O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

Director:

Joel Coen

Writers:

Homer (epic poem "The Odyssey")
Ethan Coen (written by) ...

Release Date:

22 December 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Adventure | Crime | Music

Tagline:

They have a plan, but not a clue.

Plot:

Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey", set in the deep south during the 1930's. In it, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.

Plot Keywords:

Salesman | Betrayal | Reform | Prayer | Bank

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 29 nominations

Cast

George Clooney	...	Everett
John Turturro	...	Pete
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Delmar
John Goodman	...	Big Dan Teague
Holly Hunter	...	Penny
Chris Thomas King	...	Tommy Johnson
Charles Durning	...	Pappy O'Daniel
Del Pentecost	...	Junior O'Daniel
Michael Badalucco	...	George Nelson
J.R. Horne	...	Pappy's Staff
Brian Reddy	...	Pappy's Staff
Wayne Duvall	...	Homer Stokes
Ed Gale	...	The Little Man
Ray McKinnon	...	Vernon T. Waldrip
Daniel von Bargen	...	Sheriff Cooley (as Daniel Von Bargen)

Also Known As:

O' Brother (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence and language.

Runtime:

107 min | 106 min

Country:

UK | France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:G (Québec) | Finland:K-14 | Sweden:11 | France:U | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Germany:12 | Australia:M | South Korea:15 | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | Norway:11 | New Zealand:M | Iceland:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #37333) | Malaysia:U | Brazil:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Canton, Mississippi, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

In the Odyssey, Ulysses angers the god Poseidon with pride, and is thus sent on his journey. His travels come to an end when he shows humility. Everett similarly scoffs at the baptisms of Pete and Delmar, and soon finds many obstacles in his path homeward. His trek also ends when he humbles himself. Not ironically, water is involved at both points - the baptisms and the flooding - since Poseidon was the god of the waters.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the crowd is escorting "Baby Face" Nelson to the electric chair, two musicians are playing. One is playing the fiddle, the other a mandolin. However, the music we hear is that of a fiddle and guitar.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ulysses Everett McGill: Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?

Movie Connections:

References Down by Law (1986)

Soundtrack:

Hard Time Killing Floor Blues

Pretty darn good

Having seen most of the Coen Brothers previous films I expected something different and slighty off centre. OBWAT is certainly those things, but it also has a heart as big as..well..as big as Mississippi. It is one of the most plainly enjoyable movies to have come out in recent times, intelligent, well-crafted, clever and superbly acted.

Characters are delivered in their myriad shades by a group of marvellous actors. George Clooney winning me over completely with his Clark Gable-ish looks and character. Having only ever seen him in Three Kings and his Thin Red Line cameo, I am now a fan. More comedy please George.

John Tuturro and Tim Blake Nelson ably assist, especially Nelson. If ever "The Simpsons" is made into a movie then he must be a natural to play Cletus the slack-jawed yokel. I don't think there is a performance that falls short of excellent from the entire cast. My special favorite is Stephen Root as the blind Radio Station Man.

Great old-timey music, a jiggy type dance by Clooney that I am trying to learn, and a feel of depression era southern US enhanced by sepia-like photography make this the best movie I've see so far this century. The only drawback to the film is that it has almost sent me broke buying the soundtrack, the DVD and a DVD player to play it on....it's THAT good!