O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

In the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.

Director:

Joel Coen

Writers:

Homer (epic poem "The Odyssey"), Ethan Coen,

Stars:

George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 31 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Clooney	...	Everett McGill
John Turturro	...	Pete Hogwallop
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Delmar O'Donnell
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)

Storyline

Loosely based on Homer's "Odyssey," the movie deals with the picaresque adventures of Ulysses Everett McGill and his companions Delmar and Pete in 1930s Mississipi. Sprung from a chain gang and trying to reach Everett's home to recover the buried loot of a bank heist they are confronted by a series of strange characters--among them sirens, a cyclops, bank robber George "Baby Face" Nelson (very annoyed by that nickname), a campaigning governor and his opponent, a KKK lynch mob, and a blind prophet who warns the trio that "the treasure you seek shall not be the treasure you find."

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Plot Keywords:

bank | siren | 1930s | prophet | chain gang | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Adventure | Crime | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Mercury Records: Soundtrack information.

Country:

UK France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dónde estás, hermano?

Filming Locations:

Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$26,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$195,104 (USA) (29 December 2000)

Gross:

$45,506,619 (USA) (3 August 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Universal Pictures, StudioCanal

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the end, Everett's line, "Finding one little ring, in the middle of all that water, is one hell of a heroic task," is a reference to the legend of Theseus, who had to find a golden ring at the bottom of the ocean to prove he was the son of Poseidon.

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Goofs

The real W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel had no presence in the politics of Mississippi (where, until 1975, incumbent governors were not allowed to run for reelection anyway). He was a Texas flour salesman who became a regional radio personality (as host of broadcasts of Bob Wills and the Light Crust Doughboys), then used that as a platform to launch himself into Texas politics, becoming governor, then Senator. The filmmakers knew this.

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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'?

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Crazy Credits

The credit for Alan J. Schoolcraft, the president of operations for Mike Zoss Productions, is all in Spanish: "El Encargado de Mike Zoss Productions"

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Connections

References The Ten Commandments (1956)

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Soundtracks

"I'll Fly Away"
(1929)
Written by Albert E. Brumley
Performed by The Kossoy Sisters with Erik Darling
Courtesy of Tradition, A Rykodisc Label

User Reviews

A Serious Comedy with wonderful characters

The Coen Brothers have truly outdone themselves in this wonderful saga of three escaped convicts. Though it is based on "The Odyssey," the ancient work of Homer, you do not have to have read "The Odyssey" to be able to follow the story. The brothers Coen have woven a tapestry of celluloid and aural delights! The soundtrack is intrinsic to the film, indeed it is as though the soundtrack is the product and the film is wrapping paper. Each character is wonderfully exploited and harkens back to the days of old when films were rich with character actors whose very appearance in the film adds richness, texture and authenticity. George Clooney is magnificent as the grease haired Everett Ulysses McGill, a honest con on the run whose pompous linguistics and vocabulary are comical and endearing. O Brother, Where Art Thou is easily the best Coen film to date as well as Clooney's best effort. Clooney is good enough to warrant a best actor nomination as is Tim Blake Nelson's portrayal of the dimwitted friend Delmar, while the film itself is deserving of a Best film nod.