Burn After Reading (2008)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Directors:

Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

12 September 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Intelligence is relative.

Plot:

A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to sell it.

Plot Keywords:

Memoir | CIA | Gym | Disc | Embassy

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 9 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. July 21	12:20 AM	HBO
Wed. July 29	8:00 PM	HBO

Cast

George Clooney	...	Harry Pfarrer
Frances McDormand	...	Linda Litzke
Brad Pitt	...	Chad Feldheimer
John Malkovich	...	Osbourne Cox
Tilda Swinton	...	Katie Cox
Richard Jenkins	...	Ted Treffon
Elizabeth Marvel	...	Sandy Pfarrer
David Rasche	...	CIA Officer
J.K. Simmons	...	CIA Superior
Olek Krupa	...	Krapotkin
Michael Countryman	...	Alan
Kevin Sussman	...	Tuchman Marsh Man
J.R. Horne	...	Divorce Lawyer
Hamilton Clancy	...	Peck
Armand Schultz	...	Olson
Pun Bandhu	...	Doug Magruder
Karla Mosley	...	Party Guest #2
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Cosmetic Surgeon
Richard Poe	...	Stretching Gym Patron
Carmen M. Herlihy	...	Prospective Gym Customer
Raul Aranas	...	Manolo
Judy Frank	...	Lawyer's Secretary
Sándor Técsy	...	Russian Embassy Escort
Yury Tsykun	...	Senior Russian Embassy Man
Brian O'Neill	...	Hal
Robert Prescott	...	Process Server
Matt Walton	...	Morning Show Host
Lori Hammel	...	Morning Show Hostess
Crystal Bock	...	PR Woman
Patrick Boll	...	Sandy's Man
Logan Kulick	...	Four-Year-Old Patient
Dermot Mulroney	...	Star of "Coming Up Daisy"
Robert R. Barry	...	Drunken Princetonian
Ted Bouton	...	Drunken Princetonian
Bob Bowersox	...	Drunken Princetonian
Oliver Buckingham	...	Drunken Princetonian
Michael Fawcett	...	Drunken Princetonian
William Fowle	...	Drunken Princetonian
Charles Gemmill	...	Drunken Princetonian
Mitch Giannunzio	...	Drunken Princetonian
Cliff Goulet	...	Drunken Princetonian
William D. Grey	...	Drunken Princetonian
Gary Henderson	...	Drunken Princetonian
Ron Kidd	...	Drunken Princetonian
Bill Massof	...	Drunken Princetonian
Brian McKeon	...	Drunken Princetonian
Ken McNeill	...	Drunken Princetonian
Tim Miller	...	Drunken Princetonian
Jay Parks	...	Drunken Princetonian
Roger Rathburn	...	Drunken Princetonian
Eric Richardson	...	Drunken Princetonian
Bart Wilder	...	Drunken Princetonian
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stephen Ananicz	...	Gym Guy (uncredited)
James Thomas Bligh	...	Lt. Macdonald (uncredited)
Justin Doescher	...	Suspicious Man (uncredited)
Kimberly Dorsey	...	Tourist (uncredited)
Matt Gulbranson	...	Midwestern Tourist (uncredited)
Joe Jagatic	...	CIA Agent (uncredited)
Richard Karn	...	Himself - Family Feud Host (archive footage) (uncredited)
RJ Konner	...	Senator (uncredited)
Todd A. Langenfeld	...	Nam Vet visiting WWII Memorial (uncredited)
J. Matthew Miller	...	Tourist (uncredited)
Lil Rhee	...	Tourist (uncredited)
Patrick Michael Strange	...	Tourist (uncredited)
Jacqueline Wright	...	Monica (uncredited)

Directed by
Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Writing credits (WGA)
Joel Coen		(written by) &
Ethan Coen		(written by)

Produced by
Tim Bevan	....	producer
Ethan Coen	....	producer
Joel Coen	....	producer
David Diliberto	....	associate producer
Eric Fellner	....	producer
Robert Graf	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Carter Burwell

