivalent. 8-4-5-4-4-7-3. Seven digits... a phone number, maybe? "Hello? Do you know a goy named Kraus, Russell Kraus?" Who? "Where have I called? The Red Owl in Bloomington. Thanks so much." He goes. It's a Red Owl. Groceries; what have you. Sussman goes home. What does it mean? He has to find out if he is ever to sleep again. He goes to see... the Rabbi Nachtner. He comes in, he sits right where you're sitting right now. "What does it mean, Rabbi? Is it a sign from Hashem, 'Help me'? I, Sussman, should be doing something to help this goy? Doing what? The teeth don't say. Or maybe I'm supposed to help people generally, lead a more righteous life? Is the answer in Caballah? In Torah? Or is there even a question? Tell me, Rabbi, what can such a sign mean?"
      • [pause as the Rabbi drinks his tea]
      • Larry Gopnik: So what did you tell him?
      • Rabbi Nachtner: Sussman?
      • Larry Gopnik: Yes!
      • Rabbi Nachtner: Is it... relevant?
      • Larry Gopnik: Well, isn't that why you're telling me?
      • Rabbi Nachtner: Okay. Nachtner says, look. The teeth, we don't know. A sign from Hashem? Don't know. Helping others... couldn't hurt.
      • Larry Gopnik: No! No, but... who put it there? Was it for him, Sussman, or for whoever found it, or for just, for, for...
      • Rabbi Nachtner: We can't know everything.
      • Larry Gopnik: It sounds like you don't know anything! Why even tell me the story?
      • Rabbi Nachtner: [chuckling] First I should tell you, then I shouldn't.
      • Larry Gopnik: What happened to Sussman?
      • Rabbi Nachtner: What would happen? Not much. He went back to work. For a while he checked every patient's teeth for new messages. He didn't find any. In time, he found he'd stopped checking. He returned to life. These questions that are bothering you, Larry - maybe they're like a toothache. We feel them for a while, then they go away.
      • Larry Gopnik: I don't want it to just go away! I want an answer!
      • Rabbi Nachtner: Sure! We all want the answer! But Hashem doesn't owe us the answer, Larry. Hashem doesn't owe us anything. The obligation runs the other way.
      • Larry Gopnik: Why does he make us feel the questions if he's not gonna give us any answers?
      • Rabbi Nachtner: He hasn't told me.
      • [Larry puts his face in his hands in despair]
      • Larry Gopnik: And... what happened to the goy?
      • Rabbi Nachtner: The goy? Who cares?
    • Crazy credits
      At the end of the credits is a line advising that "No Jews were harmed in the making of this motion picture."
    • Connections
      Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Surrogates/Pandorum/Fame (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Somebody to Love
      Written by Darby Slick
      Performed by Jefferson Airplane
      Courtesy of The RCA Records Label
      By arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

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    FAQ5

    • Is "A Serious Man" based on a book?
    • When is the film set?
    • Was Sy writing the derogative letters to the tenure board?

    Details

    • Release date
      • November 6, 2009 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • France
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • Yiddish
      • Hebrew
    • Also known as
      • Un hombre serio
    • Filming locations
      • Czech Republic(scenes before opening credits)
    • Production companies
      • Focus Features
      • StudioCanal
      • Relativity Media
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $7,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $9,228,768
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $251,337
      • Oct 4, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $31,431,652
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 46m(106 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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