O Brother Where Art Thou

The Coen brother’s film O Brother Where Art Thou, released in 2000, is in some ways a retelling of the Odyssey by Homer.  That book tells the story of the king, Ulysses, who undertakes a ten-year journey to return to his home. He finds his way blocked by sirens, a cyclops and other obstacles. When he does arrive home, he finds his wife surrounded by suitors competing for her affection and to take his place as king.  In this story the main character, Ulysses Everett McGill has broken out of prison and believes he is making his way to a fortune he as buried and a new life as a man of wealth.

Unknowingly Everett is on a spiritual quest to find a true fortune which is not the gold they are seeking but is his own redemption.

Everett is a vain man only concerned with his own well being and desires and lies if it further his own goals. He is a man devoid of faith and dismisses God as mere superstition.

The film begins with Everett and his companions on the run after making their escape. They soon encounter a blind man propelling himself along the rail line in a pushcart. He stops and prophetically states: “You will find a fortune. But it is not the fortune you seek.” They are confused. How could this man that they just met know about their quest for the buried treasure? He goes on to say “You will see many strange things. You will see a cow on the roof of a cotton house.” They are even more befuddled. How could a cow get on the roof of a cotton house and where would they see it?

As the film progresses, we see Everett reunite with his wife and daughters. He realizes being with them that what he really wants is to be with his family. Even more than getting the fortune. He also finds a desire in himself to be a better man. But like with Ulysses, there is a suitor that he must confront for his wife’s affection. He engages in a fist fight with the suitor and instead of blood being spilled it ends more comedically with him being tossed out of the store on his behind.

He finds a link to his spiritual self through his desire to be with his family. As he and the other convicts are finally caught by the sheriff and are prepared to be hung, he falls on his knees and prays to God with deep feeling and remorse saying, “Please God. I just want to see my daughters again. I know I have been guilty of pride. I am sorry I turned my back on you. Forgive me. Help us, Lord!”

As those words are spoken Everett and the others are baptized by the approaching wall of water as the valley is flooded. He has been given a new chance to live and has been reborn into a deeper connection to God. His family is the thing he truly wants. Not a fortune of money or gold.

As the convicts make their way to the surface and struggle to catch their breath, they get their bearings in the newly created lake.  Everett begins to explain away their experience as simply the outcome of the lake filling and dismissing his conversion until he looks up and sees the image the seer had predicted: A cow standing on the roof of a cotton house bobbing in the middle of the lake. There is no way to logically explain away this event and so he remains silent and filled with wonder.

 In addition to O Brother Where Art Thou being a touching and meaningful film it also has a superb soundtrack that amplifies the emotional and visual elements of the story. I highly recommend you find the songs online and enjoy them as well as the film.

Click here for more information on men’s counseling.