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A Serious Man ()


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Larry Gopnik, a Midwestern physics teacher, watches his life unravel over multiple sudden incidents. Though seeking meaning and answers amidst his turmoils, he seems to keep sinking.

Directors:
Writers:
Awards:
  • Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 78 nominations.
  • See more »
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Complete, Cast awaiting verification

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Larry Gopnik
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Uncle Arthur
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Sy Ableman
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Judith Gopnik
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Danny Gopnik
Jessica McManus ...
Sarah Gopnik
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Mr. Brandt
Brent Braunschweig ...
Mitch Brandt
David Kang ...
Clive Park
Benjamin Portnoe ...
Danny's Reefer Buddy
Jack Swiler ...
Boy on Bus
Andrew S. Lentz ...
Cursing Boy on Bus
Jon Kaminski Jr. ...
Mike Fagle
Ari Hoptman ...
Arlen Finkle
Alan Mandell ...
Rabbi Marshak
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Mrs. Samsky
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Rabbi Nachtner
Michael Tezla ...
Dr. Sussman
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Friend at the Picnic
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Clive's Father (as Stephen Park)
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Shtetl Husband
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Shtetl Wife
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Dybbuk?
Ronald Schultz ...
Hebrew School Teacher
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Dr. Shapiro
Jane Hammill ...
Larry's Secretary
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Marshak's Secretary
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Rabbi Scott
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Divorce Lawyer
James Cada ...
Cop #1 (as Jim Cada)
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Solomon Schlutz
Charles Brin ...
Hebrew School Principal
Michael Engel ...
Torah Blesser
Tyson Bidner ...
Magbiah
Phyllis Harris ...
Hebrew School Tea Lady
Piper Sigel-Bruse ...
D'vorah (as Piper Sigel Bruse)
Hannah Nemer ...
Sarah's Friend
Rita Vassallo ...
Law Firm Secretary
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Dick Dutton (voice) (as Warren David Keith)
Neil Newman ...
Cantor
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Detective #1
Jim Lichtscheidl ...
Detective #2
Wayne A. Evenson ...
Russell Krauss (as Wayne Evenson)
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Sci-Fi Movie Hero (as Scott Baker)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Physics Student (uncredited)
Alana Bloom ...
Physics Student (uncredited)
Stephanie Bright ...
Physics Student (uncredited)
Rita Cannon ...
Physics Student (uncredited)
Matt Cici ...
Physics Student (uncredited)
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Bar Mitzvah Guest (uncredited)
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Physics Student (uncredited)
Devon A Early ...
Physics Student (uncredited)
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1960s Beach Party Attendee (uncredited)
Jon Foss ...
Physics Student (uncredited)
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Physics Student (uncredited)
Rachel Grubb ...
Bar Mitzvah Guest (uncredited)
Dan Heddlson ...
Teacher (uncredited)
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Neighborhood Kid (uncredited)
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Physics Student (uncredited)
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Physics Nerd (uncredited)
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Physics Nerd (uncredited)
Nicole Kruex ...
Physics Student (uncredited)
Katherine Loudenslager ...
Hostess (uncredited)
Tammara Melloy ...
Mom on the beach (uncredited)
Lauri Mueller ...
Bar Mitzvah and Funeral Guest (uncredited)
Helen Murray ...
Grocery Store Patron (uncredited)
Lisa Pechmiller ...
Bar Mitzvah Guest (uncredited)
Asher Pink ...
Bar Mitzvah Guest (uncredited)
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Girl at Beach (uncredited)
Lisa-Lou Rosenberg ...
Bar Mitzvah and Funeral Guest (uncredited)
...
Bar Mitzvah Guest (uncredited)
Benjamin Terry ...
College student (uncredited)
Joel Thingvall ...
Bar Mitzvah Guest (uncredited)
Luke Weber ...
Student (uncredited)
Steven Wothe ...
Bar Mitzvah and Funeral Guest (uncredited)

