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The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

R  |   |  Crime, Drama  |  16 November 2001 (USA)
7.6
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Ratings: 7.6/10 from 81,061 users   Metascore: 73/100
Reviews: 440 user | 190 critic | 33 from Metacritic.com

A laconic, chain-smoking barber blackmails his wife's boss and lover for money to invest in dry cleaning, but his plan goes terribly wrong.

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, (uncredited)

Writers:

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Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 23 wins & 41 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

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Lilyan Chauvin ...
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Storyline

1949, Santa Rosa, California. A laconic, chain-smoking barber with fallen arches tells a story of a man trying to escape a humdrum life. It's a tale of suspected adultery, blackmail, foul play, death, Sacramento city slickers, racial slurs, invented war heroics, shaved legs, a gamine piano player, aliens, and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. Ed Crane cuts hair in his in-law's shop; his wife drinks and may be having an affair with her boss, Big Dave, who has $10,000 to invest in a second department store. Ed gets wind of a chance to make money in dry cleaning. Blackmail and investment are his opportunity to be more than a man no one notices. Settle in the chair and listen. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

The last thing on his mind is murder.

Genres:

Crime | Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for a scene of violence | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

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Language:

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Release Date:

16 November 2001 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Barber Project  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£419,609 (UK) (26 October 2001)

Gross:

$7,494,849 (USA) (22 February 2002)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Billy Bob Thornton jokingly made it look like Ed Crane had an erection in one of the scenes where he's watching Scarlett Johansson's character playing the piano. Only one of the prop guys noticed during production. When the Coen Brothers later found out, they made it clear that Ed would not be aroused in the scene. See more »

Goofs

The Crane automobile is a two-door sedan, but the flying car in the slow-motion accident scene is a coupe. Also, the rolling hubcap is not original to that vehicle. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Ed Crane: Yeah, I worked in a barbershop, but I never considered myself a barber. I stumbled into it. Or married into it, more precisely.
See more »

Crazy Credits

The opening titles cast shadows on the wall as if they are real. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Big Bang: Episode #1.2 (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

Three O'Clock in the Morning
(1922)
Music by Julián Robledo (as Julian Robkedo)
Lyrics by Dolly Morse (as Theodora Morse)
Published by EMI Feist Music, Inc. and Bienstock Publishing Company
o/b/o Redwood Music Ltd.
Performed Hugo Peretti (as Hugo) & Luigi Creatore (as Luigi)
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label, a unit of BMG Entertainment
Under license from BMG Special Markets
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Why you should see this movie
29 October 2001 | by (Seattle, WA) – See all my reviews

It is beautifully and refreshingly unpretentious. It is acted and filmed with grace and delicacy. This is the kind if movie we hope to find while sitting through most of the glitz and superficiality that gets made. Without question worth eight bucks, and two hours of your evening. Score another one for the Coen brothers.


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