O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
86%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
8 wins & 39 nominations total
Though not as good as Coen brothers’ classics such as Blood Simple, the delightfully loopy O Brother, Where Art Thou? is still a lot of fun
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a Coen Brothers classic that’s a must-watch for anyone who loves a good adventure. With a hilarious cast of characters and a soundtrack that’ll have you tapping your toes, this movie is a wild ride from start to finish. Sure, it might not be for everyone, but if you’re looking for something a little offbeat and fun, then this is the movie for you. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the ride!
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Universal Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
D’Lo Water Park, D’Lo, Mississippi, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some violence and language
Year of Release
2001
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 46m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 2000 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 12, 2001
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, Chris Thomas King, directed by Joel Coen, written by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, comedy, drama, PG-13, box office, budget, reviewed by Nell Minow, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Geoff Andrew, Peter Rainer, Glenn Kenny, Kevin Jackson, Alex Behan, Josh Larsen, Tim Brayton, Ronald Bergan, Sean Axmaker, James Plath, audience score, soundtrack, Coen brothers, Mississippi, chain gang, treasure, adventure, friendship, resolution, historical detail, dry humor, beautiful music, cinematography, Universal Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures, Dolby Stereo, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Worldwide gross: $71,870,729
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $121,122,909
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 931
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 13,208,605
US/Canada gross: $45,512,588
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $76,701,839
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 879
US/Canada opening weekend: $195,104
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $328,807
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,513
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $26,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $43,817,500
Production budget ranking: 883
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $23,595,724
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $53,709,686
ROI to date (est.): 80%
ROI ranking: 1,011
John Turturro – Pete Hogwallop
Tim Blake Nelson – Delmar O’Donnel
John Goodman – Big Dan Teague
Holly Hunter – Penny
Chris Thomas King – Tommy Johnson
Joel Coen – Director, Writer
Ethan Coen – Producer, Writer
Director(s)
Joel Coen
Writer(s)
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Producer(s)
Ethan Coen
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
8 wins & 39 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (153) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (120) | Rotten (33)
Teens might enjoy this offbeat Odyssey adaptation.
December 26, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
TOP CRITIC
After making what are still probably their two best features, the Coen brothers came up with their worst, a piece of pop nihilism.
November 7, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Great dialogue, superb ‘Scope camerawork from Roger Deakins, and a genuinely wondrous deus ex machina are among the delights.
January 26, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The Coens’ usual arch deliberateness isn’t quite as deliberate, and there’s an appealing shagginess to some of the episodes and performances.
September 26, 2002
Peter Rainer
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
Are the Coens just being smart alecks here, or are they saying something sourly profound about American popular culture?
September 4, 2001
Glenn Kenny
Premiere Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Simply, O Brother, Where Art Thou? has one of the richest and most satisfying soundtracks I’ve heard in years.
April 13, 2001
Kevin Jackson
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
This really is a Coen Brothers masterpiece.
July 2, 2021
Alex Behan
Stuff.co.nz
The Good News is something of a siren this movie can’t resist.
May 14, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
For all its limitations and the places where it feels like half a movie, that half is absolutely hilarious.
May 26, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Tim Brayton
Alternate Ending
The movie also contrives to encapsulate every con-on-the-run picture one has ever seen, as well as southern period crime dramas. Yet again, the Coens’ cinematic alchemy has worked a treat.
June 7, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Ronald Bergan
Radio Times
The Coen’s O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a Coen odyssey reworked as a tall tale in the folk song idiom of superstition, magic realism and religious mysticism and delivered with a mix of screwball goofiness and intellectual whimsy.
November 18, 2016
Sean Axmaker
Seanax.com
Everyone who has the capacity for abstract thought, raise your hands . . . and take this Coen brothers’ journey.
December 29, 2011 | Rating: 9/10
James Plath
Movie Metropolis…
Plot
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
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t have anything goofy or funny to say about O Brother, Where Art Thou?, but they do mention the phenomenal soundtrack.
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