1 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Made its money back 4.5× over at the box office.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
A Serious Man
"Accept mystery."
2009 1h 46m EN
👍
6.7
SOLID
🍅
89%
FRESH
💯
88
METACRITIC
⭐
7
IMDB
★6.7TMDB · 2,473🍅89%Rotten Tomatoes●88Metacritic★7IMDB · 155,273
ComedyDrama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik, a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith that she is leaving him. He scrambles to find a semblance of meaning as he loses control of nearly every aspect of his life.
“Accept mystery.”
Cast
Michael Stuhlbarg
Larry Gopnik
Richard Kind
Uncle Arthur
Fred Melamed
Sy Ableman
Sari Lennick
Judith Gopnik
Aaron Wolff
Danny Gopnik
Jessica McManus
Sarah Gopnik
Peter Breitmayer
Mr. Brandt
Brent Braunschweig
Mitch Brandt
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Ethan Coen
- Writers
- Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
- Languages
- Hebrew, Yiddish, Italian, English
- Countries
- United States of America, United Kingdom, France
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 17 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Hebrew, Yiddish, Italian, English.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 3 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom, France.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Ethan Coen, shot by Roger Deakins. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Carter Burwell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Joel Coen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Michael Stuhlbarg and Richard Kind and Fred Melamed carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Ethan Coen directs. Roger Deakins behind the camera. Carter Burwell scores. Joel Coen cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America, United Kingdom, France. Dialogue in Hebrew, Yiddish, Italian, English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Made its money back 4.5× over at the box office.
- 2Released 17 years ago.
- 3Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Hebrew, Yiddish, Italian, English.
- 4International production across 3 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom, France.
- 5Directed by Ethan Coen, shot by Roger Deakins. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Original score by Carter Burwell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 7Editor Joel Coen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 8Michael Stuhlbarg and Richard Kind and Fred Melamed carry the top of the cast.
- 9Marketing tagline: "Accept mystery.".
- 10IMDB entry: tt1019452 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 11Classified under 20 themes, including "dreams", "midlife crisis", "professor", "minnesota".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Roger Deakins
- Original score
- Carter Burwell
- Editing
- Joel Coen
- Production design
- Jess Gonchor
- Costume design
- Mary Zophres
- Makeup / hair
- Fríða Aradóttir
- VFX supervisor
- Vincent Cirelli
- Sound
- Craig Berkey
- Stunt coordinator
- Jery Hewitt
- Runtime
- 106 min · 1h 46m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $7,000,000
- Box office
- $31,400,000
- Return
- 449% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- R
- Rotten Tomatoes
- 89% 🍅 Fresh
- Metacritic
- 88/100
- IMDB rating
- 7/10 · 155,273 votes
- MPAA
- R
Awards
Nominated for 2 Oscars. 17 wins & 80 nominations total
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.
Also by
Ethan Coen
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
Focus Features
US
StudioCanal
FR
Relativity Media
US
Working Title
GB
Mike Zoss Productions
US
Key crew
- EditorJoel Coen
- CastingRachel Tenner
- EditorEthan Coen
- CastingEllen Chenoweth
- Executive ProducerRobert Graf
- Production DesignJess Gonchor
- ProducerEthan Coen
- Art DirectionDeborah Jensen
- Executive ProducerEric Fellner
- ProducerJoel Coen
- Executive ProducerTim Bevan
- Set DecorationNancy Haigh
- Costume DesignMary Zophres
- Hair Department HeadFríða Aradóttir
- Production SupervisorKaren Ruth Getchell
- Script SupervisorThomas Johnston
- Makeup Department HeadJean Ann Black
- Still PhotographerWilson Webb
- Supervising Sound EditorSkip Lievsay
- Sound DesignerCraig Berkey
- Sound Re-Recording MixerGreg Orloff
- Special Effects CoordinatorLarz Anderson
- Stunt CoordinatorJery Hewitt
- Sound Re-Recording MixerCraig Berkey
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- dreams
- midlife crisis
- professor
- minnesota
- dark comedy
- rabbi
- bar mitzvah
- marijuana
- morality
- jewish american
- bribery
- school bus
- bribe
- jewish family
- physics professor
- 1960s
- ethics
- transistor radio
- nightmares
- flirty neighbor
Release history · US
When it landed
- Premiere2009-09-24· Friars Club Comedy Film Festival
- Theatrical (limited)2009-10-02R
- Theatrical2009-11-06R
Also known as
International titles
- Egy komoly emberHU
- 正经好人CN
- 非常憨男离奇失婚CN
- Ενας Σοβαρός ΑνθρωποςGR
- Un Tipo SerioSV
- 시리어스 맨KR
- Serious Man, AUS
- Um Homem SérioPT
