O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

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:

Sometimes, you have to lose your way to get back home

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:

Chain Gang | Mississippi | Prophet | 1930s | 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:

106 min | 107 min

Country:

UK | France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Canton, Mississippi, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

References to Homer's Odyssey: - The names of George Clooney and Holly Hunter's characters (Ulysses and Penelope) - one-eyed Big Dan as the Cyclops (blinded with a burning pole) - the three girls by the river as the Sirens - Ulysses' wife marrying someone else when he comes home - the old-man disguise - the changing of one of Ulysses' companions into an animal - the Baptists as the Lotus-eaters - the Ku Klux Klan has a rank of Grand (or Exalted) Cyclops - they catch a ride on a hand-pumped railway that is being operated by a blind prophet, who tells them that they will not find the treasure they seek. The prophet character in the Odyssey was Teiresias, whom Odysseus consulted in the underworld when he needed information on how to get home again - the movie theater scene as the trip through the Underworld. - Odysseus nearly drowned, but clings to a piece of wood. - Odysseus and Everett both reveal themselves by performing an act no one else could: Odysseus strings a special bow and fires it through seven rings; Everett sings "Man of Constant Sorrow" as only the leader of the Soggy Bottom Boys can. - "Pappy's" given name, Menelaus, is the same as the king who declared war on Troy in the first place. - the Latin equivalent of the Greek name Odysseus is Ulysses. - "Sing in me O Muse...”, the line at the beginning of the film, is the first line of the Odyssey. - the killing of the cattle of Helios by the "fools" in the Odyssey is mirrored by Baby Face Nelson shooting the cows. - every time Ulysses falls asleep something bad happens. - the song which plays throughout the movie is called "Man of Constant Sorrow", Odysseus means "man who is in constant pain and sorrow". - a man of constant sorrow is also a description of Odysseus. - Pappy's opposition for Governor's has the first name Homer. - when Ulysses first meets Big Dan in the restaurant there is a statue of Homer in the background. - There is a "Blind Bard" who pays the boys to "sing into his can". Homer was often (and probably erroneously) thought to be a blind bard who told his stories verbally to his students.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Nelson asks if any of "you fellers" knows his way around a Walther PPK. He then pulls out a submachine gun. The Walther PPK is a pistol.

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 Barton Fink (1991)

Soundtrack:

O Death

This film brought back memories.

We lived through the depression and related to some of the conditions portrayed. We have watched it perhaps a dozen times. Each time we see it we pick up on something we had missed because we were still laughing at, or discussing, an earlier scene or line. The entire film was a collection of photographically great faces. We are still asking ourselves whether the entire cast were professionals or whether some were individuals found on location. The film was rich with subtle tie-ins like the children tied together with twine, as the prisoners were connected by chains. We still think the cow may have been hit unintentionally. Fords of that era had mechanical brakes. The driver of the car may not have been accustomed the longer stopping distances required. The many allusions to Ulysses Odyssey inspired us to do an inter-net search. We found a modern text version and discovered more sly references. We appreciate blue grass and country music as originally American and found it thoroughly enjoyable, along with the authentic "Go To Sleep Little Baby" and "Down from the Mountain." We were emotionally touched by this film because of our age, and find it totally entertaining every time we view it. We are still amazed that someone not of our generation could have captured the essence of that period of United States history.