The latest film from Joel and Ethan Coen was in 2009 with the release of “A Serious Man.” This directing team of brothers has been responsible for other films such as “No Country for Old Men”, “Fargo” and “Burn After Reading.” These films tend to be quirky, but somehow get your attention. That is certainly the case with “A Serious Man.”
It’s about a physics professor living in the suburbs with his wife, brother and two children set in 1967. He teaches at a nearby university in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. Like the saying goes “when it rains it pours” and that is what happens to Prof. Lawrence “Larry” Gopnik. All of a sudden he is deluged with problems both professionally and personally. He then seeks the guidance of his religious leader to give him answers on “why me?”
“I don’t want Santana’s Abraxas!”
Larry Gopnik’s problems continue to get worse when he is involved in a fender bender. After the minor car accident that shakes him up he is about to go into his office at the university. His secretary informs him he has a call from a Mr. Dick Dutton, a sales representative/bill collector from the Columbia Record and Tape Club. These were very popular during the ‘60s and on up to the ‘90s. Mr. Dutton informs him he is overdue with his payment for the Santana “Abraxas” album.
Of course Larry Gopnik has no idea what this man is talking about. He never ordered Santana’s “Abraxas.” The collector explains it was sent automatically for which Gopnik replies “I didn’t do anything.” That is why he got the Santana “Abraxas” album. This monologue with the other voice on the phone literally goes around in circles where Gopnik feels he owes them nothing. Since he did not order the Santana “Abraxas” album in the first place, why would he owe them money? The scene is quite comical and well-executed.
One slight anachronism with the film and Santana’s “Abraxas” album
As mentioned earlier the film takes place in 1967. Santana’s “Abraxas” album was not released until 1970, a good three years later. It is possible this may have been a deliberate anachronism or inconsistency. “A Serious Man” deals with religion and how God works in mysterious ways. The word “Abraxas” is a Gnostic term for God. When Gopnik has his heated discussion with the Columbia Record employee he is vehemently rejecting God. Santana’s album and the record club in the film also represent the chaos in the universe.
In the end…
As it turned out it was Gopnik’s son who joined the Columbia Record and Tape Club without telling his father. Of course Gopnik’s problems continue to creep into his life, while certain other issues are being resolved. In the end he gets another harrowing phone call from his doctor. In the first scene we were then introduced to Larry Gopnik while he got x-rayed. The beginning and the end of the film featured a song from another San Francisco group of that era, The Jefferson Airplane. It was their song “Somebody to Love.”
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