The Coen Brothers’ A SERIOUS MAN

Perrin Drumm — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:00:25 +0000

Though the rest of A SERIOUS MAN is set in late 60s suburbia, the Coen brothers take us first to a snowy night in Yiddish-speaking old country for a little morality tale. The tale, however, is less morality and more of a warning that no matter what, no matter how ludicrous and illogical she may be, the wife is always right. Flash forward to the Minnesota suburbs in 1967 where Larry Gopnik (in an incredible performance by Michael Stuhlbarg) is a middle-aged math teacher with two bratty kids and a math whiz brother (Richard Kind) who sleeps on the couch and spends most of the day draining a cyst on his neck. It's not exactly ideal and Judith (Sari Lennick), his wife, wants a divorce. So begins the downward spiral that will consume Larry's life.

Sundance Channel

The Coen Brothers’ A SERIOUS MAN