Burn After Reading (2008)

Directors:

Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Writers (WGA):

Joel Coen (written by) &
Ethan Coen (written by)

Release Date:

12 September 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Intelligence is relative.

Plot:

A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to sell it. |

Cast

George Clooney	...	Harry Pfarrer
Frances McDormand	...	Linda Litzke
Brad Pitt	...	Chad Feldheimer
John Malkovich	...	Osborne Cox
Tilda Swinton	...	Katie Cox
Richard Jenkins	...	Ted Treffon
David Rasche	...	CIA Officer
J.K. Simmons	...	CIA Superior
Olek Krupa	...	Krapotkin
Michael Countryman	...	Alan
Kevin Sussman	...	Divorce Lawyer
J.R. Horne	...	Divorce Lawyer
Hamilton Clancy	...	Peck
Armand Schultz	...	Olson
Pun Bandhu	...	Party Guest #1
Karla Cheatham-Mosley	...	Party Guest #2 (as Karla Mosley)
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Cosmetic Surgeon
Richard Poe	...	Stretching Gym Patron
Carmen M. Herlihy	...	Prospective Gym Customer
Raul Aranas	...	Manolo
Judy Frank	...	Lawyer's Secretary
Sándor Técsy	...	Russian Embassy Escort
Yury Tsykun	...	Senior Russian Embassy Man
Brian O'Neill	...	Hal
Robert Prescott	...	Process Server
Matt Walton	...	Morning Show Host
Lori Hammel	...	Morning Show Hostess
Crystal Bock	...	PR Woman
Patrick Boll	...	Sandy's Man
Logan Kulick	...	Four-Year-Old Patient
Dermot Mulroney	...	Star of "Coming Up Daisy"
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
RJ Konner	...	Senator (uncredited)

Directed by
Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Writing credits (WGA)
Joel Coen		(written by) &
Ethan Coen		(written by)

Produced by
Tim Bevan	....	producer
Ethan Coen	....	producer
Joel Coen	....	producer
David Diliberto	....	associate producer
Eric Fellner	....	producer
Robert Graf	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Carter Burwell

Cinematography by
Emmanuel Lubezki		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ethan Coen		(as Roderick Jaynes)
Joel Coen		(as Roderick Jaynes)

Casting by
Ellen Chenoweth

Production Design by
Jess Gonchor

Art Direction by
David Swayze

Set Decoration by
Nancy Haigh

Costume Design by
Mary Zophres

Makeup Department
Jean Ann Black	....	makeup department head
Patricia Regan	....	key makeup artist
Waldo Sanchez	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Karen Ruth Getchell	....	production supervisor: Washington DC
Neri Kyle Tannenbaum	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bac DeLorme	....	key second assistant director
Betsy Magruder	....	first assistant director
Ronan O'Connor	....	second assistant director
John Silvestri	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Glen Aldous	....	scenic artist
J. Todd Anderson	....	storyboard artist
JoAnn Atwood	....	set dresser
Anthony Baldasare	....	prop assistant
Steve Brennan	....	key on-set dresser
Diana Burton	....	property master
Gabu Camilo	....	set dresser
Carolyn Cartwright	....	assistant set decorator
Lou Charles	....	set dresser
Eric Cheripka	....	props
James Donahue	....	scenic artist
Alex Gorodetsky	....	chargeman scenic artist
Jay Hendrickx	....	camera scenic artist
Gregory Hill	....	assistant art director
Deborah Jensen	....	assistant art director
Ana Lombardo	....	assistant property master
Luke Malloy	....	greensman
David Meade	....	construction manager
Rebecca Meis DeMarco	....	assistant to set decorator
Timothy Metzger	....	leadman
Victor Morales	....	scenic
Leann Murphy	....	art department coordinator
Jeffrey Rollins	....	set dresser
Daniel Rosenfeld	....	scenic shopman
Amy Safhay	....	lead greensperson
Dylan Sheridan	....	set dresser
Sha-Sha Shiau	....	set decorating coordinator
Nithya Shrinivasan	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Craig Berkey	....	sound designer
Craig Berkey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Laurel Bridges	....	boom operator
Johnna Chism	....	assistant sound editor
Joel Dougherty	....	first assistant sound editor
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist
Kenton Jakub	....	adr editor
Peter F. Kurland	....	sound mixer
Skip Lievsay	....	sound re-recording mixer
Skip Lievsay	....	supervising sound editor
Tommy Louie	....	sound utility
Christopher Moriana	....	foley artist
James Morioka	....	foley editor
Greg Orloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Byron Wilson	....	dialogue editor

