A Serious Man (2009)
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A Minnesotan Jewish man's life begins to unravel professionally and personally as he faces a series of misfortunes.
The story
Set in 1967, the film follows Larry Gopnik, a professor of physics in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. His life begins to unravel when his wife, Judith, informs him she needs a divorce to marry another man. Simultaneously, Larry faces professional hurdles regarding his tenure and a legal dilemma involving a student's payment. As his personal life crumbles and his brother faces legal trouble, Larry finds himself navigating a series of unfortunate events and seeking solace in his faith, all while dealing with the complexities of his family's situation and the looming pressures of his career.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film opens with a Yiddish folk tale about a man who invites a 'dybbuk' into his home. In 1967, Larry Gopnik, a physics professor in Minnesota, faces a crumbling life. His wife Judith wants a divorce to marry Sy Ableman. Larry's brother Arthur is homeless and facing legal issues. A student, Clive Park, leaves a large sum of money in Larry's office, leading to a legal threat from Clive's father. After Judith and Sy demand Larry and Arthur move into a motel, Judith empties their bank accounts. Larry suffers a series of misfortunes, including a car crash where Sy dies, and he seeks guidance from various rabbis. He is introduced to marijuana by a neighbor, Vivienne. Amidst these trials, Larry's son Danny is involved in a drug-related incident at school. Eventually, Larry is told he may receive tenure, but a medical emergency arises just as a tornado approaches his son's school.
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Joel Coen; Ethan Coen
- Writers
- Joel Coen · writer; Ethan Coen · writer
- Cast and characters
- Michael Stuhlbarg · Larry Gopnik; Richard Kind · Arthur Gopnik; Fred Melamed · Sy Ableman; Sari Lennick · Judith Gopnik; Aaron Wolff · Danny Gopnik; Jessica McManus · Sarah Gopnik; Alan Mandell · Rabbi Marshak; Adam Arkin · Don Milgram
- Genres
- black comedy; drama
- Themes
- faith; family; mortality; misfortune
- Tone and mood
- black comedy; bleak; disquieting; haunting
- Premise and plot tags
- dysfunctional families; educators; Jews and Judaism; bar and bat mitzvahs
- Source material / true-story basis
- Yiddish folk tale
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim and was considered one of the Coen brothers' best films and one of the greatest films of the 21st century.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 89% · scale: percentage · review count: 227; Metacritic · score: 85 · scale: 100 · review count: 38
- Awards and nominations
- Best Original Screenplay · National Board of Review Awards · 2009 · win; Best Picture · Academy Awards · 2010 · nomination; Best Original Screenplay · Academy Awards · 2010 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's look is partly based on the Brad Zellar book Suburban World: The Norling Photographs.; The film's original music is by Carter Burwell.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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