Directed by

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Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Written by

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Joel Coen ... (written by) &
Ethan Coen ... (written by)

Produced by

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Tim Bevan ... executive producer
Ethan Coen ... producer
Joel Coen ... producer
Eric Fellner ... executive producer
Robert Graf ... executive producer

Music by

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Carter Burwell

Cinematography by

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Roger Deakins ... director of photography

Editing by

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Ethan Coen ... (as Roderick Jaynes)
Joel Coen ... (as Roderick Jaynes)

Editorial Department

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Zana Bochar ... apprentice editor
Rick J. Brown ... colorist: dailies (as Rick Brown)
Buster Jacob Coen ... editorial intern (as Buster Coen)
Roland Eisinger ... digital intermediate scanning & recording operator
Emma Gaffney ... first assistant editor
Michael Hatzer ... supervising colorist: Efilm
Ken Lebre ... dailies producer
Christopher McDonald ... dailies operator
Katie Mcquerrey ... associate editor (as Katherine McQuerrey)
Loan Phan ... digital intermediate producer
Lisa Tutunjian ... digital intermediate editor
George Chavez ... color timer (uncredited)
Marc Lulkin ... digital color assist (uncredited)
Philippe Majdalani ... digital intermediate assistant producer (uncredited)

Casting By

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Ellen Chenoweth
Rachel Tenner

Production Design by

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Jess Gonchor

Art Direction by

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Deborah Jensen

Set Decoration by

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Nancy Haigh

Costume Design by

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Mary Zophres

Makeup Department

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Fríða Aradóttir ... hair department head (as Fríða S. Aradóttir)
Jean Ann Black ... makeup department head (as Jean A. Black) / makeup designer (as Jean A. Black)
Mary Flaa ... co-makeup department head (as Mary K Flaa)
Deanna Johnson ... hair stylist (as Deanna L. Johnson)
Carrie Messina ... assistant makeup artist
Christien Tinsley ... age effects makeup
Maureen Landa ... makeup artist (uncredited) / makeup continuity (uncredited)
Cara Sophia Tollefson ... makeup artist day player (uncredited)
Brenda Torre ... makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management

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Jane Nerlinger Evans ... executive in charge of production
Catherine Farrell ... post-production supervisor
Karen Ruth Getchell ... production supervisor
Robert Graf ... unit production manager
Michelle Wright ... executive in charge of production: Working Title

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Bac DeLorme ... second assistant director
Kevin Flatow ... second second assistant director
Betsy Magruder ... first assistant director
Terrence B. Zinn ... second second assistant director
Dave Halls ... additional second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department

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J. Todd Anderson ... pen grappler
Steve Anderson ... construction coordinator
Maria L. Baker ... set designer (as Maria Baker)
Benjamin Bayne ... scenic gang boss
Jill Broadfoot ... art department buyer
John C. Cameron ... assistant property master (as John Cameron)
John Alan Champion ... prop maker (as John A. Champion)
Mark Edmo ... prop maker
Matt Erkel ... prop maker
Faith Farrell ... scenic artist
Windy Fleischaker ... scenic artist
David Franicola ... prop maker
Garrett Fulton ... prop maker
Bradley G. Grasser ... prop maker (as Bradley 'Wiszard' Grasser)
Wayne Grimsbud ... scenic
Wayne Grimsrud ... scenic artist
Andrew Gustafson ... painter
Donavan M. Hake ... construction gang boss
Kemper Harris ... on-set greensman
David K. Hartman ... prop maker
Eric Helmin ... art department intern
Kelly Hemenway ... construction gang boss (as Kelly Rae Hemenway)
Gregory Hill ... graphic designer
Luther Hill ... painter
Steven Hintz ... prop maker
Cate Honzl ... art department production assistant (as Cate Hahneman)
Anne Hyvarinen ... lead scenic artist
Matt Joyer ... swing gang
Jim Kindt ... greensman
Brian Koehn ... prop maker
Sarah Kruchowski ... swing gang
Janet Lobberecht ... greens gang boss
Quentin Matthys ... swing gang
Sam McGlynn ... art department asset production assistant (as Sahm McGlynn)
Jarrette Moats ... art department coordinator
Scott Nordhausen ... on-set dresser
Patrick L. Owen ... construction gang boss (as Pat Owen)
Dennis J. Perry ... prop maker
Sarah Regan ... stand-by painter
Keith Reitmeier ... prop maker
Brian Rhea ... prop maker
Renee T. Schendel ... scenic artist
Jeff Schoen ... assistant art director
Hans Schumacher ... scenic artist
Shannon M. Schumacher ... scenic artist
Sam Schwemberger ... propmaker
Bryan Shelley ... props assistant
Brian J. Simpson ... swing gang (as Brian Simpson)
Gary Surber ... construction gang boss (as Gary C. Surber)
Dwight C. Swanson ... construction gang boss
Ryan Tallant ... swing gang
Chris Thickins ... swing gang
Scott Troha ... lead dresser
Phil Vandervaart ... signwriter
Mike Wallien ... construction foreman
Rob Walstead ... swing gang
Keith Walters ... property master
Pat Wilson ... construction utility
Mark Wojahn ... head greensman
Stephanie Jean Elmer ... art department coordinator (uncredited)
Erin Goedtel ... painter (uncredited)
Steven Hintz ... carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Phil Barrie ... first assistant sound editor
Chris C. Benson ... utility sound (as Chris Benson)
Craig Berkey ... re-recording mixer / sound designer
Ken Chastain ... adr engineer
Johnna Chism ... assistant sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo ... foley artist
Joel Dougherty ... foley editor
Frederic Echelard ... sound mixer
Josh Frieser ... looping
Kenton Jakub ... adr editor
Randall L. Johnson ... boom operator (as Randy Johnson)
Peter F. Kurland ... sound mixer
George A. Lara ... foley mixer
Skip Lievsay ... re-recording mixer / supervising sound editor
James Morioka ... dialogue editor
Jordan O'Neill ... dts sound mastering engineer
Greg Orloff ... re-recording mixer
Byron Wilson ... dialogue editor
Peter Zimbicki ... additional sound utility
Eric Harwood ... sound recordist (uncredited)
Jason Oliver ... adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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Larz Anderson ... special effects coordinator
Paul Deely ... special effects foreman
Steven Hintz ... special effects crew (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Mathieu Aerni ... model/texture artist
Oliver Arnold ... cg supervisor: Luma Pictures
Andy Burmeister ... junior compositor: Luma Pictures
Alex Cancado ... lead compositor: Luma Pictures (as Alexandre Cancado)
John Cassella ... senior visual effects artist: Luma Pictures
Vincent Cirelli ... visual effects supervisor: Luma Pictures
J. John Corbett ... lead digital artist: Big Film Design
Katie Godwin ... visual effects coordinator: Luma Pictures
Anthony Grant ... matte painter: Luma Pictures
Steve Griffith ... visual effects producer: Luma Pictures
Jennifer Gutierrez ... junior compositor: Luma Pictures
Jacob Harris ... roto/paint artist: Luma Pictures
Brent Hensarling ... senior systems administrator: Luma Pictures
Marla Neto Henshaw ... digital coordinator: Luma Pictures (as Marla Neto)
Justin Johnson ... digital effects supervisor: Luma Pictures
Harimander Singh Khalsa ... compositor: Luma Pictures (as Michael Cashore)
Jason Locke ... matchmove technical director: Luma Pictures
Jessica Madsen ... roto/paint artist: Luma Pictures (as Jessica Bakke)
Artin Matousian ... systems administrator
Glenn Morris ... roto/paint supervisor: Lima Pictures
Justin Porter ... technical coordinator: Luma Pictures
Payam Shohadai ... executive visual effects supervisor: Luma Pictures
Joey Sila ... compositor: Luma Pictures
Jared Simeth ... compositor: Luma Pictures
Safari Sosebee ... matte painter: Luma Pictures
Steven Swanson ... visual effects supervising producer: Luma Pictures
James Waterson ... compositor: Luma Pictures
Patrick Clancey ... digital opticals (uncredited)
John R. Hazzard ... pipeline technical director: Luma Pictures (uncredited)
Thomas Mathai ... data manager (uncredited)
Raphael A. Pimentel ... animation supervisor: Luma Pictures (uncredited)
Pavel Pranevsky ... cg supervisor: Luma Pictures (uncredited)
Christopher Sage ... digital environment supervisor: Luma Pictures (uncredited)
Maciek Sokalski ... digital compositor (uncredited)
Kyle Ware ... visual effects coordinator: Luma Pictures (uncredited)

