What’s in his head|Aug. 01, 1991|United Kingdom|117 Min.|R
Genre: Comedy;Crime;Drama
Description: In 1941, Barton Fink, a promising Broadway playwright, is offered a contract by Capitol Pictures in Hollywood to write film scripts for $1,000 a week. After relocating to Los Angeles, he checks into the modest Hotel Earle, where his only room decoration is a small painting of a woman on the beach shielding her eyes from the sun. Tasked with writing a wrestling film by his boss, Jack Lipnick, Fink struggles to craft a script for this unfamiliar genre. He is disturbed by noises from the neighboring room and complains to the front desk. His neighbor, Charlie Meadows, an insurance salesman, apologizes for the disruption. During their conversation, Fink expresses his admiration for “the common man,” while Meadows shares details about his life.
The Coen brothers specifically wrote the character of Charlie Meadows for actor John Goodman, inspired by his warm and approachable demeanor. Despite his efforts, Fink remains stuck on the first lines of his script. Seeking guidance, he consults producer Ben Geisler, who advises him to seek help from another writer. By chance, Fink meets novelist W. P. Mayhew in a bathroom, and the two arrange a meeting. Later, Mayhew’s secretary, Audrey Taylor, reveals to Fink that Mayhew is an alcoholic and that she has ghostwritten most of his scripts.
After a supportive meeting with Lipnick, Meadows informs Fink that he is traveling to New York and asks him to watch over a package he leaves behind. Shortly afterward, two detectives visit Fink, disclosing that Meadows’s real name is Karl “Madman” Mundt. The story unfolds with Fink navigating the complexities of Hollywood and his own creative struggles.
Cast director: Joel Coen
Cast actor: John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Michael Lerner, Tony Shalhoub, John Mahoney, Jon Polito, Steve Buscemi, David Warrilow, Richard Portnow
Original name: Barton Fink