IMDb > Barton Fink (1991)
Barton Fink
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Barton Fink (1991) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 8 NEW)
Barton Fink (1991) -- In 1941, New York intellectual playwright Barton Fink comes to Hollywood to write a Wallace Beery wrestling picture...
Barton Fink (1991) -- Open-ended Trailer from 20th Century Fox
Barton Fink (1991) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)
Barton Fink (1991) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
Barton Fink (1991) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   29,030 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Joel Coen
more
Writers:
Joel Coen (written by) &
Ethan Coen (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Barton Fink on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
21 August 1991 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
Between Heaven and Hell There's Always Hollywood! more
Plot:
In 1941, New York intellectual playwright Barton Fink comes to Hollywood to write a Wallace Beery wrestling picture... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(39 articles)
Halfway House: Oh Suzanne-ah
 (From FilmExperience. 3 November 2009, 9:00 AM, PST)

A Serious Man Review
 (From Collider.com. 15 October 2009, 8:57 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
I'll show you the life of the mind... more (170 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language and some scenes of violence.
Runtime:
116 min
Country:
USA | UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Company:
Circle Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The parts played by John Turturro, John Goodman, Jon Polito and Steve Buscemi were all written with them in mind. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The corpses of Detective Mastrionotti and Detective Deutsch disappear from the hallway when Barton walks out of his room after talking with Charlie. more
Quotes:
Charlie: What a day. Felt like I couldn't sell ice water in the Sahara. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Sympathy (2007/I) more
Soundtrack:
DOWN SOUTH CAMP MEETING more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
69 out of 75 people found the following comment useful.
I'll show you the life of the mind..., 28 March 2000
10/10

I am absolutely amazed at the fantastic taste of the imdb readership, having loved this film for years and always been told by people I'd told about it and persuaded to watch that it was no good, I finally find some other people out there who love it as much as me, posting (mostly) extremely positive comments...This is a fabulous film, dripping with a brooding, sticky atmosphere that draws you in to the clammy world of Barton Fink, sat in his hotel room listening to the creaking of the wallpaper as it dribbles moistly from the walls, searching for inspiration in his tacky painting and dusty typewriter...Perhaps it is a little dark for some tastes, but as black comedy goes this is the blackest and the most biting there is, the Hollywood system and New York theatrical snobbery lampooned with equal viciousness. Deep insight into the nature of the creative spirit, a plethora of fine performances bringing at first stereotypical characters to full life (despite the unreal, fable-like atmosphere created by the slimy, glistening colours reminiscent of the films of Jeunet&Caro...), and many moments of hilarity make this a perfect movie, one I would not hesitate in recommending to anyone despite the fairly high probability they will hate it. A lack of any underlying morality, an absence of absolutes of right and wrong, good and bad, give this film a unique feeling that it could go anywhere. The last twenty minutes are about the most powerful I have ever seen in anything, at the end of almost every scene I thought it could end there and be an amazing film, yet each further scene only added further depth and poignancy. The first time I saw it, it left me drained, mind spinning, hands shaking, barely able to reach for the remote to rewind it to watch it again...

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Barton Fink (1991)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
WHAT IS IN THE BOX?? lucafik
Barton Fink + David Lynch estockme
Barton's Parents + Uncle robcoates20
Audrey VinnyG113
Did the Coens borrow from Bergman's 'Persona'? {spoiler} nashby5
Tony Shalhoub nashby5
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