Burn After Reading

1h 35m 2008

Brief Synopsis

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At the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Arlington, Va., analyst Osbourne Cox arrives for a top-secret meeting. Unfortunately for Cox, the secret is soon out: he is being ousted. Cox does not take the news particularly well and returns to his Georgetown home to work on his memoirs and his drinking, not necessarily in that order. His wife Katie is dismayed, though not particularly surprised; she is already well into an illicit affair with Harry Pfarrer, a married federal marshal, and sets about making plans to leave Cox for Harry. Elsewhere in the Washington D.C. suburbs, and seemingly worlds apart, Hardbodies Fitness Centers employee Linda Litzke can barely concentrate on her work. She is consumed with her life plan for extensive cosmetic surgery, and confides her mission to can-do colleague Chad Feldheimer. Linda is all but oblivious to the fact that the gym's manager Ted Treffon pines for her even as she arranges dates via the Internet with other men. When a computer disc containing material for the CIA analyst's memoirs accidentally falls into the hands of Linda and Chad, the duo are intent on exploiting their find. As Ted frets, "No good can come of this," events spiral out of everyone's and anyone's control, in a cascading series of encounters.

Cast & Crew

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Ethan Coen

Director

Brad Pitt

George Clooney

Frances Mcdormand

John Malkovich

Tilda Swinton

Film Details

MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Crime
Dark Comedy
Spy
Release Date
2008
Distribution Company
Focus Features
Location
New York City, New York, USA; Washington, DC, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 35m

Synopsis

At the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Arlington, Va., analyst Osbourne Cox arrives for a top-secret meeting. Unfortunately for Cox, the secret is soon out: he is being ousted. Cox does not take the news particularly well and returns to his Georgetown home to work on his memoirs and his drinking, not necessarily in that order. His wife Katie is dismayed, though not particularly surprised; she is already well into an illicit affair with Harry Pfarrer, a married federal marshal, and sets about making plans to leave Cox for Harry. Elsewhere in the Washington D.C. suburbs, and seemingly worlds apart, Hardbodies Fitness Centers employee Linda Litzke can barely concentrate on her work. She is consumed with her life plan for extensive cosmetic surgery, and confides her mission to can-do colleague Chad Feldheimer. Linda is all but oblivious to the fact that the gym's manager Ted Treffon pines for her even as she arranges dates via the Internet with other men. When a computer disc containing material for the CIA analyst's memoirs accidentally falls into the hands of Linda and Chad, the duo are intent on exploiting their find. As Ted frets, "No good can come of this," events spiral out of everyone's and anyone's control, in a cascading series of encounters.