Stunts

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Danny Downey ... stunts
Jery Hewitt ... stunt coordinator
Eric D. Howell ... stunts (as Eric Howell)
Danny Downey ... stunt double: Michael Stuhlbarg (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Tristan Allen ... rigging grip
Paul Candrilli ... best boy grip
Peter Clemence ... key rigging grip
Edward Cohen ... electrician
Roger Deakins ... camera operator
James Farrell ... rigging grip (as James E. Farrell)
Tom Franchett ... rigging gaffer
Joseph Gallup ... grip (as Joe Gallup)
Joseph Grimaldi ... best boy electric (as Joseph L. Grimaldi)
Bruce Hamme ... dolly grip
Craig Hanson ... electrician
Andy Harris ... first assistant camera
Travis Hottinger ... electrician / lighting technician
Steven Jacobson ... rigging electrician
Scott Jolstad ... grip (as Scott D. Jolstad)
Maria Juranic ... camera production assistant
Kevin Karpinski ... electrician
Cole Koehler ... camera loader
Mitchell Andrew Lillian ... key grip (as Mitch Lillian)
Michael Lindquist ... second assistant camera
Chris Malone ... rigging electrician
Bill O'Leary ... chief lighting technician
Timothy O'Toole ... video assist operator (as Tim O'Toole)
Matt Olson ... camera production assistant
David S. Pope ... grip (as David Pope)
Gerhard Riautschnig ... rigging electrician (as Gerhard Riautshnig)
Joseph Slagerman ... best boy rigging electric
Steve Speers ... camera assistant
Darin Spring ... grip
Jeff Villars ... electrician
Peter Vongrossmann ... rigging grip (as Peter Von Grossmann)
Wilson Webb ... still photographer
Michael Winn ... best boy rigging grip
Kathryn Criston ... electrician (uncredited)
Stephen Early ... electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department

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Kati Batchelder ... extras casting assistant
Debbie DeLisi ... extras casting
Aaron Greenwood ... extras casting assistant
Sondra James ... adr voice casting
Kelly C. McMahon ... extras casting intern (as Kelly McMahon)
Amelia Rasche McCarthy ... casting associate (as Amelia Rasche)
Sonja Thorson ... extras casting intern
Daniel Cummings ... extras casting intern (uncredited)
Ted Eschweiler ... extras casting assistant (uncredited)
Todd B. Johnson ... extras casting assistant (uncredited)
Punnavith Koy ... extras casting intern (uncredited)
Jennifer A. Wright ... extras casting intern (uncredited)
Zoe Zeppa ... extras casting intern (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Jan E. Adams ... stitcher
Virginia Burton ... costume supervisor: Minneapolis
Lori DeLapp ... costume supervisor: Los Angeles
Jenny Eagan ... assistant costume designer
Nikki Fallenstein ... set costumer
Cynthia Kurkowski ... stitcher
Corrine Larson ... key costumer
Joan Lee ... costume assistant
Melissa Seitzer ... set costumer
Cerah Tymoshuk ... costume assistant (as Cerah M. Tymoshuk)
Jane E. Williams ... key set costumer (as Jane Williams)
Sonja Thorson ... costumes: post-production (uncredited)

Location Management

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Tyson Bidner ... location manager
Chris Cloud ... location assistant (as Christopher Cloud)
Kat Donahue ... assistant location manager
Mark Har ... location scout
Anne Healy ... assistant location manager (as Anne Healy Shapiro)
Kai Miller ... location staff assistant
Ben Wood ... location intern

Music Department

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Carter Burwell ... conductor / orchestrator
Michael Farrow ... music scoring mixer
Tony Finno ... copyist
Todd Kasow ... music editor
Sandra Park ... orchestra contractor
Dean Parker ... composer's assistant
John Patitucci ... bass
Chris Robertson ... music clearance: Diamond Time

Script and Continuity Department

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Thomas Johnston ... script supervisor

Transportation Department

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Carolyn J. Anderson ... driver
Curtis Wade Anderson ... driver (as Curtis W. Anderson)
Richard Anderson ... transportation co-captain (as Richard 'Itchy' Anderson)
Michael Arnold ... picture car coordinator (as Mike Arnold)
Michael Bakri ... driver
Mike Bearer ... driver
Jon Bjornson ... driver
Denny Braun ... driver
Guy Eckert ... driver
Andrew Garski ... driver
William Gillespie ... driver (as William L. Gillespie)
Timothy S. Kennedy ... driver
Steve Kenney ... driver
Frank Ketchum ... driver (as Frank L. Ketchum)
Anthony P. Kettner ... driver
Eugene Kirsch ... driver (as Eugene Kisch)
Scott Lecy ... driver
George Lundquist ... driver
James A. Mahathey ... transportation dispatcher (as James Mahathey)
Jean-Pierre Molina ... driver
Gary Olander ... driver
Byron Roland ... transportation captain
Rajiv Sarin ... driver
Leonard Schneider ... driver
Marc Scott ... transportation coordinator
Ernest Simon ... driver
Leo Skudlarek ... driver (as Leo Matthew Skudlarek)
Greg Viglione ... driver
Jon Westerlund ... driver
Fred Whipple ... driver
Mike Bronge ... picture vehicles wrangler (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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John Alfred ... finance executive
Christina Angeloudes ... legal and business affairs manager: Working Title
Randall Balsmeyer ... title designer: Big Film Design (as Randy Balsmeyer)
Kris Barberg ... assistant production coordinator
Cassandra Barbour ... clearance services: Entertainment Clearances
Rob Barros ... driver
Colleen Beach ... office production intern
Andrea Bias ... office production intern
Megan Alicia Brown ... additional assistant accountant (as Megan Brown)
Carrie Bush ... set production assistant
Stephen Clarke ... set production assistant
Kevin Curtin ... admin/facilities coordinator
Adam DeLisi ... stand-in: Larry
Chloe Dorigan ... assistant: Tim Bevan, Working Title (as Chloé Dorigan)
Dave Dustin ... set medic
Rachael Lin Gallaghan ... production coordinator
Kristopher Gensmer ... medic (as Kristopher W. Gensmer)
Kurt W. Gensmer ... medic
Dan Godar ... production assistant
Claudia Gray ... unit publicist
Araceli Guerra ... production assistant (uncredited)
Patrick Hammer ... weather guru
David Hickey ... payroll accountant
Drew Houpt ... the last of the just
Todd B. Johnson ... stand-in: Gar
Paul Kenney ... second assistant accountant
Ivan Kerum ... chef
Mara Kerum ... chef
Ben Krueger ... office production assistant (as Ben 'The Kroog' Krueger)
Cheryl Kurk ... production accountant
Lisa Kurk-Dmytryk ... construction accountant (as Lisa M. Kurk)
Ken Lebre ... dailies producer: EFilm
Troy Lochner ... office production assistant
Jennifer P. Luther ... first assistant accountant (as Jennifer Luther)
Nikki Martin ... craft service
David Mathiason ... craft service assistant
Guy Messenger ... stand-in: danny gopnik
Angela Morrison ... chief operating officer: Working Title
Patricia Mary Murphy ... serious matters
Sean Murphy ... language and liturgy consultant
Neil Newman ... language and liturgy consultant (as Cantor Neil Newman)
Meredith Nunnikhoven ... production assistant
Jeremy Pierce-Sunia ... set production assistant
Jonathan Pruett ... stand-in: Sy and Uncle Arthur
Rachel V. Richardson ... second assistant accountant (as Rachel Richardson)
Allen Lewis Rickman ... translator: Yiddish (as Allen Rickman)
Kirsty Robinson-Ward ... assistant to Angela Morrison
Luke Marcus Rosen ... adr: voice
Leigh Rydberg ... stand-in: Danny
Sophie Saleyron ... press attache: France
Laura Sevier ... clearance services: Entertainment Clearances
Sheeraz Shah ... head of legal and business affairs: Working Title
Cara Shine Ballarini ... assistant: Eric Fellner, Working Title (as Cara Shine)
Todd Sinkewich ... office production assistant
Dan Sklar ... language and liturgy consultant (as Rabbi Cantor Dan Sklar)
Shirah Sklar ... language and liturgy consultant (as Cantor Shirah Sklar)
Amy Thompson ... office production assistant
Any Thompson ... office production assistant
Jennifer A. Wright ... production assistant
Wendy Zierler ... translator: Yiddish
Shari Berda ... stand-in (uncredited)
Jean Dalsin ... production assistant (uncredited)
Adam Davis ... set production assistant (uncredited)
Punnavith Koy ... production assistant (uncredited) / stand-in (uncredited)
Liz Modena ... post production accountant (uncredited)
Mary Moga ... studio teacher (uncredited)
Shannon Schaefer ... production secretary (uncredited)
Araceli Smith ... office production assistant (uncredited)
Matthew J. Vince ... post production facility operations (uncredited)