Visual Effects by
Daniel Abramovich	....	digital compositor
Randall Balsmeyer	....	visual effects supervisor
Ella Boliver	....	digital compositor
J. John Corbett	....	digital compositor
Aleksandar Djordjevic	....	digital compositor
Richard Friedlander	....	visual effects producer: Brainstorm Digital
Ali Kocar	....	digital compositor
Scott Minter	....	digital compositor
Mitch Paulson	....	second digital colorist: EFILM
David Piombino	....	digital compositor
Eric J. Robertson	....	visual effects supervisor
Steven J. Scott	....	supervising digital colorist: EFILM
Chris 'Pinkus' Wesselman	....	digital compositor: Brainstorm Digital
Adrienne Winterhalter	....	visual effects producer
Jun Zhang	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Tim Buchanan	....	stunt driver
Danny Downey	....	stunt double: Kevin Sussman
Cort Hessler	....	stunt driver
Joanne Lamstein	....	stunts
Samantha MacIvor	....	stunt double
Samantha MacIvor	....	stunt driver
David Shumbris	....	stunt double: Brad Pitt

Camera and Electrical Department
Tanner Bayer	....	grip: Washington DC
Mark Beattie	....	electrician
Hilary Benas	....	additional camera loader
Eric Boncher	....	dimmer board operator
Sarah Brandes	....	assistant camera: Washington DC
Edward Button	....	assistant camera (as Ed Button)
Jeff Callow	....	grip: Washington DC
Richie Ford	....	rigging gaffer
Zachary Henderson	....	grip
Billy Kerwick	....	key rigging grip
Jeremy Knaster	....	electrician
Christopher Moats	....	grip: Washington DC
Bill O'Leary	....	gaffer
Louis Petraglia	....	rigging electric best boy
Macall B. Polay	....	still photographer
Brent Poleski	....	grip
Guillaume Renberg	....	remote camera operator
Michael Rich	....	lighting technician
George Richmond	....	camera operator
Lance Rieck	....	remote camera technician: scorpio head
Robert Vuolo	....	lighting technician
Michael Wacks	....	lamp operator
Yueni Zander	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Melissa Braun	....	extras casting associate
Mandy Sprinkel	....	location casting
Rachel Tenner	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cha Blevins	....	costume supervisor
Danielle Cadorette	....	tailor
David Davenport	....	costume supervisor
Nicole Greenbaum	....	set costumer
Amy Roth	....	assistant costume designer
Nomi Shichor	....	key costumer
Helen L. Simmons	....	costumer
Michael Simon	....	costumer: Washington DC

Editorial Department
Erik Freid	....	post-production project manager
Eileen Godoy	....	digital intermediate producer
Matt Hull	....	assistant digital intermediate producer
Jim Passon	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Todd Kasow	....	music editor
Chris Robertson	....	music clearance

