Additional information for A Serious Man, which has a domestic theatrical release set for October 2, 2009. The film is being distributed by Focus Features and has not yet been rated. A Serious Man has a total running time of 106 minutes.
R
USA
11
Denmark
15
UK
14A
Canada
M
Australia
15A
Ireland
12
Iceland
K-11
Finland
13
Argentina
12
Switzerland
11
Sweden
12
Germany
M18
Singapore
M/16
Portugal
15
South Korea
B15
Mexico
IIB
Hong Kong
16
Brazil
PG12
Japan
12
Netherlands
106min
No taglines exist for this title.
A black comedy drama centered on Larry Gopnik, a Midwestern professor who watches his life unravel through multiple sudden incidents. Though seeking for meaning and answers he seems to stay stalled.
ENDING SPOILERS:The day of Danny Gopnick's bar mitzvah arrives. As he goes to read from the Torah, his mind freezes and he stands as if in a trance. He looks at his family, and back down at the Torah. All at once he comes into focus and begins chanting from the Torah flawlessly. As parents Larry and Judith watch proudly, they start to hold hands and arms, as if beginning to reconnect. Judith suddenly tells Larry that Sy always admired Larry very much, and secretly wrote letters of recommendation on Larry's behalf, to the college tenure board.At the completion of the ceremony, Danny is told about the rights and duties of being a full member of the community and the synagogue. He is given a kiddush cup and told that he has been granted an audience with Rabbi Marshak.Danny goes into Marshak's office, and sits in front of him. Marshak speaks slowly, almost haltingly, and in a way that suggests he's a little addled. He begins to quote lines from Jefferson Airplane's 'Somebody to Love' (not quite accurately) and recites the names of the group's members (again, not quite accurately). He then gives Danny back his confiscated radio and simply says, "Be a good boy."The scene begins to switch back and forth at this point between Larry at his office in the college, and Danny at Hebrew school. Arlen visits Larry at his office, congratulating him on Danny's bar mitzvah and speaking about the need to savor such moments of family blessings, with which Larry agrees and promises to do. Carefully emphasizing that he is speaking off the record and didn't actually 'say anything,' Arlen insinuates that Larry has earned tenure at the college.We then see Danny listening to the radio through his earphones, discreetly goofing off during Hebrew class again. He sees that the $20 he secreted in the radio's leather belt pouch to pay for the pot sold him by Mike Fagle, is still there. He tries to carefully whisper to Fagle, whose seat is in front of him.Larry opens some of his mail and one of the letters is a legal bill for $3,000.00. Going to his grade book, he stares at the F given to Clive Park, and after some thought, changes it to a C minus. Abruptly his phone rings.Back at Hebrew school, a principal's aide enters and whispers to the teacher, who announces that a tornado warning has sounded and all students are to be ushered into the synagogue basement.Larry answers his phone and it's Dr. Shapiro, who congratulates Larry on Danny's bar mitzvah but then suddenly announces he wants Larry to come into his office to discuss the results of his X-Ray, which Larry was shown getting near the beginning of the movie.Back at Hebrew school, the kids are all waiting in the parking lot as the teacher fumbles with his keys. Wind is picking up and the teacher can't seem to pick out the correct key to open the door to the basement.Back at Larry's office, Larry asks if he can talk on the phone about the X-Ray results, but Dr. Shapiro feels it would be best done in person. Larry asks when, and Dr. Shapiro says now; he's set some time aside for Larry to come to his office right away. It's suggested strongly that Larry is seriously ill; possibly even terminally.Previous to this, Larry's wife informed told him she wants a divorce and moves her new partner, the condescending Sy, into their home. Larry is farmed out to a motel with his ne'er-do-well brother, Arthur.The final scene is back at the Hebrew school. Danny sees Mike Fagle standing in front of him and calls out to him, looking to give him the $20 he owes him. Suddenly Fagle turns around and stares over his shoulder at Danny, and Danny freezes on seeing what Fagle had been looking at: a funnel cloud heading straight toward the school... and all the kids, as the teacher is still unable to locate the correct key to the basement.Fade to black as 'Somebody to Love' by Jefferson Airplane begins to play.
Ethan Coen
Joel Coen
Director(s)
Joel Coen
Ethan Coen
Writer(s)
Tim Bevan
executive producer
Ethan Coen
producer
Joel Coen
producer
Eric Fellner
executive producer
Robert Graf
executive producer
Producer(s)
Carter Burwell
Composer(s)
Larry Gopnik
Michael Stuhlbarg
Uncle Arthur
Richard Kind
Sy Ableman
Fred Melamed
Judith Gopnik
Sari Lennick
Danny Gopnik
Aaron Wolff
Sarah Gopnik
Jessica McManus
Mr. Brandt
Peter Breitmayer
Mitch Brandt
Brent Braunschweig
Clive Park
David Kang
Danny's Reefer Buddy
Benjamin Portnoe
Boy on Bus
Jack Swiler
Cursing Boy on Bus
Andrew S. Lentz
Mike Fagle
Jon Kaminski Jr.
Arlen Finkle
Ari Hoptman
Rabbi Marshak
Alan Mandell
Mrs. Samsky
Amy Landecker
Rabbi Nachtner
George Wyner
Dr. Sussman
Michael Tezla
Friend at the Picnic
Katherine Borowitz
Clive's Father (as Stephen Park)
Steve Park
Shtetl Husband
Allen Lewis Rickman
Shtetl Wife
Yelena Shmulenson
Dybbuk?
Fyvush Finkel
Hebrew School Teacher
Ronald Schultz
Dr. Shapiro
Raye Birk
Larry's Secretary
Jane Hammill
Marshak's Secretary
Claudia Wilkens
Rabbi Scott
Simon Helberg
Divorce Lawyer
Adam Arkin
Cop #1 (as Jim Cada)
James Cada
Solomon Schlutz
Michael Lerner
Hebrew School Principal
Charles Brin
Torah Blesser
Michael Engel
Magbiah
Tyson Bidner
Hebrew School Tea Lady
Phyllis Harris
D'vorah (as Piper Sigel Bruse)
Piper Sigel-Bruse
Sarah's Friend
Hannah Nemer
Law Firm Secretary
Rita Vassallo
Dick Dutton (as Warren David Keith)
Warren Keith
Cantor
Neil Newman
A Serious Man
No theatrical release dates have been decided.
Joel Coen
Director(s)
Ethan Coen
Writer(s)
executive producer
Ethan Coen
producer
Joel Coen
producer
Eric Fellner
executive producer
Robert Graf
executive producer
Producer(s)
Composer(s)
Other Films from Focus Features
9, Away We Go, Beginners, Catch a Fire, Eastern Promises, Evening, For a Good Time, Call..., Hanna, In Bruges, It's Kind of a Funny Story, Lust, Caution, Milk, One Day, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Talk to Me, The Broken Tower, The Limits of Control, The Shape of Things, Thirst, ½ Revolution
Worth Watching
Sponsors Like Trailers!
Trending Now
Are You a Trailer Addict?
Trailer Addict has setup TA, Trailers Anoymous. Feel free to contact us at with your scoops, comments or advertising inquiries at the following email address.