Cinematography by
Emmanuel Lubezki

Film Editing by
Ethan Coen		(as Roderick Jaynes)
Joel Coen		(as Roderick Jaynes)

Casting by
Ellen Chenoweth

Production Design by
Jess Gonchor

Art Direction by
David Swayze

Set Decoration by
Nancy Haigh

Costume Design by
Mary Zophres

Makeup Department
Jean Ann Black	....	makeup department head
Sherri Bramlett	....	hair stylist
Barbara Lacy	....	makeup artist
Patricia Regan	....	key makeup artist
Waldo Sanchez	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Karen Ruth Getchell	....	production supervisor: Washington DC
Neri Kyle Tannenbaum	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bac DeLorme	....	key second assistant director
Betsy Magruder	....	first assistant director (as Elizabeth Magruder)
Michelle McGrier	....	dga trainee
John Silvestri	....	second second assistant director
Kurt Uebersax	....	second second assistant director: Washington D.C.
Ronan O'Connor	....	second assistant director: additional photography (uncredited)

Art Department
Glen Aldous	....	scenic artist
J. Todd Anderson	....	storyboard artist
JoAnn Atwood	....	set dresser
Anthony Baldasare	....	prop assistant
Steve Brennan	....	key on-set dresser
Diana Burton	....	property master
Gabu Camilo	....	set dresser
Carolyn Cartwright	....	assistant set decorator
Lou Charles	....	set dresser
Eric Cheripka	....	props
Frank Didio	....	co-construction coordinator
James Donahue	....	scenic artist
Steven T. Duke	....	set dresser
Alex Gorodetsky	....	chargeman scenic artist
Jay Hendrickx	....	camera scenic artist
Gregory Hill	....	assistant art director
Deborah Jensen	....	assistant art director
Ana Lombardo	....	assistant property master
Luke Malloy	....	greensman
David Meade	....	construction manager
Rebecca Meis DeMarco	....	assistant to set decorator
Timothy Metzger	....	leadman
Victor Morales	....	scenic
Leann Murphy	....	art department coordinator
Quang Nguyen	....	scenic foreperson
Ron Petagna	....	construction coordinator
Ronnie Petagna	....	shop foreman
Jeffrey Rollins	....	set dresser
Daniel Rosenfeld	....	scenic shopman
Amy Safhay	....	lead greensperson
Dylan Sheridan	....	set dresser
Sha-Sha Shiau	....	set decorating coordinator
Nithya Shrinivasan	....	assistant art director
Paul Steinberg	....	key shop electric
Marcia C. Suter	....	scenic artist
Christopher Weiser	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Craig Berkey	....	sound designer
Craig Berkey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Laurel Bridges	....	boom operator
Johnna Chism	....	assistant sound editor
Joel Dougherty	....	first assistant sound editor
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist
Eric Harwood	....	sound recordist
Kenton Jakub	....	adr editor
Peter F. Kurland	....	sound mixer
Skip Lievsay	....	sound re-recording mixer
Skip Lievsay	....	supervising sound editor
Tommy Louie	....	sound utility
Darrin Mann	....	foley mixer
Christopher Moriana	....	foley artist
James Morioka	....	foley editor
Greg Orloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Byron Wilson	....	dialogue editor
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Rick Gould	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Wilfred Caban	....	special effects foreman
Carmen Campolo	....	special effects
Lorenzo Hall	....	special effects assistant
Steven Kirshoff	....	special effects coordinator (as Steve Kirshoff)
Frank C. Oliva Sr.	....	special effects (as Frank Oliva)
Roy Savoy	....	special effects
Thomas Viviano	....	special effects (as Tommy Viviano)