Transportation Department
Teresa Haney	....	transportation

Other crew
Sage Asteak	....	key set production assistant
Kate Bailey	....	assistant production coordinator
Brette Billow	....	assistant production coordinator
Zach Broussard	....	production assistant
Brian M. Chilcoat	....	production assistant
Stephen Clarke	....	set production assistant
Michael P. Cone	....	production assistant
Tianni L. Craig	....	production assistant
Michael DeChant	....	production assistant: Washington D.C.
Chloe Dorigan	....	assistant: Tim Bevan
Charles Fagin	....	assistant location manager: los angeles unit
Kimberly N. Fajen	....	production coordinator
Todd Feaser	....	location assistant
Glenn Ferrara	....	production assistant
Amanda Foley	....	location coordinator
Rachael Lin Gallaghan	....	production coordinator: Washington DC
Dena Ghieth	....	location assistant
Niko Godfrey	....	accounting clerk
Chad Hessler	....	marine department
Cort Hessler	....	marine coordinator
Jeff Johnson	....	medic
Thomas Johnston	....	script supervisor
Douglas M. Jones	....	set production assistant: Washington DC
Larry Kaplan	....	unit publicist
Tim Kossa	....	key location assistant: Washington DC
Harry Lapham	....	production assistant
Michael B. Lewis	....	production assistant
Francesca M. Mannix	....	production secretary
Talia Mayer	....	production assistant
Liz Modena	....	assistant accountant
Elena Moscatt	....	key craft services: Washington DC
Kip Myers	....	assistant location manager
Lauri Pitkus	....	location manager
Michael J. Regina	....	production assistant
Justin Reid	....	location scout
Brieann Rich	....	set medic
Kara Ryan	....	production assistant
Patrick Sandefur	....	assets representative
John Sesumi	....	production assistant
Elizabeth Sherman	....	production assistant
Susan Silas	....	location scout
Brian J. Simpson	....	production assistant: re-shoots
Megan Taylor	....	production assistant
Victoria Uychich	....	production assistant
Christian Vendetti	....	staff production assistant
David Vogel	....	production assistant: Washington D.C.
Lindsey Magee	....	location scout (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mike Zoss Productions
• Relativity Media (in association with)
• Studio Canal
• Working Title Films

Distributors

• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Blue Sky Media (2007) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• Castello Lopes Multimedia (2008) (Portugal) (all media)
• Central Partnership (2008) (Russia) (all media)
• FS Film Oy (2008) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Focus Features (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Long Shong Entertainment Multimedia Company (2008) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2008) (Cyprus) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Showtime (2008) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Tiglon (2007) (Turkey) (all media)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Big Film Design
• Brainstorm Digital

Other Companies

• Abbey Road Studios  music scoring
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack
• On Tour Productions  grip and lighting equipment
• Paramount Transportation Services  transportation services
• Post Factory NY  post-production
• Rockbottom Rentals  junxion box rentals

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence.

Runtime:

Canada:96 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bronx Community College - University Avenue at West 181 Street, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Mike Zoss Productions

Trivia:

The first Coen Brothers film not photographed by Roger Deakins since Miller's Crossing (1990). He was unavailable, having committed to shoot Revolutionary Road (2008).

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Harry Pfarrer: Go around the corner, we'll do it in the back.
Katie Cox: You're so coarse.
Harry Pfarrer: Back of the car... not the rear entry situation...

Another Hit from the genius of the Coens'.

There's a point in this movie that George Clooney's character, Harry Pfarrer shows Frances McDormand's character Linda Litzke something that we've seen him working on for about half the movie. It was so surprising when I first saw it, that at first, I didn't even know what it was.

Once again, the Coens have created wonderful characters, including Clooney, who is a womanizer and paranoid that people are following him, and McDormand, who just wants plastic surgery in order to look better. Also, there's John Malkovich as Osbourne Cox, who "doesn't have a drinking problem," and maybe the best in the movie, Brad Pitt as Chad, a clueless gym employee who is pushed along by McDormand.

The only character that isn't up to par with the rest is Tilda Swinton's character of Katie Cox, Osbourne's wife. She doesn't get as many laughs as the rest, and it seems like the Coens just needed her as a plot device rather than an actual character. However, she may not be funny, but she does play the character well.

The writing is brilliant and the Coens weave the story in such a way that it reminds me of their previous movie, The Big Lebowski. In the end, as J.K. Simmons character sums it up himself, nothing really happens, but while watching it all unfold, you can't help but laugh at the absurdity.