# Coen Brothers poll **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2016, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528 "2016-10-23T21:23:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/21 "2016-10-24T10:52:20Z")
Wow. I’ve thought about this a while now and can’t pull the trigger. _Lebowski_ or _Fargo_ I guess, but _Blood Simple_ and _The Man Who Wasn’t There_ give them a real run, and _Miller’s Crossing_ is nearly tied up in the jumble. **Lebowski** it is. Damn, that was tough. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/22 "2016-10-24T13:04:12Z")
**O Brother** is my fave, barely edging out **Big Lebowski** and **Fargo**. I’ve seen 'em all. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/23 "2016-10-24T13:24:06Z")
OVER THE LINE! My top five: Lebowski O’Brother No Country Arizona Fargo ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/24 "2016-10-24T14:27:47Z")
Lebowski or Fargo but, since I’ve been conditioned by society to consider drama ‘higher’ art than comedy, **Fargo** wins. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/25 "2016-10-24T14:59:22Z")
I haven’t seen them all but for the ones I have seen, I vote for No Country For Old Men ---
**Author:** ![Crybaby\_Boobie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crybaby_boobie/32/545_2.png) [@Crybaby\_Boobie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crybaby_Boobie)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/26 "2016-10-24T15:30:18Z")
I voted for A Serious Man, it’s way underappreciated if you ask me. But I gave Fargo and Hudsucker serious consideration. I love most of them, though. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/27 "2016-10-24T15:33:20Z")
_Fargo_ is the objectively correct answer. Sorry to the others, but we cannot give partial credit for wrong answers, however understandable. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/28 "2016-10-24T15:51:29Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > _Fargo_ and _The Big Lebowski_ are too obvious, so I decided to give _The Hudsucker Proxy_ some love. > [@JohnGalt](#): > > _Fargo_, simply because it put the Minnesota accent on the map (if that makes sense). No, It doesn’t really make since. It’s great that it puts the Minnesota accent on the map, but that’s not what the OP was asking. Nor was it asking to pick the one that wasn’t too obvious 😕 . buddha\_david, why is the obvious answer the ‘wrong’ one? If it’s the best movie in your opinion, then that’s your answer, regardless of how obvious it is. It’s like you thought the answer had to be something that no one else _thought_ you would pick. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/29 "2016-10-24T15:52:22Z")
Damn! We’re in a tight spot! That was hard to decide, I had to pick Lebowski but it wasn’t easy. Closest runner-ups were O Brother and Fargo. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/30 "2016-10-24T15:54:06Z")
O Brother, for the same reasons **ExTank** said. It’s just the whole package. Barely trailing in second place, the following are all tied: Barton Fink, Miller’s Crossing, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, A Serious Man, and Raising Arizona. I have not seen Hail Caesar! yet, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/31 "2016-10-24T16:15:26Z")
I almost want to give my vote to _Inside Llewin Davis_ because I know that one isn’t going to get much love, but my true favorite is _O Brother_. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/32 "2016-10-24T16:22:02Z")
Jeez, why don’t you ask which one of my children is my favorite? I can’t choose, but here are the top few. The order changes depending on my mood: _O Brother Where Art Thou? Fargo The Big Lebowski No Country for Old Men The Hudsucker Proxy True Grit_ I can’t even limit my Top 5 list to five movies. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/33 "2016-10-24T16:25:24Z")
There are some great choices but Miller’s Crossing is an unparalleled movie. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/34 "2016-10-24T16:28:12Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > The Dude abides. _Lebowski_, forever and ever, amen. And if I were to round out my Top Five, I’d say (in no particular order) _No Country for Old Men Fargo Raising Arizona A Serious Man_ The rest are OK but not great IMHO. And I didn’t like _Barton Fink, The Man Who Wasn’t There_ or _The Hudsucker Proxy_ much at all. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/35 "2016-10-24T16:44:24Z")
I can’t single out one as being “the best” but if you said that I could only watch one of them ever again, I would choose _The Hudsucker Proxy_. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/36 "2016-10-24T16:58:23Z")
We know each of us is the best judge of our likes and dislikes, never-the-less each of you who didn’t name Miller’s Crossing is just wrong. They have made many great movies, Fargo has a great story and character study that follows from Blood Simple. The Big Lebowski has fun in it and some of their most relateable characters. True Grit was an excellent remake of a great movie improved somewhat by their style but not uniquely characteristic of the Bros. Coen. Barton Fink isn’t getting a lot of props but it’s a incredible introspective view of the creative process. O Brother is seems popular here but I don’t think the allegory ties together well. Miller’s Crossing is a work of art. Yes, there’s a lot of over the top acting and action, but it is knit together in a way that resembles a great oil painting by a master brought to life. Some criticize the story calling nothing but an extended ‘day in the life’ piece, but those critics are missing the essence of the marvelous interplay of image, sound, music, and their hallmark study of fringe personalities. The basic themes in this movie were present for ages in film-making but never done, they started with classic film concepts and deconstructed them, then resurrected them as ideals. I could criticize a few of their movies, but the ones gaining mention here are all woven with quality. Still, Miller’s cannot be surpassed in it’s essential beauty, it is the epitome of the craft of film-making. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/37 "2016-10-24T17:37:13Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > And if I were to round out my Top Five, I’d say (in no particular order) > > _No Country for Old Men > Fargo > Raising Arizona > A Serious Man_ > > The rest are OK but not great IMHO. I dont get the love for _No Country for Old Men_ the plot, such as it was, is impenetrable, and makes no sense. Yes, there’s good acting and scenes, but a plot that makes no sense will make me dislike a film intensely. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/38 "2016-10-24T18:28:48Z")
I don’t mind that in _No Country_. The assassin is like a force of nature. Part of the film’s message is that terrible things can happen for no good reason. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/39 "2016-10-24T19:19:23Z")
**Raising Arizona** gets my vote. I just loved the movie when it came out and still appreciate it’s youthful exuberance. For my crowd, it was one we quoted often. **Millers Crossing** is a close second. Followed by **A Serious Man** , for what I see as their most personal movie. And I’m surprised there is no love for **The Man Who Wasn’t There** , with a young Scarlett Johansson when she could still be considered a serious actress before her body parts took over. At the bottom of my list is **The Ladykillers** , boy was that a miss, for them and for Tom Hanks. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528/40 "2016-10-24T19:25:40Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > At the bottom of my list is **The Ladykillers** , boy was that a miss, for them and for Tom Hanks. Yeah. It was weird, and missed the mark as to tone. Was it a comedy? A Black comedy? Crime film? Heist? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coen-brothers-poll/769528.md?page=3)