O Brother, Where Art Thou? features as Panida $5 film

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

Among the movies that came to theaters in the early 2000s, O Brother, Where Art Thou? could be regarded as one that approaches perfection. 

Written and directed by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen — with inspiration from the tale of Ulysses, by ancient Greek writer Homer — O Brother is the tale of three escaped convicts on the trail of a treasure in the Depression-era Deep South.

Starring George Clooney as silver-tongued (and well-pomaded) ringleader Ulysses Everett McGill, Tim Blake Nelson as dull-witted but goodhearted and loyal Delmar O’Donnell, and John Turturro as the rage-filled hillbilly Pete Hogwallop, the film has it all: good and evil, love and hate, seedy politicians, river maidens, demonic lawmen, prophecies and even a cataclysmic flood.

The 21st-century mythological homage is by turns wickedly funny and absurd, ominous and affecting, and — most notable — features a soundtrack of old-timey tunes so good that it made its fictional Soggy Bottom Boys band a bona fide hit, earning multiple platinum-selling status and an armload of Grammys in 2002 — including for Best Country Collaboration for “Man of Constant Sorrow.”

With supporting performances from Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Charles Durning, Wayne Duvall, Stephen Root and Daniel von Bargen, it’s a jewel box of a film stacked with kooky, unforgettable characters in a sepia-hued setting that dares audiences not to get swept away.

The Panida Theater will feature O Brother, Where Art Thou? as its $5 movie on Friday, Nov. 15, with doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show at 7 p.m. Get tickets at panida.org or the box office at 300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint.