YEAR 2009 RUNNING TIME 105 MPAA R BBFC 15 BUDGET $? US BOX OFFICE $?

SYNOPSIS: “A Serious Man” is the story of an ordinary man’s search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and “F-Troop” is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous colleagues, Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry’s unemployable brother Arthur (Richard Kind) is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny (Aaron Wolf) is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah (Jessica McManus) is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. While his wife and Sy Ableman blithely make new domestic arrangements, and his brother becomes more and more of a burden, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larry’s chances for tenure at the university. Also, a graduate student seems to be trying to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue him for defamation. Plus, the beautiful woman next door torments him by sunbathing nude. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person – a mensch – a serious man?

CAST

Michael Stuhlbarg - Larry Gopnick

Richard Kind - Uncle Arthur

Adam Arkin - Doug Milgram

George Wyner - Rabbi Nachter

Sari Lennick - Judith Gopnik

Simon Helberg - Rabbi Scott Ginzler

Fyvush Finkel - Reb Groshkover

Katharine Borowitz - Mimi Nudell

Fred Melamed - Sy Ableman

 

NOTES: Shooting began on 8th September 2008 and wrapped on Wednesday November 5th, 44 days after starting, ahead of schedule and under budget.

Due to a scheduling snafu Roger Deakins could not perform his usual cinematographer role on the Coen's previous movie Burn After Reading but he's back for A Serious Man making it his 10th Coen brothers movie.

A Serious Man has it's world premiere as a "Special Presentation" at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival.

11.1 tons of waste was composted during the making of the movie.

The movie was release on 2nd October 2009 in the US and 20th November in the UK.

A Serious Man played at many, many film festivals including Toronto, Leeds (UK), London and the UK Jewish Film Festival.

The names of the characters who ride the school bus with Danny Gopnick are the names of children that the Coen brothers grew up with.

The criminal lawyer that Larry is told to go to, Ron Meshbesher, is actually a local lawyer in Minneapolis. He is of the firm Meshbesher and Spence. The address that is on the retainer envelope at the end of the movie is their actual downtown address.

When Larry is looking at the class list with the grades during end of the movie, the last student name is Mary Zophres . Zophres is the costume designer on this film.

The voice of Dick Dutton, the Columbia Record Club employee who harasses Larry on the phone, is supplied by actor Warren Keith . This is the second time he has appeared in a Coen Brothers film playing a character heard only on the phone. He also supplies the voice of Reilly Diefenbach, the GMAC finance officer who calls Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo.

 

A Serious Man contains a lot of Jewish/Yiddish words, here's a handy glossary;

Agunah (pronounced “ahgoonah”) – a divorced person who has not been religiously sanctioned to remarry.
As in when Judy says, “Without a Gett I'm an Agunah.”

Bar mitzvah – Jewish religion's important ceremony, held in a  synagogue for a young man who has come of age (at 13) and will now be responsible for practicing and upholding Jewish values, morals, and traditions; female equivalent (at 12 or 13) is a  bat mitzvah .
As in when Larry says, “But I'm so strapped for cash right now—carrying the mortgage and paying for the Jolly Roger, and I wrecked the car and Danny's bar mitzvah coming up…”

Bupkes (also spelled  bupkis ) – nothing; applied with great emphasis.
As in when Arthur says, “You've got a  family . You've got a  job .  Hashem hasn't given me bupkes .”

Chacham (also spelled  chakham ,  hakham or  haham ) – a wise or learned man, usually a great  Torah scholar.
As in when the Man says, “You know, Reb Groshkover! Pesel Bunim's uncle! The  chacham from Lodz, who studied under the Zohar reb in Krakow!”

Dybbuk (pronounced “dibbuck”) – The soul of a dead person, often looking to possess a live person and as such inspiring fear among the living.
As in when Reb Groshkover says, “I shaved hastily this morning and missed a bit—by you this makes me a dybbuk?”

Gett – ref.,  agunah (above); a religiously sanctioned divorce, tandemed with the sanction to remarry.
As in when Judy says, “Esther is dead three years. And it was a loveless marriage. Sy wants a Gett.”

