A Serious Man
Bloomington, Minnesota, 1967: Jewish physics lecturer Larry Gopnik is a serious and a very put-upon man. His daughter is stealing from him to save up for a nose job, his pot-head son, who gets stoned at his own bar-mitzvah, only wants him round to fix the TV aerial and his useless brother Arthur is an unwelcome house guest. But both Arthur and Larry get turfed out into a motel when Larry's wife Judy, who wants a divorce, moves her lover, Sy, into the house and even after Sy's death in a car crash they are still there. With lawyers' bills mounting for his divorce, Arthur's criminal court appearances and a land feud with a neighbour Larry is tempted to take the bribe offered by a student to give him an illegal exam pass mark. And the rabbis he visits for advice only dole out platitudes. Still God moves in mysterious - and not always pleasant - ways, as Larry and his family will find out.
Despite its small-scale budget of $7.0M, A Serious Man became a box office success, earning $31.4M worldwide—a 349% return. The film's innovative storytelling resonated with audiences, confirming that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
Nominated for 2 Oscars. 17 wins & 80 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
A Serious Man (2009) exhibits meticulously timed narrative design, characteristic of Coen Brothers's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 46 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 4.0, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Larry Gopnik
Judith Gopnik
Arthur Gopnik
Sy Ableman
Danny Gopnik
Sarah Gopnik
Clive Park
Rabbi Nachtner
Rabbi Scott
Rabbi Marshak
Main Cast & Characters
Larry Gopnik
Played by Michael Stuhlbarg
A physics professor whose life spirals into chaos as his wife leaves him, his brother causes trouble, and he faces tenure review.
Judith Gopnik
Played by Sari Lennick
Larry's wife who asks for a divorce to marry the smug widower Sy Ableman.
Arthur Gopnik
Played by Richard Kind
Larry's troubled brother who lives with the family, obsessively working on a probability map while dealing with legal issues.
Sy Ableman
Played by Fred Melamed
A seemingly kind and sympathetic man who is having an affair with Judith and attempts to befriend Larry.
Danny Gopnik
Played by Aaron Wolff
Larry's teenage son preparing for his bar mitzvah while secretly smoking marijuana and listening to Jefferson Airplane.
Sarah Gopnik
Played by Jessica McManus
Larry's teenage daughter who is constantly washing her hair and stealing money from him for a nose job.
Clive Park
Played by David Kang
A Korean student who attempts to bribe Larry for a passing grade and whose father may be threatening him.
Rabbi Nachtner
Played by George Wyner
The second rabbi Larry consults, who tells an enigmatic story about a dentist and Hebrew letters on teeth.
Rabbi Scott
Played by Simon Helberg
The young junior rabbi who offers Larry unhelpful advice about perspective and parking lots.
Rabbi Marshak
Played by Alan Mandell
The ancient senior rabbi who Danny finally meets after his bar mitzvah, who quotes Jefferson Airplane lyrics.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Larry Gopnik teaches physics at the university, lives in suburban Minnesota with wife Judith and two children. He appears to be a good man living a stable, ordinary life as he awaits news of his tenure decision.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Judith tells Larry she wants a divorce because Sy Ableman is "a serious man" - more serious than Larry. This shatters Larry's stable world and begins his cascade of misfortunes and his search for meaning.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 22% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Larry actively decides to seek rabbinical counsel and understand what God wants from him. He commits to finding answers through faith, visiting Rabbi Scott. This is his choice to engage with the spiritual dimension of his crisis., moving from reaction to action.
At 48 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 45% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. Notably, this crucial beat Sy Ableman dies in a car accident. What should be liberation for Larry instead raises stakes - he must now pay for Sy's funeral while simultaneously being displaced from his own home. The false hope of relief becomes another burden., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 71 minutes (67% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Larry reaches complete despair. He has lost everything: his wife, his home, his brother (arrested), possibly his tenure, his dignity. In his darkest moment, he contemplates the meaninglessness of his suffering. Death surrounds him metaphorically., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 76 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 72% of the runtime. Larry makes a moral compromise: he changes Clive's failing grade to passing in exchange for the bribe money he desperately needs. He chooses pragmatism over righteousness, abandoning his quest for divine understanding in favor of survival., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
A Serious Man's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping A Serious Man against these established plot points, we can identify how Coen Brothers utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish A Serious Man within the comedy genre.