Thanks

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Bill Hudson ... special thanks
Eric Karpeles ... special thanks
Suzanne Lindbergh ... special thanks
Steven Lubensky ... special thanks
Mike Sell ... special thanks
Don Smith ... special thanks: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Bill Thompson ... special thanks
Lucinda Winter ... special thanks
Michael Wong ... special thanks
Beverly Wood ... special thanks

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Bloomington, Minnesota, 1967: Jewish physics lecturer Larry Gopnik is a serious and a very put-upon man. His daughter is stealing from him to save up for a nose job; his pot-head son, who gets stoned at his own bar-mitzvah, only wants him round to fix the TV aerial and his useless brother Arthur is an unwelcome houseguest. But both Arthur and Larry get turfed out to a motel when Larry's wife Judy, who wants a divorce, moves her lover Sy into the house and even after Sy's death in a car crash they are still there. With lawyers' bills mounting for his divorce, Arthur's criminal court appearances, and a land feud with a neighbor, Larry is tempted to take the bribe offered by a student to give him an illegal exam pass mark. And the rabbis he visits for advice only dole out platitudes. Still God moves in mysterious--and not always pleasant--ways, as Larry and his family will find out. Written by don @ minifie-1

Plot Keywords
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Serious Man (Japan, English title)
  • Un home seriós (Spain, Catalan title)
  • Un tipo serio (Spain)
  • Um Homem Sério (Brazil)
  • Un tip serios (Romania)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 106 min
Official Sites
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $7,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend United Kingdom GBP321,114, 20 Nov 2009

Did You Know?

