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The Man Who Wasn't There
2001
· Movie
· 116 min
B
MEANRANK
76/100
Where it ranks
- Mean Score #1196
- IMDb #1066
- Metacritic #1184
- Letterboxd #731
- Metacritic Critics #1189
- Metacritic Audience #1234
Every rating
64–88
out of 100
A quiet, stoic barber in 1940s California suspects his wife is having an affair with her boss. A opportunity arises for him to blackmail the boss and invest in a new business: dry cleaning. His simple plan sets off an unpredictable chain of events involving murder, blackmail, and a young pianist he believes has talent.
Details
- Directors
- Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
- Writers
- Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
- Studio
- USA Films, Working Title, Mike Zoss Productions
- Released
- 26 October 2001
- Country
- United Kingdom, United States
- Language
- English, Italian, French
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rated
- R
- Budget
- $20.0M
- Box office
- $18.9M
- Awards
- 18 wins, 27 nominations
This title elsewhere
Cast
Full cast (64) →
Awards & nominations
See all 45 →2 major awards won · 18 wins from 45 nominations across 27 ceremonies
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2002 | Top 10 Films | The Man Who Wasn't There | Winner |
| Cannes Film Festival 2001 | Best Director (tied with David Lynch for Mulholland Drive ) | Joel Coen and Ethan Coen | Winner |
| Academy Awards 2002 | Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins | Nominee |
| Art Directors Guild 2002 | Excellence in Production Design for a Period or Fantasy Film | Dennis Gassner, Chris Gorak, and Lance Hammer | Nominee |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2002 | Best Original Screenplay | The Man Who Wasn't There | Nominee |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2002 | Best Picture | The Man Who Wasn't There | Nominee |
| César Awards 2002 | Best Foreign Film | The Man Who Wasn't There | Nominee |
| Golden Globe Awards 2002 | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Billy Bob Thornton | Nominee |
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Just released
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Trailer — The Man Who Wasn't There
×Full cast — The Man Who Wasn't There
×
45 awards — The Man Who Wasn't There
×
Critics' Choice Movie Awards
3 nominations, 1 won
| Top 10 Films | The Man Who Wasn't There | Winner |
| Best Original Screenplay | The Man Who Wasn't There | Nominee |
| Best Picture | The Man Who Wasn't There | Nominee |
Cannes Film Festival
2 nominations, 1 won
| Best Director (tied with David Lynch for Mulholland Drive ) | Joel Coen and Ethan Coen | Winner |
| Palme d'Or | The Man Who Wasn't There | Nominee |
Golden Globe Awards
3 nominations
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Billy Bob Thornton | Nominee |
| Best Motion Picture – Drama | The Man Who Wasn't There | Nominee |
| Best Screenplay | Joel Coen and Ethan Coen | Nominee |
Academy Awards
1 nomination
| Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins | Nominee |
Art Directors Guild
1 nomination
| Excellence in Production Design for a Period or Fantasy Film | Dennis Gassner, Chris Gorak, and Lance Hammer | Nominee |
César Awards
1 nomination
| Best Foreign Film | The Man Who Wasn't There | Nominee |
Writers Guild of America Awards
1 nomination
| Best Original Screenplay | Joel Coen and Ethan Coen | Nominee |
Online Film Critics Society
5 nominations, 2 won
| Best Actor | Billy Bob Thornton | Winner |
| Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins | Winner |
| Best Director | Joel Coen and Ethan Coen | Nominee |
| Best Original Screenplay | Joel Coen and Ethan Coen | Nominee |
| Best Supporting Actor | Tony Shalhoub | Nominee |
London Film Critics' Circle
2 nominations, 2 won
| Actor of the Year | Billy Bob Thornton | Winner |
| Screenwriter of the Year | Roger Deakins | Winner |
American Film Institute Awards
4 nominations, 1 won
| Cinematographer of the Year | Roger Deakins | Winner |
| Actor of the Year – Male – Movies | Billy Bob Thornton | Nominee |
| Featured Actor of the Year – Male – Movies | Tony Shalhoub | Nominee |
| Movie of the Year | The Man Who Wasn't There | Nominee |
Florida Film Critics Circle
2 nominations, 1 won
| Best Actor | Billy Bob Thornton (also for Bandits and Monster's Ball ) | Winner |
| Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins | Nominee |
American Society of Cinematographers
1 nomination, 1 won
| Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Release | Roger Deakins | Winner |
Boston Society of Film Critics
1 nomination, 1 won
| Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins | Winner |
British Academy Film Awards
1 nomination, 1 won
| Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins | Winner |
British Society of Cinematographers
1 nomination, 1 won
| Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film | Roger Deakins | Winner |
David di Donatello
1 nomination, 1 won
| Best International Film | The Man Who Wasn't There | Winner |
Empire Awards
1 nomination, 1 won
| Best Actor | Billy Bob Thornton | Winner |
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
1 nomination, 1 won
| Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins | Winner |
National Board of Review
1 nomination, 1 won
| Best Actor | Billy Bob Thornton (also for Bandits and Monster's Ball ) | Winner |
New York Film Critics Online
1 nomination, 1 won
| Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins | Winner |
Satellite Awards
1 nomination, 1 won
| Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins | Winner |
Saturn Awards
3 nominations
| Best Action or Adventure Film | The Man Who Wasn't There | Nominee |
| Best Actor | Billy Bob Thornton | Nominee |
| Best Supporting Actress | Frances McDormand | Nominee |
Chicago Film Critics Association
2 nominations
| Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins | Nominee |
| Best Supporting Actor | Tony Shalhoub | Nominee |
Las Vegas Film Critics Society
2 nominations
| Best Actor | Billy Bob Thornton | Nominee |
| Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins | Nominee |
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association
1 nomination
| Best Actor | Billy Bob Thornton | Nominee |
National Society of Film Critics
1 nomination
| Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins | Nominee |
New York Film Critics
1 nomination
| Best Cinematographer | Roger Deakins | Nominee |