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O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

Trailer
2:21 | Trailer
In the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.

Directors:

Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (uncredited)

Writers:

Homer (epic poem "The Odyssey"), Ethan Coen | 1 more credit »
Reviews
Popularity
589 ( 25)
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 36 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Clooney ... Everett
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 Del Pentecost ... Junior O'Daniel
Michael Badalucco ... George Nelson
J.R. Horne 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)
Learn more

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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." Written by Armin Ortmann <armin@sfb288.math.tu-berlin.de>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Sometimes, you have to lose your way to get back home See more »


Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Joel Coen revealed that the film was inspired by The Wizard of Oz (1939). "It started as a 'three saps on the run' kind of movie, and then at a certain point we looked at each other and said, 'You know, they're trying to get home-let's just say this is The Odyssey. We were thinking of it more as The Wizard of Oz. We wanted the tag on the movie to be: 'There's No Place Like Home.'" See more »

Goofs

Baby Face Nelson died of gunshot wounds in Illinois in 1934, 3 years before the movie has him active in Mississippi. (The filmmakers knew this anyway) See more »

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'?
See more »

Crazy Credits

Title Design and Other Cool Stuff Balsmeyer & Everett, Inc. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Really Me: Oh Brody, Where Art Thou? See more »

Soundtracks

I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow
(uncredited)
Traditional
Performed by Norman Blake
See more »

User Reviews

 
Masterful...
20 January 2001 | by bigwig6273See all my reviews

Not being a fan of the Coen Brothers or George Clooney, anyone can see the skepticism I took into the theater. Once again, someone in Hollywood dares to create something different. This time it was those zanie (for a temporary lack of a better word) Coens doing "their thing" to one of the great works in literary history. Who would've ever thought Homer had this in mind? I don't know where this film is going to fit in the history books of Hollywood, but it will be in both mine and many others DVD or VHS library. It is one of those films that you can watch over and over. The story is brilliantly written. Clean and entertaining, with a couple of Gumpesque brushes with fame, great performances by Clooney, Turturro, Nelson, and a brief but hilarious Holly Hunter. Being born in Mississippi and raised in other parts of the south, I wish more people would poke a little fun at us like this. They even invoke a soundtrack fitting for the rural south. You are NOT doing anything better this weekend, go see this movie!


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

UK | France | USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 August 2000 (France) See more »

Also Known As:

O Brother, Where Art Thou? See more »

Filming Locations:

Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$26,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$195,104, 25 December 2000

Gross USA:

$45,512,588

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$71,868,327
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1
See full technical specs »

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