Just awesome - hilarious and bizarre, with plenty of great music. A good time overall, and nothing too inappropriate for slightly older kids.
O Brother Where Art Thou
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Teens might enjoy this offbeat Odyssey adaptation.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 14 and Up
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of O Brother Where Art Thou was written by Nell Minow
Parents need to know that this movie has some mild language and some incidents reflecting the racism of its setting, including a KKK rally and attempted lynching.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about its origins in the greatest of all epics, and how that story has endured. They might also want to talk about the symbolism of fire and water throughout the movie (notice the way that the sheriff's dark glasses always reflect fire).
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More on O Brother Where Art Thou
What’s the Story?
This Coen brothers' venture is based in part on the Odyssey. But this Ulysses is no war hero from ancient Greece. It is America during the Depression, and Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) is a prisoner on a Mississippi chain gang. He persuades the two men chained to him, Pete (John Turturro) and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) to escape so they can get a hidden treasure. They make their way home, meeting up with an assortment of oddball characters, including bank-robbing legend George "Babyface" Nelson. They get some money by singing for a man who records bluegrass. They cross paths with two bitter rivals for the governor's office -- incumbent Governor Menelaus "Pass the Biscuits" Pappy O'Daniel (Charles Durning) and his cronies all have huge bellies, with pants that reach to their chests to be held by suspenders. Opponent Homer Stokes sells himself as a man of the little people who wants to clean house, and he makes campaign appearances with a midget and a broom to show that he means it. McGill and his friends do their best to evade the sheriff and make their way home, amidst washed-out landscapes.
Is It Any Good?
Like the Odyssey, the Ulysses of O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU is trying to get home to his wife before she marries one of her suitors. There are other echoes to that classic saga, from a blind seer who predicts that they will not find the treasure they seek to a one-eyed villain and three singing sirens to distract the travelers from their journey. As always, the Coen brothers present an array of quirky characters with faces closer to gargoyles and caricatures than to Hollywood prettiness. And there is the offbeat dialogue -- when Delmar, just baptized, says he has been saved by Jesus and a black guitar player says he just sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads, McGill replies, "Well, I guess I'm the only one who remains unaffiliated."
This is a lighter story than many of the Coens' previous movies, which makes it easy to forgive the parts that don't work very well, especially when we have the pleasure of the year's finest soundtrack, sheer bluegrass joy.
Movie Details
Studio: Touchstone Pictures, Director: Joel Coen
Run time: 0 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/22/2000
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some language and violence
Run time: 0 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/22/2000
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some language and violence
Our Members Say
See all 12 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
Great surreal comedy. OK for kids.
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
Really funny movie
You don't need to know the Odyssey to enjoy this hilarious movie, full of inside jokes like "Dapper Dan" and being turned into a frog you can share with your friends, and great performances. I personally liked this Coen's movie over "No Country for Old Men!"
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
I'm a 'Dapper Dan' man!
Great film. Really funny, Excellent music. A must see!
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
The big rock candy mountian of movies!
A funny, happy tale of a few men trying to pull their lives together after being in jail.
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I rate this title on for age 17 and give it
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I rate this title pause for age 13 and give it
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
A nice movie
This movie is a nice little comedy. How ever, there is a scene with the Ku Klux Klan (which turns out to be very funny) and they try to lynch a guy. Good ten+.
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
Really great adventure film with lots of comedy. Entertaining!
Very entertaining oddyssey sort of film. I loved how it went along, however some of the cruelty to animals and other things are not very comforting. Great comedy, also some great music. I love "I am a man of constant sorrow." It is a very good movie. The violence is pretty high, there's a lot of racism, including a KKK rally. Some strong language too. Sort of like the three stooges put together with "The oddyssey". It's satisfying.
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
violent
violence- whippings, lynchings, shoot-outs, berayal. Not fun to watch.
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
One of the best movies ever made!!!!!!!
This movie was extremely fun to watch! However, because of language and scary scenes with the KKK, I wouldn't reccomend if for anybody younger than 10. Watch it!!
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
Funny, not much like the Odyssey
Parents should know that there are some not so good scenes in the movie. There is a scene where sirens seduce a group of men. There is also frequent language (god***n, s**t, etc.) There are some violent moments, but overall it is okay for tweens+
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