Visual Effects by
Daniel Abramovich	....	digital compositor
Justin Ball	....	digital effects artist: senior systems engineer: Brainstorm Digital
Randall Balsmeyer	....	visual effects supervisor (as Randy Balsmeyer)
Ella Boliver	....	digital compositor
Leslie Chung	....	rotoscope artist
J. John Corbett	....	digital compositor
J. John Corbett	....	lead digital artist
Aleksandar Djordjevic	....	digital compositor
Richard Friedlander	....	visual effects producer: Brainstorm Digital
Ali Kocar	....	digital compositor
Scott Minter	....	digital compositor
Mitch Paulson	....	second digital colorist: EFILM
Bethany Pederson	....	rotoscope artist
David Piombino	....	digital compositor
Eric J. Robertson	....	visual effects supervisor
Steven J. Scott	....	supervising digital colorist: EFILM
Chris 'Pinkus' Wesselman	....	digital compositor: Brainstorm Digital
Adrienne Winterhalter	....	visual effects producer
Jun Zhang	....	digital compositor
Thomas Mathai	....	data manager (uncredited)

Stunts
Danny Aiello III	....	stunts
Dennis Albanese	....	precision driver
Tim Buchanan	....	stunt driver
Danny Downey	....	stunt double: Kevin Sussman
Cort Hessler	....	stunt driver
Donald John Hewitt	....	stunt driver
Jery Hewitt	....	stunt coordinator
Joanne Lamstein	....	stunts
Samantha MacIvor	....	stunt double
Samantha MacIvor	....	stunt driver
David Shumbris	....	stunt double: Brad Pitt
Michael Ahl	....	precision driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Tanner Bayer	....	grip: Washington DC
Mark Beattie	....	electrician
Hilary Benas	....	additional camera loader
Eric Boncher	....	dimmer board operator
Sarah Brandes	....	assistant camera: Washington DC
Edward Button	....	assistant camera (as Ed Button)
Jeff Callow	....	grip: Washington DC
Kevin 'Vinnie' Campbell	....	gaffer: Washington D.C.
Tim Ferraer	....	grip
Richie Ford	....	rigging gaffer
Zachary Henderson	....	grip
Billy Kerwick	....	key rigging grip
Jeremy Knaster	....	electrician
Christopher Moats	....	grip: Washington DC
Monty Nielsen	....	construction electrician
Bill O'Leary	....	gaffer
Louis Petraglia	....	rigging electric best boy
Macall B. Polay	....	still photographer
Brent Poleski	....	grip
Guillaume Renberg	....	remote camera operator
Michael Rich	....	lighting technician
George Richmond	....	Steadicam operator
George Richmond	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Lance Rieck	....	remote camera technician: scorpio head
Peter Rosenfeld	....	Steadicam operator: Washington, D.C.
Michael Rudolph	....	electrician
Robert Vuolo	....	lighting technician
Michael Wacks	....	lamp operator
Yueni Zander	....	assistant camera
Robert D. Yeoman	....	additional photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Melissa Braun	....	extras casting associate
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Mandy Sprinkel	....	location casting
Rachel Tenner	....	casting associate
Grant Wilfley	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cha Blevins	....	costume supervisor
Danielle Cadorette	....	tailor
David Davenport	....	costume supervisor
Nicole Greenbaum	....	set costumer
Amy Roth	....	assistant costume designer
Nomi Shichor	....	key costumer
Helen L. Simmons	....	costumer
Michael Simon	....	costumer: Washington DC
Nora Wooldridge	....	costume production assistant

Editorial Department
Catherine Farrell	....	post-production coordinator
Erik Freid	....	post-production project manager
Eileen Godoy	....	digital intermediate producer
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Matt Hull	....	assistant digital intermediate producer
Curtis Lindersmith	....	digital intermediate editor
Katie Mcquerrey	....	associate editor
Steven J. Scott	....	supervising digital colorist
Neil A. Stelzner	....	associate editor
Joe Violante	....	dailies advisor (as Joey Violante)
Jim Passon	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Michael Farrow	....	music mixer (as Mike Farrow)
Michael Farrow	....	music recordist (as Mike Farrow)
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Todd Kasow	....	music editor
Chris Robertson	....	music clearance
Rosemary Warren-Green	....	orchestra leader (as Rose Warren-Green)
Lucy Whalley	....	assistant orchestra contractor
Carter Burwell	....	conductor (uncredited)
Carter Burwell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Sonny Kompanek	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Teresa Haney	....	transportation

