Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Everything Is Illuminated

  • 2005
  • PG-13
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
61K
YOUR RATING
Elijah Wood in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
Trailer 1
Play trailer2:31
1 Video
99+ Photos
Quirky ComedyComedyDrama

A young Jewish American man, with the help of an eccentric local, endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village that was ultimately razed b... Read allA young Jewish American man, with the help of an eccentric local, endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village that was ultimately razed by the Nazis.A young Jewish American man, with the help of an eccentric local, endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village that was ultimately razed by the Nazis.

  • Director
    • Liev Schreiber
  • Writers
    • Jonathan Safran Foer
    • Liev Schreiber
  • Stars
    • Elijah Wood
    • Eugene Hutz
    • Boris Lyoskin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    61K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Liev Schreiber
    • Writers
      • Jonathan Safran Foer
      • Liev Schreiber
    • Stars
      • Elijah Wood
      • Eugene Hutz
      • Boris Lyoskin
    • 189User reviews
    • 99Critic reviews
    • 58Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 7 wins & 6 nominations total

    Videos1

    Everything Is Illuminated
    Trailer 2:31
    Everything Is Illuminated

    Photos122

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 116
    View Poster

    Top cast33

    Edit
    Elijah Wood
    Elijah Wood
    • Jonathan Safran Foer
    Eugene Hutz
    Eugene Hutz
    • Alex
    Boris Lyoskin
    Boris Lyoskin
    • Grandfather
    • (as Boris Leskin)
    Jonathan Safran Foer
    Jonathan Safran Foer
    • Leaf Blower
    Jana Hrabetova
    • Jonathan's Grandmother
    Stephen Samudovsky
    • Jonathan's Grandfather Safran
    Ljubomir Dezera
    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.
    Robert Chytil
    • Breakdancer
    Jaroslava Sochova
    • Woman on Train
    Sergei Ryabtsev
    • Ukrainian Band Member
    • (as Sergej Rjabcev)
    Yuri Lemeshev
    • Ukrainian Band Member
    • (as Jurij Lemeshev)
    Pamela Racine
    Pamela Racine
    • Ukrainian Band Member
    Oleksandr Houtz
    • Ukrainian Band Member
    • Director
      • Liev Schreiber
    • Writers
      • Jonathan Safran Foer
      • Liev Schreiber
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Wristcutters: A Love Story
    7.2
    Wristcutters: A Love Story
    Kill Your Darlings
    7.7
    Kill Your Darlings
    The Science of Sleep
    7.2
    The Science of Sleep
    The Station Agent
    7.6
    The Station Agent
    Meeting Zelenskyy
    Free Samples
    5.6
    Free Samples
    Green Street Hooligans
    7.4
    Green Street Hooligans
    Housewife, 49
    7.7
    Housewife, 49
    The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
    6.8
    The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
    Terri
    6.5
    Terri
    Wilfred
    7.8
    Wilfred
    This Must Be the Place
    6.7
    This Must Be the Place

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Eugene Hutz's band Gogol Bordello appears as the polka band that greets Elijah Wood at the train station.
    • Goofs
      When the Grandfather repeatedly sounds the horn of the car, he presses the middle of the steering wheel to do so. In the Trabant, the horn is activated by pushing the signal light lever forward.
    • Quotes

      Alex: I have reflected many times upon our rigid search. It has shown me that everything is illuminated in the light of the past. It is always along the side of us, on the inside, looking out. Like you say, inside out. Jonathan, in this way, I will always be along the side of your life. And you will always be along the side of mine.

    • Crazy credits
      Several songs are credited to the New York punk/Gypsy/Jewish klezmer band, Gogol Bordello, which is led by Eugene Hutz, who plays Alex in the film (the same band greets Jonathan when he arrives on the train). The last of these songs, "Start Wearing Purple (For Me Now)," which plays over the end credits, is credited to both a correct spelling (Gogol Bordello), dg and Gogol Bodello, an incorrect spelling.
    • Connections
      Featured in Today: Episode dated 24 November 2005 (2005)
    • Soundtracks
      Shakedown
      Written by Jack Livesey

      Performed by The Con Artists

      Courtesy of Duotone Audio Group Ltd

    User reviews189

    Featured review
    8/10

    A Breathtaking Depiction of a Great Novel

    I just saw this last night and was just blown away. This was a great book and I really couldn't wait to see the movie. Of course a couple major parts of the book are changed (and I'm not sure why) - including one very important detail about a main character. However, the movie still brought me to tears, just like the book. =) The depiction of Alex is dead on, and it was so amazing to hear the words that I had read being used on screen. The cinematography was absolutely gorgeous - it totally makes me want to visit the Ukraine. I think one of my favourite lines (and I don't think this will give away any of the plot) was when Jonathan asked what had happened to the bombed out buildings and Alex answers "Soviets...independence." Chilling. Go see this movie. If you have read the book, I think you will enjoy like I did seeing the characters come to life. If you haven't, you will be thrown into a story so rich, funny and heartbreaking that you will never forget it.
    • Sabina82
    • Nov 23, 2005
    • Permalink

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ21

    • How long is Everything Is Illuminated?Powered by Alexa
    • Who is the dedication to at the end of the movie? Alex 1993

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 4, 2005 (Mexico)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Warner Independent Pictures (United States)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Russian
      • Ukrainian
    • Also known as
      • The Collector
    • Filming locations
      • Odessa, Ukraine
    • Production companies
      • Warner Independent Pictures (WIP)
      • Telegraph Films
      • Big Beach
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $7,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,712,337
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $66,806
      • Sep 18, 2005
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,601,974
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Elijah Wood in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Everything Is Illuminated (2005) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.