O Brother, Where Art Thou?

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O Brother, Where Art Thou?

PG-13

2000

1h 46m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

78%

Tomatometer

156 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) is having difficulty adjusting to his hard-labor sentence in Mississippi. He scams his way off the chain gang with simple Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) and maladjusted Pete (John Turturro), then the trio sets out to pursue freedom and the promise of a fortune in buried treasure. With nothing to lose and still in shackles, their hasty run takes them on an incredible journey of awesome experiences and colorful characters.

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Critics Consensus

Though not as good as Coen brothers' classics, the delightfully loopy O Brother, Where Art Thou? is still a lot of fun.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/26/2010

4/5

Teens might enjoy this offbeat Odyssey adaptation.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

11/07/2007

After making what are still probably their two best features, the Coen brothers came up with their worst, a piece of pop nihilism.

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

01/26/2006

Great dialogue, superb 'Scope camerawork from Roger Deakins, and a genuinely wondrous deus ex machina are among the delights.

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Linda Cook

Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

6d

3/4

How this ties in to the Odyssey, I don't know. I don't have time to care ... I have to go listen to the soundtrack again.

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Conor Bryce

Film Ireland Magazine

Mar 24

This eccentric, moonshine-soaked ode to old-timey joy feels like home to me.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

12/24/2023

5/5

O Brother, Where Art Thou? is probably not the first film that one thinks of when it comes to George Clooney or the Coen brothers but it's still a pretty fun satire and masterpiece over 23 years later.

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Troy R

@Grim16 2d

A classic combo. Good story with a hero's journey type path, iconic music, good actors, and great characters. Even the small characters all have there own breath to become something and be beloved for this silliness.

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Samuel H.

@Samuelhaubner Feb 9

It was all right, but I got lost a lot not my favorite

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Pedro Henrique C

@Pedro2005 Dec 29

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) Fun, courageous, and very simple. This is the kind of movie you can watch to relax your mind and also have a great laugh. A great classic from Universal Pictures.

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Trou d

Dec 22

The first time I watched it, I said, "You know what? I'm pretty sure I didn't understand that." I was right. The Cohens are smarter than I am. It took several tries for me to get it. This movie is a documentary about the demise of the Old South, with a tip of the hat to Homer. No, that's not quite it. It's more than that. This movie is a satire of country ways, affectionate and vicious at once. Nope, there's a deeper layer. This movie is about the human yearning for justice. Oh, darn it, maybe it's just what it seems to be, a Clodhopper's Opera with two stunning musical offerings and several other good ones. Whatever it is, it's good, and it made me think.

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William B.

@A1reviews Dec 16

This movie is top of the line with superb acting that is not only exceptional but fun, the characters are entertaining, the cinematography is very good.

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Xane B.

@xabobinchuck Nov 26

A little slow at some points but still really enjoyed the movie.

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Joel Coen

Director

George Clooney

Everett Ulysses McGill

John Turturro

Pete Hogwallop

Tim Blake Nelson

Delmar O'Donnel

John Goodman

Big Dan Teague

Holly Hunter

Penny

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Synopsis

Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) is having difficulty adjusting to his hard-labor sentence in Mississippi. He scams his way off the chain gang with simple Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) and maladjusted Pete (John Turturro), then the trio sets out to pursue freedom and the promise of a fortune in buried treasure. With nothing to lose and still in shackles, their hasty run takes them on an incredible journey of awesome experiences and colorful characters.

Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen
Screenwriter: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures, Universal Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Production Co: Mike Zoss Productions, Working Title Films, Touchstone Pictures, Universal Pictures, Le Studio Canal +, Buena Vista Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Violence|Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 13, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $45.5M
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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