Coen Brothers's Structural Approach
Among the 11 Coen Brothers films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 5.1, showcasing experimental approaches to narrative form. A Serious Man takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Coen Brothers filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Coen Brothers analyses, see No Country for Old Men, Fargo and Inside Llewyn Davis.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Larry Gopnik teaches physics at the university, lives in suburban Minnesota with wife Judith and two children. He appears to be a good man living a stable, ordinary life as he awaits news of his tenure decision.
Theme
Rabbi Nachtner tells Danny the story: "The teeth, we don't know. A sign from Hashem? Don't know." The film's central theme: the inscrutability of God's will and the impossibility of knowing why things happen.
Worldbuilding
Establishing Larry's world: his teaching job, tenure committee process, troubled son Danny preparing for bar mitzvah, daughter Sarah, neighbor Sy Ableman, Korean student Clive seeking to bribe him for a passing grade. Everything appears manageable.
Disruption
Judith tells Larry she wants a divorce because Sy Ableman is "a serious man" - more serious than Larry. This shatters Larry's stable world and begins his cascade of misfortunes and his search for meaning.
Resistance
Larry resists and debates what to do. He consults lawyers, moves to the Jolly Roger motel, deals with Clive's bribe attempt. Anonymous letters damage his tenure case. His brother Arthur sleeps on his couch. Larry seeks guidance but receives none.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Larry actively decides to seek rabbinical counsel and understand what God wants from him. He commits to finding answers through faith, visiting Rabbi Scott. This is his choice to engage with the spiritual dimension of his crisis.
Mirror World
Rabbi Scott offers the parable of the parking lot, advising Larry to see things from a new perspective. This subplot of seeking religious wisdom will run parallel to Larry's practical problems, embodying the film's theme of unknowability.
Premise
Larry navigates his new absurd world: marriage dissolving, living at motel, brother's legal troubles, tenure threatened, Clive's father threatens lawsuit, neighbor encroaching on property. Each attempt to understand or fix things leads nowhere. The promise: watching a good man suffer inexplicably.
Midpoint
Sy Ableman dies in a car accident. What should be liberation for Larry instead raises stakes - he must now pay for Sy's funeral while simultaneously being displaced from his own home. The false hope of relief becomes another burden.
Opposition
Everything intensifies: Arthur arrested for gambling, Larry's tenure increasingly uncertain, Clive's family pushes defamation lawsuit, financial pressures mount, Danny's bar mitzvah approaches, Mrs. Samsky seduces then abandons Larry. Each rabbi offers less help than the last.
Collapse
Larry reaches complete despair. He has lost everything: his wife, his home, his brother (arrested), possibly his tenure, his dignity. In his darkest moment, he contemplates the meaninglessness of his suffering. Death surrounds him metaphorically.
Crisis
Larry sits in darkness processing his loss. He attempts one final time to see the wise Rabbi Marshak, but is refused. The question persists: What does God want? Why is this happening? No answer comes.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Larry makes a moral compromise: he changes Clive's failing grade to passing in exchange for the bribe money he desperately needs. He chooses pragmatism over righteousness, abandoning his quest for divine understanding in favor of survival.
Synthesis
Danny's bar mitzvah proceeds. Larry receives word that tenure will be granted. Brief moment of relief. But then: his doctor calls with ominous X-ray results requesting immediate meeting. Simultaneously, a tornado approaches Danny's school. Divine judgment arrives.
Transformation
Final image: Larry stares in horror as the tornado approaches while his phone rings with medical doom. The question remains unanswered. He is not transformed into understanding - he's transformed into acceptance of incomprehensibility. Negative arc complete.