Other crew
Joan Altman	....	production accountant
Sage Asteak	....	key set production assistant
Kate Bailey	....	assistant production coordinator
Brette Billow	....	assistant production coordinator
Zach Broussard	....	production assistant
Maurice Cabrera	....	parking coordinator
Brian M. Chilcoat	....	production assistant
Stephen Clarke	....	set production assistant
Wendy Cohen	....	clearances
Michael P. Cone	....	production assistant
J. John Corbett	....	title designer
Tianni L. Craig	....	production assistant
Michael DeChant	....	production assistant: Washington D.C.
Chloe Dorigan	....	assistant: Tim Bevan
Charles Fagin	....	assistant location manager: los angeles unit
Kimberly N. Fajen	....	production coordinator
Todd Feaser	....	location assistant
Glenn Ferrara	....	production assistant
Robert L. Fiks	....	production assistant
Amanda Foley	....	location coordinator
Rachael Lin Gallaghan	....	production coordinator: Washington DC
Christopher Geair	....	assistant location manager: Washington, DC Unit
Dena Ghieth	....	location assistant
Niko Godfrey	....	accounting clerk
Chad Hessler	....	marine department
Cort Hessler	....	marine coordinator
Hannah Hoover	....	production assistant
Jeff Johnson	....	medic
Thomas Johnston	....	script supervisor
Douglas M. Jones	....	set production assistant: Washington DC
Larry Kaplan	....	unit publicist
Nazia Khan	....	assistant: actor
Tim Kossa	....	key location assistant: Washington DC
Harry Lapham	....	production assistant
Alex Lee	....	production assistant: re-shoots
Christopher LeStrange	....	location assistant
Michael B. Lewis	....	production assistant
Francesca M. Mannix	....	production secretary
Talia Mayer	....	production assistant
Liz Modena	....	assistant accountant
Elena Moscatt	....	key craft services: Washington DC
Kip Myers	....	assistant location manager
Lauri Pitkus	....	location manager
Peggy Pridemore	....	location manager: Washington: DC
Chauency Reese	....	payroll accountant
Michael J. Regina	....	production assistant
Justin Reid	....	location scout
Brieann Rich	....	set medic
Kara Ryan	....	production assistant
Patrick Sandefur	....	assets representative
John Sesumi	....	production assistant
Raygun Sharpadero	....	second assistant accountant (as Regan Sharp)
Elizabeth Sherman	....	production assistant
Cara Shine	....	assistant: Eric Fellner
Susan Silas	....	location scout
Brian J. Simpson	....	production assistant: re-shoots
Megan Taylor	....	production assistant
Victoria Uychich	....	production assistant
Christian Vendetti	....	staff production assistant
Jamie Vermilye	....	location assistant
David Vogel	....	production assistant: Washington D.C.
Lindsey Magee	....	location scout (uncredited)
David Wenzel	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mike Zoss Productions
• Relativity Media (in association with)
• Studio Canal
• Working Title Films

Distributors

• Empire (2008) (Romania) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• FS Film Oy (2008) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Focus Features (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• GAGA Communications (2009) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Long Shong Entertainment Multimedia Company (2008) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• Nikkatsu (2009) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2008) (Cyprus) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Showtime (2008) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Studio Canal (2008) (France) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2008) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Viva International Pictures (2008) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution (2008) (Canada) (all media)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Blue Sky Media (2008) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• Castello Lopes Multimedia (2008) (Portugal) (all media)
• Central Partnership (2008) (Russia) (all media)
• Tiglon (2007) (Turkey) (all media)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2009) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Big Film Design (visual effects)
• Brainstorm Digital (additional visual effects)
• Luma Pictures (additional visual effects)
• PlethoraFX (special visual effects)

Other Companies

• Abbey Road Studios  music recorded at (as Abbey Road)
• Abbey Road Studios  music scoring
• Big Film Design  titles
• Body Studio  music mixed at (uncredited)
• Diamond Time  music clearances
• Donna Daniels Public Relations  publicity
• EFilm  digital intermediate
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Executive Cutting Service Inc.  negative cutting (as Executive Cutting)
• Grant Wilfley Casting  extras casting
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack
• London Session Orchestra, The  orchestra (uncredited)
• Navesync  video playback
• On Tour Productions  grip and lighting equipment
• Paramount Transportation Services  transportation services
• Post Factory NY  post-production facilities (as Post Factory)
• Rockbottom Rentals  junxion box rentals
• Sony Pictures Studios  re-recorded at
• Technicolor  dailies (as Technicolor NY)
• Transportation Resources  transportation equipment (washington, d.c.)
• Word to Your Movie  continuity

Also Known As:

Burn After Reading (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA | UK | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44448) | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-13 | Australia:MA | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Singapore:NC-16 (video rating) (heavily cut) | UK:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Japan:PG-12 | Czech Republic:15 | Peru:14 | France:U | South Korea:18 | Iceland:14 (video rating) | Iceland:16 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Bronx Community College - University Avenue at West 181 Street, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Mike Zoss Productions

Trivia:

George Clooney's third film under the direction of the Coen brothers following O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and Intolerable Cruelty (2003). These three films have been dubbed the "trilogy of idiots" by the brothers.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Alan (Linda's first online date) claims on his profile that he's 45 years old. But his driver's license says he was born in 1960, and the film takes place in 2008.

Quotes:

Chad Feldheimer: You think it's a Schwinn!

Movie Connections:

References Star Wars (1977)

Soundtrack:

Getting Hard

Tonight We Laugh

Norman Cousins would have loved the Coen Brothers' "Burn After Reading." The late great Saturday Review editor had treated his illness with Marx Brothers movies, having "made the joyous discovery that 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep."

I have never felt healthier than after 96 minutes of explosive and grateful laughter at the "Burn" screening, also marveling at the array of British-stage caliber acting from "Fargo"-invoking Frances McDormand, witchy-icy Tilda Swinton, a more-manic-than-ever John Malkovich, and a dozen major players, such as J.K. Simmons as the deadpan CIA boss and Richard Jenkins as the former Greek Orthodox priest, now running an upscale gym.

Others may lead the cast list with George Clooney and Brad Pitt, but to me, their performances were just a bit on the self-conscious side, trying too hard. At any rate, it's a great cast, and while the plot might have turned into a dud in somebody else's treatment, the Coen Brothers' writing is hilarious, their zingers deadly.

A critic, probably with bad digestion, has decried this "very black comedy set in a blanched, austere-looking Washington, D.C. — an uninspiring and uncomfortable place in which everyone betrays everyone else, and the emotional tone veers from icy politeness to spitting rage and back again." If I had a chance to think, instead of enjoying "Burn," I would have contemplated Molière and Evelyn Waugh, their comedies of manners, psychological insight, and unbridled great humor.

Yes, there are betrayals (none better than the totally unexpected one at the end of the film), and there is rage, but all contained within a glorious bubble of writing-directing-acting excellence. "Burn" grips and holds, surprises and entertains, it is a virtuoso piece.

Don't be misled by the a "action-trailer" on TV, saturating the airwaves; it says nothing of the film. Malkovich punching Pitt over a compromising CD of spook stuff is not at the heart of this - the McDormand character's pursuit of cosmetic surgery is, what with her self-examination, a lengthy session with the surgeon (Jeffrey DeMunn, in a brilliant turn), her desperate quest for a way to pay for it. Funny and going deep at the same time, "Burn" presents a series of character studies (hence the thought of Molière), in the context of mannered yet true social interactions (Waugh).

Skip descriptions of the plot, reject self-righteous denunciations of smart skepticism and charming evil, go and wallow in life-affirming laughter.