Directors

Ethan Coen

Director

Joel Coen

Director

Roderick Jaynes

Director

Cast

Brad Pitt

George Clooney

Frances Mcdormand

John Malkovich

Tilda Swinton

J. K. Simmons

Judy Frank

Roger Rathburn

Bob Bowersox

Cliff Goulet

Yuri Tsykun

Carmen M Herlihy

Patrick Boll

Elizabeth Marvel

Bill Massof

Matt Walton

Michael Countryman

Kent Mcneill

Raul Aranas

Michael Fawcett

William Fowle

Richard Poe

Lori Hammel

Robert Prescott

Pun Bandhu

Bart Wilder

Tim Miller

David Rasche

Jay Parks

Armand Schultz

J.r. Horne

Eric Richardson

Brian O'neill

Kevin Sussman

Sándor Técsy

Gary Henderson

Ron Kidd

Jeffrey Demunn

Mitch Giannunzio

Ted Bouton

Richard Jenkins

Oliver Buckingham

Crystal Bock

Brian Mckeon

Dermot Mulroney

Charles Gemmill

Olek Krupa

Hamilton Clancy

Logan Kulick

Karla Mosley

Robert Barry

William Grey

Crew

Paul Adelstein

Song

Danny Aiello Iii

Stunts

Joan Altman

Production Accountant

Bill Anagnos

Stunts

J. Todd Anderson

Graphics Coordinator

Sage Asteak

Set Production Assistant

Joann Atwood

On-Set Dresser

Katie Bailey

Assistant Production Coordinator

Antony Baldasare

Props

Randall Balsmeyer

Visual Effects Supervisor

Eileen Barrett

Hair

John Barry

Song

Wesley Battle

Grip

Craig Berkey

Sound Designer

Craig Berkey

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Tim Bevan

Executive Producer

Brette Billow

Assistant Production Coordinator

Idil Biret

Song Performer

Don Black

Song

Jean Black

Makeup

Cha Blevins

Wardrobe Supervisor

Eric Boncher

Lighting Technician

Sarah Brandes

Loader

Melissa Braun

Extras Agent/Coordinator

Steven Brennan

On-Set Dresser

Laurel Ann Bridges

Boom Operator

Tim Buchanan

Stunts

Kenneth J Burke

Grip

Diana E Burton

Property Master

Carter Burwell

Music

Edward Button

Camera Trainee

Wilfred Caban

Special Effects Foreman

Maurice Cabrera

Transportation Coordinator

Danielle Cadorette

Tailor

Vinnie Campbell

Gaffer

Carmen Campolo

Special Effects

Ethan Carlson

Office Production Assistant

Brian Carmichael

Video Assist/Playback

Carolyn Cartwright

Assistant Set Decorator

Rebecca Castle

Scenic Artist

Carl Catanese

On-Set Dresser

Ellen Chenoweth

Casting

Eric Cheripka

Props

Johnna Chism

Assistant Sound Editor

Frederic Chopin

Song

Stephen Clarke

Set Production Assistant

Paul Clarvis

Music

Peter Clores

Transportation Co-Captain

Ethan Coen

Screenplay

Ethan Coen

Editor

Ethan Coen

Producer

Joel Coen

Screenplay

Joel Coen

Editor

Joel Coen

Producer

Wendy Cohen

Rights & Clearances

George Colucci

Stunts

J. John Corbett

Digital Effects Artist

Tianni L Craig

Production Assistant

Bob Crewe

Song

David Davenport

Wardrobe Supervisor

Patrick Dawes

Song

Patrick Dawes

Song Performer

Katherine Delaney

Location Assistant

Bac Delorme

Assistant Director

Rebecca Meis Demarco

Set Decorator

Frank Didio

Foreman

Robert Digrigoli

Foreman

David Diliberto

Associate Producer

Chloe Dorigan

Assistant

Joel Dougherty

Assistant Sound Editor

Norman Douglass

Stunts

Danny Downey

Stunts

Gregory Dressel

Grip

Steve Duke

On-Set Dresser

Glen Engels

Best Boy Grip

Kimberly Fajen

Production Coordinator

Catherine Farrell

Post-Production Coordinator

Michael Farrow

Music

Beth Feldman

Assistant

Kathleen Fellegara

Medic

Eric Fellner

Executive Producer

Glenn Ferrara

Set Production Assistant

Stephanie Finochio

Stunts

Amanda Foley

Location Coordinator

Richard Ford

Rigging Gaffer

Marcy Forgang

Location Assistant

The Fugs

Song Performer

Rachael Gallaghan

Unit Manager

Andrew Garrett

Accountant

Chris Geair

Assistant Location Manager

Karen Ruth Getchell

Unit Manager

Dena Ghieth

Location Assistant

Niko Godfrey

Accounting Assistant

Eileen Godoy

Film Lab

Jess Gonchor

Production Designer

Alexander Gorodetsky

Scenic Artist

Robert Graf

Executive Producer

Robert Graf

Unit Production Manager

Nicole Greenbaum

Set Costumer

Randy Greer

Camera Operator

Scott Gregoire

Lighting Technician

Roman Greller

On-Set Dresser

Isobel Griffiths

Original Music

Joe Grimaldi

Best Boy Electric

Vincent Guarriello

Grip

Richard Guinness

Key Grip

Kimberly N Haden

