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Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
16 September 2005 (USA)
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Tagline:
Leave Normal Behind.
Plot:
A young Jewish American man endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village, that was ultimately razed by the Nazis, with the help of a local who speaks weirdly funny broken English. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Ukraine
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Jewish American
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Car
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Plastic Bag
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Dog
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Awards:
7 wins
&
4 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(10 articles)
Books: Review:Jonathan Safran Foer: Eating Animals
(From The AV Club. 11 November 2009, 10:00 PM, PST)
Jonathan Safran Foer Reads from Eating Animals
(From Vanity Fair. 5 November 2009, 9:24 AM, PST)
(From The AV Club. 11 November 2009, 10:00 PM, PST)
Jonathan Safran Foer Reads from Eating Animals
(From Vanity Fair. 5 November 2009, 9:24 AM, PST)
User Comments:
A young man follows his roots to Ukraine
more (155 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Eugene Hutz | ... | Alex | |
| Elijah Wood | ... | Jonathan Safran Foer | |
| Jonathan Safran Foer | ... | Leaf Blower | |
| Jana Hrabetova | ... | Jonathan's Grandmother | |
| Stephen Samudovsky | ... | Jonathan's Grandfather Safran | |
| Ljubomir Dezera | ... | Young Jonathan | |
| Oleksandr Choroshko | ... | Alexander Perchov, Father | |
| Gil Kazimirov | ... | Igor | |
| Zuzana Hodkova | ... | Alex's Mother | |
| Mikki | ... | Sammy Davis Jr. Jr. | |
| Mouse | ... | Sammy Davis Jr. Jr. | |
| Boris Leskin | ... | Grandfather | |
| Robert Chytil | ... | Breakdancer | |
| Jaroslava Sochova | ... | Woman on Train | |
| Sergei Ryabtsev | ... | Ukrainian Band Member (as Sergej Rjabcev) |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
The Collector (USA) (pre-release title)
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MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for disturbing images/violence, sexual content and language.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
106 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Certification:
UK:12A |
Ireland:12A |
Brazil:14 |
Mexico:B15 |
Argentina:13 |
Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) |
Germany:12 |
Finland:K-11 |
Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) |
Singapore:PG |
USA:PG-13 (certificate #41916) |
Canada:14+ (Ontario) |
Iceland:12 |
Portugal:M/12 |
South Korea:15
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Cameo: [Jonathan Safran Foer, the author of the novel on which the movie is based]appears as the leaf blower at the beginning of the film.
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Goofs:
Miscellaneous: In the credits for the song "Start Wearing Purple," Eugene Hutz's band is credited as both "Gogol Bordello" (correct spelling) and "Gogol Bodello" (incorrect spelling, dropped "r").
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Quotes:
Alex:
[voice over] This is my miniature brother, Igor. I am tutoring him to be a man of this world. For an example, I exhibited him a smutty magazine three days yore.
Igor: [in Russian] Why is it dubbed sixty-nine?
Alex: [voice over] I explain it to him that this is because it was invented in the year 1969. I know this because my friend Grisha knows a friend of the nephew of the inventor.
Igor: [in Russian] What did people do before 1969?
Alex: [voice over] He is a genius, my miniature brother. He will be made a VIP if I have a thing to do with it.
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Igor: [in Russian] Why is it dubbed sixty-nine?
Alex: [voice over] I explain it to him that this is because it was invented in the year 1969. I know this because my friend Grisha knows a friend of the nephew of the inventor.
Igor: [in Russian] What did people do before 1969?
Alex: [voice over] He is a genius, my miniature brother. He will be made a VIP if I have a thing to do with it.
more
Movie Connections:
References Bronenosets Potyomkin (1925)
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Soundtrack:
The Star Spangled Banner
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FAQ
Who is the dedication to at the end of the movie? Alex 1993more
more (155 total)
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I just saw "Everything is Illuminated" at the Telluride Film Festival. This is a truly remarkable film. Very emotional, funny at times and heart-warming. Bring your handkerchiefs! For those of you who enjoy a movie that brings tears to your eyes, I'm reminded of the endings of "Babette's Feast" and "The Notebook." The stories were completely different but had that same emotional power to bring tears to my eyes, just as this film did.
No spoilers here. The summary is, as IMDb describes, a young man's journey to the Ukraine to follow his roots and find the village where his father grew up.
The dialog is in English and Ukrainian (and Russian too, I believe). This allows for some wonderfully linguistically-based moments as one character interprets, more or less faithfully, for the English speaker in the group, depending on the circumstances.
The scenery is wonderful and the musical score is a treat with wonderful Eastern European influences. Be sure you stay through the credits for the final tune.
This is Lieve Schreiber's directorial debut and is well done. I give this film a 9, one of the best films I've seen in a long time. I recommend it highly.