Click to read the article
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted: 135
Fresh: 105
Rotten:30
Average Rating: 7.2/10
Consensus: 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.
Theatrical Release:Dec 22, 2000 Limited
Box Office: $45,150,731
Synopsis: Joel and Ethan Coen transport Homer's ODYSSEY to the depression-era South in the silly, fun comedy O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson star as three... Joel and Ethan Coen transport Homer's ODYSSEY to the depression-era South in the silly, fun comedy O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson star as three escaped fugitives on the run in Mississippi. Their adventures through the barren landscape includes run-ins with a soothsayer, a trio of Sirens, a Bible-salesman Cyclops, as well as other archetypes from Southern folklore and pop-culture including a young blues musician, the Klan, and bank robber Baby Face Nelson. Soon they are caught up in a vicious gubernatorial campaign that would make Huey Long proud. The Coen brothers mix in a host of cinematic references in O BROTHER, including SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS, COOL HAND LUKE, I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG, and even dashes of the Three Stooges. The soundtrack of folk ballads, yodeling traditionals, Delta blues, and prison work songs is outstanding, playing in the background (or foreground) of nearly every scene. Clooney, as the ringleader, displays an effervescent smile that is as intoxicating as the Coens' script is outrageous. The cast, including Holly Hunter, Charles Durning, John Goodman, Chris Thomas King, and Michael Badalucco, is charmingly bewildering in a way that only a Coen brothers' cast can be. Joel and Ethan have done it again, crafting this time a unique film steeped in the traditions of the South--and of Hollywood itself. [More]
Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman
Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, Michael Badalucco, Chris Thomas King, Charles Durning, Daniel Von Bargen, Stephen Root, John McConnell, Musetta Vander, Mia Tate, Christy Taylor, Wayne Duvall, J. R. Horne, Brian Reddy, Frank Collison
Director: Joel Coen
Director: Joel Coen
Screenwriter: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen
Composer: T-Bone Burnett
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures
Get This Movie
Reviews for O Brother, Where Art Thou?
After making what are still probably their two best features, the Coen brothers came up with their worst, a piece of pop nihilism.
Great dialogue, superb 'Scope camerawork from Roger Deakins, and a genuinely wondrous deus ex machina are among the delights.
its tongue-in-cheek humor effortlessly gives way to poignant drama and period musical pieces throughout.
Watching Clooney, Turturro, and Nelson ham it up singing 'Man of Constant Sorrow' is one of this year's greatest big-screen delights.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is the Being John Malkovich of the year 2000. The most remarkable thing about it is just how any sane studio executive agreed to back it.
It's an odd, charming movie, not for everyone, but definitely for Coen acolytes. A great adaptation. And buy the soundtrack.
As a big-budget film from two of our great contemporary social satirists, it falls short.
All I can say is that my favorite Joel and Ethan Coen movie used to be Miller's Crossing, now it's O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The plot is just as goofy and hilarious as you would expect, but equally important is the spectacular bluegrass score.
Though the movie occasionally over-reaches for jokes, in the end it redeems itself with originality and style -- admittedly, a style that will not appeal to some mainstream tastes.
The Coens' usual arch deliberateness isn't quite as deliberate, and there's an appealing shagginess to some of the episodes and performances.
I'll be darned. The Coen brothers, which many cinephiles (myself included) like to call the most exciting working American filmmakers, have just made a bad movie.
With "O Brother,' the Coens have reached near perfection again, and that's something to sing about.
...like life itself, the destination matters much less than the shared journey. And, in this case, the gorgeous yellow-toned cinematography and the music.
There are so many home runs hit deep out of the park on this one! What a great movie!
Latest News for O Brother, Where Art Thou?
November 07, 2007:
Total Recall: Welcome to Coen Brothers Country
Before expanding wide on November 21, No Country for Old Men (90 percent) will play in select cities this Friday riding a wave of huge expectations. The Cormac McCarthy-based... More...
July 27, 2007:
Cool New Cast Member for The Incredible Hulk
And the casts for the new Marvel movies just keep getting better and better. This time around? The multi-talented Tim Blake Nelson has been cast as a pivotal villain in Louis... More...
February 02, 2006:
Coens Aim to Tackle New "Country"
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joel & Ethan Coen's next film will be an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men." Word is that Tommy Lee... More...
September 07, 2005:
Clooney & Coens to Reunite for "Hail Caesar"
Apparently the latest issue of Vogue Magazine is being credited with the scoop, but fansite CoenBrothers.net broke the news about two months ago: George Clooney plans to reunite... More...
Related Forums for O Brother, Where Art Thou?
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
|
The Code |
23% 23% |
Confessions of a Shopa… |
39% 39% |
Inkheart |
80% 80% |
Gran Torino |
28% 28% |
Tyler Perry's Madea Go… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
84% 84% |
Two Lovers |
28% 28% |
12 Rounds |
04% 04% |
Street Fighter: The Le… |
23% 23% |
Jonas Brothers - The C… |
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? at Rotten Tomatoes
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? at IGN
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

TIME music critic Josh Tyrangiel remembers - and appreciates - the high peak of Michael Jackson's career in the early '80s.

With the Best Picture Oscar noms now 10 deep, BuzzSugar looks at 10 films that should have made the cut.

Sequels never used to be as good as the original, but now they can be even better. Can Transformers 2 follow suit?

The AV Club's Zack Handlen explores why Snowbeast has been dismissed and forgotten.



Top Critic