Production Coordinator

Nancy Haigh

Set Decorator

Lorenzo Hall

Special Effects Assistant

Steven R Hammond

Transportation Captain

Catherine Harper

Foley Artist

Barbara Harris

Voice Casting

Dave Hartley

Music

Jay Hendrickx

Scenic Artist

Cort Hessler Iii

Stunts

Cort Hessler Iii

Coordinator

Don J Hewitt

Stunts

Jery Hewitt

Stunt Coordinator

Gregory L Hill

Graphic Designer

Drew P Houpt

Art Department

Victor Huey

Grip

Kenton Jakub

Adr Editor

Roderick Jaynes

Screenplay

Roderick Jaynes

Editor

Roderick Jaynes

Producer

Deborah Jensen

Assistant Art Director

Thomas R Johnston

Script Supervisor

Todd Kasow

Music Editor

Billy Kerwick

Key Rigging Grip

Gary Kettel

Music

Nazia Khan

Assistant

Santena Jenaris King

Accounting Assistant

Steve Kirshoff

Special Effects Coordinator

Jeremy Knaster

Lighting Technician

Tuli Kupferberg

Song

Peter Kurland

Sound Mixer

Barbara Lacy

Makeup

Matty Lake

Set Production Assistant

Jennifer Lamb

Stunts

Joanne Lamstein

Stunts

Chris Landon

Song

Karl A Langlotz

Song Performer

Tim Love Lee

Song Performer

Tim Love Lee

Song

Christopher Lestrange

Location Assistant

Michael Lewis

Office Production Assistant

Oriana Lewton-leopold

Camera Trainee

Skip Lievsay

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Ana Lombardo

Assistant Property Master

Tommy Louie

Sound

Emmanuel Lubezki

Director Of Photography

Fionnuala Lynch

Set Costumer

Samantha Macivor

Stunts

Betsy Magruder

Assistant Director

Bobby Mancuso

Assistant Camera

Darrin Mann

Foley Mixer

Francesca Mannix

Production Secretary

Bill Mays

Song Performer

Bill Mays

Song

Patrick Mccallister

Generator Operator

Angel Mcconnell

Assistant

Jeffrey D Mcdonald

Assistant Art Director

Tiff Mcginnis

Song

Tiff Mcginnis

Song Performer

Mj Mcgrath

Wardrobe Supervisor

Patrick Mcgrath

Dolly Grip

Michelle Mcgrier

Dga Trainee

Katharine Mcquerrey

Associate Editor

David Meade

Production Assistant

Timothy Metzger

Dresser

Michael Montgomery

Grip

Chris Moriana

Foley Artist

James Morioka

Foley Editor

Beth Morris

Props

Leann Murphy

Art Department Coordinator

Taryn Murphy

Song Performer

Taryn Murphy

Song

Modest Mussorgsky

Song

Kip Myers

Assistant Location Manager

Quang Nguyen

Scenic Artist

Kenny Nolan

Song

Todd Norton

Rigging Electrician

Billy O'leary

Chief Lighting Technician

Mick O'rourke

Stunts

Tobin Obst

Assistant Art Director

Frank Oliva

Special Effects

Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra

Song Performer

Greg Orloff

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Janet Paparazzo

Stunts

Joseph S. Patire

Construction

Remy Pearce

Costume Coordinator

Harlan Page Peck

Song

Ron Petagna

Construction Coordinator

Ron Petagna

Foreman

Louis Petraglia

Rigging Gaffer

Lauri Pitkus

Location Manager

Macall Polay

Photography

Peggy Pridemore

Location Manager

Lyndell Quiyou

Hair Stylist

Chauency L Reese

Accountant

Film Details

MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Crime
Dark Comedy
Spy
Release Date
2008
Distribution Company
Focus Features
Location
New York City, New York, USA; Washington, DC, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 35m

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Fall September 12, 2008

Released in United States on Video December 21, 2008

Released in United States 2008

Released in United States September 2008

Shown at Venice International Film Festival (Opening Night/Out of Competition) August 27-September 6, 2008.

Shown at San Sebastian International Film Festival (Zabaltegi-Pearls) September 18-27, 2008.

Released in United States Fall September 12, 2008

Released in United States on Video December 21, 2008

Released in United States September 2008 (Shown at San Sebastian International Film Festival (Zabaltegi-Pearls) September 18-27, 2008.)

Project was included on the 2007 Black List.

Released in United States 2008 (Shown at Venice International Film Festival (Opening Night/Out of Competition) August 27-September 6, 2008.)

Winner of the TCM Audience Award at the 2008 San Sebastian International Film Festival.

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