Goy – colloquial term for a person not of the Jewish faith (i.e., a Gentile)
As in when Rabbi Nachtner says, “Do you know a goy named Kraus? Russel Kraus?”

Haftorah – Portions of the Hebrew Bible read aloud in synagogue services, including by a  bar mitzvah boy.
As in when Larry says, “How's the haftorah coming? Can you maybe use the hi-fi?”

Hashem – means The Name, and is basic Hebrew term/name used for God.
As in when Rabbi Scott says, “I too have had the feeling of losing track of Hashem , which is the problem here. I too have forgotten how to see Him in the world.”

Kabballah (also spelled  caballah or cabala ) – an interpretation of the Scriptures based on an oral tradition that supposedly began with Abraham.
As in when Rabbi Nachtner says, “But Sussman is an educated man. Not the world's greatest sage, maybe, no Rabbi Marshak, but he knows a thing or two from the Zohar and the Caballah.”

Macher (pronounced “mohhcc-er”) – an achiever, a person of importance/influence.

Mazel tov! (pronounced “mozzle-tov!”) – Congratulations!
As in when the Doctor says, “Well,  mazel tov . They grow up fast, don't they?”

Mensch (pronounced “mensh”) – someone with strength of character/an applied sense of purpose.

Mitzvah – good deedor blessing, though mostly used in an everyday and non-religious context.
As in when Reb Groshkover says, “One does a  mitzvah and this is the thanks one gets?”

Nu? – What's up? What's the story here?
As in when the Principal says, “Hmm… eh… nu?”

Rabbi (pronounced “rab-eye”) – Ordained Jewish religious scholar/teacher, often relied upon as community leader.
As in when Judy says, “I have  begged you to see the Rabbi.”

Reb – Formal-address equivalent of Mister.
As in when the Man says, “I assure you, Reb Groshkover, it's nothing personal; she heard a story you had died, three years ago, at Pesel Bunim's house.”

Shabbas (or,  shabbos , from  Shabbat ) – Judaism's Sabbath, from Friday evening through Saturday evening
As in when Rabbi Nachtner says, “Danny Gopnik, the Sisterhood makes a gift to you of this kiddush cup so that you will remember this blessed day on the next shabbas and the next, and on every shabbas of a long and fruitful life…”

Shtetl (pronounced “shtet-el”) – a small Jewish village, in bygone times, in Eastern Europe.

Shiva – means seven, and also refers to the participatory seven-day mourning period for the recently deceased.
As in when the Wife says, “Traitle Groshkover died of typhus in Pesel Bunim's house. Pesel told me—she sat  shiva for him.”

Shul – a  synagogue and its congregation.
As in when Rabbi Scott says, “Because with the right perspective you can see the  Hashem , you know, reaching into the world. He is in the world, not just in shul.”

Synagogue (pronounced “sinagog”) – a Jewish house of worship.

Torah – the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures, transcribed onto a scroll for use in  synagogue services including a  bar mitzvah .
As in when Rabbi Nachtner says, “Is the answer in Caballah? In Torah? Or is there even a question?”

Zohar – the main text of  Kabbalah , the Zohar is a mystical interpretation of the  Torah .
As in when Rabbi Nachtner says, “ He knows a thing or two from the Zohar and the Caballah.”

AWARDS: N/A - not yet released.
FOCUS FEATURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH STUDIOCANAL AND RELATIVITY MEDIA AWORKING TITLE PRODUCTION
"A SERIOUS MAN" MICHAEL STUHLBARG RICHARD KIND CASTING BY ELLEN CHENOWETH RACHEL TENNER
MUSIC BY CARTER BURWELL COSTUME DESIGNER MARY ZOPHRES PRODUCTION DESIGNER JESS GONCHOR
EDITED BY RODERICK JAYNES DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY ROGER DEAKINSASC,BSC EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS TIM BEVAN ERIC FELLNER ROBERT GRAF WRITTEN, PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY JOEL COEN AND ETHAN COEN

"He doesn't LOOK busy...".- Larry Gopnik