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Trivia The names of the characters who ride the school bus with Danny Gopnik are the names of children that the Coen brothers grew up with. See more »
Goofs In the final scenes where Larry changes Clive's failing grade, you can clearly see the erasure marks of the new grade before he erases the old one. This could denote the film makers needing several takes to get the right shot. Yet, it could also have been chosen to be included on purpose to show that Larry struggled many times with the morality of passing Clive, going so far as to update his grade, but had changed his mind. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Surrogates/Pandorum/Fame (2009). See more »
Soundtracks Somebody to Love See more »
Crazy Credits At the end of the credits is a line advising that "No Jews were harmed in the making of this motion picture." See more »
Quotes Rabbi Nachtner: You know Lee Sussman.
Larry Gopnik: Doctor Sussman? I think I - yeah.
Rabbi Nachtner: Did he ever tell you about the goy's teeth?
Larry Gopnik: No... I- What goy?
Rabbi Nachtner: So... Lee is at work one day; you know he has the orthodontic practice there at Great Bear. He's making a plaster mold - it's for corrective bridge work - in the mouth of one of his patients, Russell Kraus. The mold dries and Lee is examining it one day before fabricating an appliance. He notices something unusual. There appears to be something engraved on the inside of the patient's lower incisors. He vav shin yud ayin nun yud. "Hwshy 'ny". "Help me, save me". This in a goy's mouth, Larry. He calls the goy back on the pretense of needing additional measurements for the appliance. "How are you? Noticed any other problems with your teeth?" No. There it is. "Hwshy 'ny". "Help me". Son of a gun. Sussman goes home. Can Sussman eat? Sussman can't eat. Can Sussman sleep? Sussman can't sleep. Sussman looks at the molds of his other patients, goy and Jew alike, seeking other messages. He finds none. He looks in his own mouth. Nothing. He looks in his wife's mouth. Nothing. 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. He knows that every Hebrew letter has its numeric equivalent. 8-4-5-4-4-7-3. Seven digits... a phone number, maybe? "Hello? Do you know a goy named Kraus, Russell Kraus?" Who? "Where have I called? The Red Owl in Bloomington. Thanks so much." He goes. It's a Red Owl. Groceries; what have you. Sussman goes home. What does it mean? He has to find out if he is ever to sleep again. He goes to see... the Rabbi Nachtner. He comes in, he sits right where you're sitting right now. "What does it mean, Rabbi? Is it a sign from Hashem, 'Help me'? I, Sussman, should be doing something to help this goy? Doing what? The teeth don't say. Or maybe I'm supposed to help people generally, lead a more righteous life? Is the answer in Caballah? In Torah? Or is there even a question? Tell me, Rabbi, what can such a sign mean?"
[pause as the Rabbi drinks his tea]
Larry Gopnik: So what did you tell him?
Rabbi Nachtner: Sussman?
Larry Gopnik: Yes!
Rabbi Nachtner: Is it... relevant?
Larry Gopnik: Well, isn't that why you're telling me?
Rabbi Nachtner: Okay. Nachtner says, look. The teeth, we don't know. A sign from Hashem? Don't know. Helping others... couldn't hurt.
Larry Gopnik: No! No, but... who put it there? Was it for him, Sussman, or for whoever found it, or for just, for, for...
Rabbi Nachtner: We can't know everything.
Larry Gopnik: It sounds like you don't know anything! Why even tell me the story?
Rabbi Nachtner: [chuckling] First I should tell you, then I shouldn't.
Larry Gopnik: What happened to Sussman?
Rabbi Nachtner: What would happen? Not much. He went back to work. For a while he checked every patient's teeth for new messages. He didn't find any. In time, he found he'd stopped checking. He returned to life. These questions that are bothering you, Larry - maybe they're like a toothache. We feel them for a while, then they go away.
Larry Gopnik: I don't want it to just go away! I want an answer!
Rabbi Nachtner: Sure! We all want the answer! But Hashem doesn't owe us the answer, Larry. Hashem doesn't owe us anything. The obligation runs the other way.
Larry Gopnik: Why does he make us feel the questions if he's not gonna give us any answers?
Rabbi Nachtner: He hasn't told me.
[Larry puts his face in his hands in despair]
Larry Gopnik: And... what happened to the goy?
Rabbi Nachtner: The goy? Who cares?
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