Burn After Reading
Intelligence is relative.
2008 | 96m | English
Popularity: 4 (history)
| Director: | Joel Coen, Ethan Coen |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Joel Coen, Ethan Coen |
| Staring: |
| When a disc containing memoirs of a former CIA analyst falls into the hands of gym employees, Linda and Chad, they see a chance to make enough money for Linda to have life-changing cosmetic surgery. Predictably, events whirl out of control for the duo, and those in their orbit. | |
| Release Date: | Sep 05, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Joel Coen, Ethan Coen |
| Writer: | Joel Coen, Ethan Coen |
| Genres: | Comedy, Drama |
| Keywords | washington dc, usa, autobiography, disc, personal trainer, plastic surgery, gym, memoirs, black humor, divorce, online dating, blackmail, memory, ex priest, shaggy dog story, paranoia, corpse, fitness |
| Production Companies | StudioCanal, Mike Zoss Productions, Relativity Media, Focus Features, Working Title Films |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $163,700,000
Budget: $37,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 10, 2025 (Update) Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| George Clooney | Harry Pfarrer |
| Frances McDormand | Linda Litzke |
| Brad Pitt | Chad Feldheimer |
| John Malkovich | Osborne Cox |
| Tilda Swinton | Katie Cox |
| Richard Jenkins | Ted |
| Elizabeth Marvel | Sandy Pfarrer |
| David Rasche | CIA Officer |
| J.K. Simmons | CIA Superior |
| Olek Krupa | Krapotkin |
| Michael Countryman | Alan |
| Kevin Sussman | Tuchman Marsh Man |
| J.R. Horne | Divorce Lawyer |
| Hamilton Clancy | Peck |
| Armand Schultz | Olson |
| Pun Bandhu | Party Guest |
| Karla Mosley | Party Guest |
| 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" |
| Robert R. Barry | Drunken Princetonian |
| Ted Bouton | Drunken Princetonian |
| Bob Bowersox | Drunken Princetonian |
| Oliver Buckingham | Drunken Princetonian |
| Michael Fawcett | Drunken Princetonian |
| William Fowle | Drunken Princetonian |
| Charles Gemmill | Drunken Princetonian |
| Mitch Giannunzio | Drunken Princetonian |
| Cliff Goulet | Drunken Princetonian |
| William D. Grey | Drunken Princetonian |
| Gary Henderson | Drunken Princetonian |
| Ron Kidd | Drunken Princetonian |
| Bill Massof | Drunken Princetonian |
| Brian McKeon | Drunken Princetonian |
| Ken McNeill | Drunken Princetonian |
| Tim Miller | Drunken Princetonian |
| Jay Parks | Drunken Princetonian |
| Roger Rathburn | Drunken Princetonian |
| Eric Richardson | Drunken Princetonian |
| Bart Wilder | Drunken Princetonian |
| Stephen Ananicz | Gym Guy (uncredited) |
| Matt Cannon | Tourist (uncredited) |
| Kimberly Dorsey | Tourist (uncredited) |
| Lil Rhee | Tourist (uncredited) |
| Liam Ferguson | Businessman (uncredited) |
| Matthew James Gulbranson | Midwestern Tourist (uncredited) |
| RJ Konner | Senator (uncredited) |
| Douglas Nelson | Man in Park (uncredited) |
| Kevin Tan | Suspicious Tourist - Day Player (uncredited) |
| Jacqueline Wright | Monica (uncredited) |
| Jeffrey Mowery | Suspicious Man (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Ellen Chenoweth | Casting |
| Mick O'Rourke | Stunts |
| George Richmond | Steadicam Operator, Camera Operator |
| Joel Coen | Screenplay, Director, Editor |
| David Swayze | Art Direction |
| Emmanuel Lubezki | Director of Photography |
| Nancy Haigh | Set Decoration |
| Jess Gonchor | Production Design |
| Mary Zophres | Costume Design |
| Craig Berkey | Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Sound Designer |
| Karen Ruth Getchell | Production Supervisor |
| Jennifer Lamb | Stunts |
| Samantha MacIvor | Stunt Driver |
| Stephanie Finochio | Stunts |
| Tobin Ost | Assistant Art Director |
| Robert Graf | Unit Production Manager |
| Betsy Magruder | Assistant Director |
| Steven R. Hammond | Transportation Captain |
| Peter F. Kurland | Sound Mixer |
| Michelle Wright | Executive In Charge Of Post Production |
| J. John Corbett | Title Graphics |
| Adrienne Winterhalter | Visual Effects Producer |
| Patricia Regan | Key Makeup Artist |
| Randall Balsmeyer | Visual Effects Supervisor |
| Fionnuala Lynch | Set Costumer |
| Jeffrey D. McDonald | Assistant Art Director |
| David Davenport | Wardrobe Supervisor |
| Greg Orloff | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Nicole Greenbaum | Set Costumer |
| Deborah Jensen | Assistant Art Director |
| Nithya Shrinivasan | Assistant Art Director |
| Kevin 'Vinnie' Campbell | Gaffer |
| Jeffrey Rollins | Set Dresser |
| Darrin Mann | Foley Mixer |
| James Morioka | Foley Editor |
| Ron Petagna Sr. | Construction Coordinator |
| Skip Lievsay | Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Ethan Coen | Screenplay, Director, Editor |
| Carter Burwell | Original Music Composer |
| Will Caban | Special Effects |
| Joanne Lamstein | Stunts |
| Janet Paparazzo | Stunts |
| George B. Colucci Jr. | Stunts |
| Jean Ann Black | Makeup Department Head |
| Lyndell Quiyou | Hair Department Head |
| Sonia Rivera | Key Hair Stylist |
| Waldo Sanchez | Hairstylist |
| Bac DeLorme | Second Assistant Director |
| Rebecca Meis DeMarco | Set Decoration Buyer |
| JoAnn Atwood | Set Dresser |
| Carl Catanese | Set Dresser |
| Steven T. Duke | Set Dresser |
| Roman Greller | Set Dresser |
| Stephen G. Shifflette | Set Dresser |
| Joe Taglairino | Set Dresser |
| Catherine Harper | Foley Artist |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Tim Bevan | Executive Producer |
| Eric Fellner | Executive Producer |
| Joel Coen | Producer |
| Robert Graf | Executive Producer |
| David Diliberto | Associate Producer |
| Ethan Coen | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 26 | 41 | 19 |
| 2024 | 5 | 29 | 48 | 18 |
| 2024 | 6 | 27 | 45 | 17 |
| 2024 | 7 | 26 | 44 | 16 |
| 2024 | 8 | 22 | 37 | 17 |
| 2024 | 9 | 20 | 42 | 13 |
| 2024 | 10 | 21 | 35 | 12 |
| 2024 | 11 | 20 | 43 | 12 |
| 2024 | 12 | 19 | 30 | 13 |
| 2025 | 1 | 21 | 34 | 16 |
| 2025 | 2 | 15 | 24 | 4 |
| 2025 | 3 | 7 | 21 | 2 |
| 2025 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
| 2025 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 3 |
| 2025 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 3 |
| 2025 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 2025 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | 489 | 742 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 385 | 764 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | 319 | 690 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 278 | 556 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 407 | 712 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 879 | 930 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 581 | 897 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 12 | 273 | 338 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | 677 | 677 |