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IMDbPro

Good Bye Lenin!

  • 20032003
  • RR
  • 2h 1m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
145K
YOUR RATING
Daniel Brühl and Katrin Sass in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Romance
In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma, a young man must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared.In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma, a young man must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared.In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma, a young man must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
145K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Wolfgang Becker
  • Writers
    • Bernd Lichtenberg
    • Wolfgang Becker(author)
    • Achim von Borries(collaborator on screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Daniel Brühl
    • Katrin Sass
    • Chulpan Khamatova
Top credits
  • Director
    • Wolfgang Becker
  • Writers
    • Bernd Lichtenberg
    • Wolfgang Becker(author)
    • Achim von Borries(collaborator on screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Daniel Brühl
    • Katrin Sass
    • Chulpan Khamatova
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 253User reviews
    • 155Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 36 wins & 23 nominations total

    Photos81

    Daniel Brühl and Chulpan Khamatova in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
    Daniel Brühl and Florian Lukas in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
    Daniel Brühl and Chulpan Khamatova in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
    Katrin Sass in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
    Daniel Brühl in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
    Daniel Brühl and Katrin Sass in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
    Daniel Brühl, Katrin Sass, and Maria Simon in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
    Alexander Beyer and Maria Simon in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
    Daniel Brühl in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
    Daniel Brühl in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
    Daniel Brühl in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
    Katrin Sass in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Daniel Brühl
    Daniel Brühl
    • Alexas Alex
    Katrin Sass
    Katrin Sass
    • Mutteras Mutter
    • (as Katrin Saß)
    Chulpan Khamatova
    Chulpan Khamatova
    • Laraas Lara
    Florian Lukas
    Florian Lukas
    • Denisas Denis
    Maria Simon
    Maria Simon
    • Arianeas Ariane
    Alexander Beyer
    Alexander Beyer
    • Raineras Rainer
    Burghart Klaußner
    Burghart Klaußner
    • Alex' Vateras Alex' Vater
    Michael Gwisdek
    Michael Gwisdek
    • Klapprathas Klapprath
    Christine Schorn
    • Frau Schäferas Frau Schäfer
    Jürgen Holtz
    • Herr Ganskeas Herr Ganske
    Jochen Stern
    • Herr Mehlertas Herr Mehlert
    Stefan Walz
    • Sigmund Jähnas Sigmund Jähn
    Eberhard Kirchberg
    • Dr. Wagneras Dr. Wagner
    Hans-Uwe Bauer
    • Dr. Mewesas Dr. Mewes
    Nico Ledermueller
    • Alex - 11 Jahreas Alex - 11 Jahre
    • (as Nico Ledermüller)
    Jelena Kratz
    • Ariane - 13 Jahreas Ariane - 13 Jahre
    Laureen Hatscher
    • Baby Paula - 1 Jahras Baby Paula - 1 Jahr
    Felicitas Hatscher
    • Baby Paula - 1 Jahras Baby Paula - 1 Jahr
    • Director
      • Wolfgang Becker
    • Writers
      • Bernd Lichtenberg
      • Wolfgang Becker(author)
      • Achim von Borries(collaborator on screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The story is loosely based on the last two years of Vladimir Lenin's life, living in a controlled environment similar to what is portrayed in the film. With the justification that over-excitement might cause Lenin health problems, Iosif Stalin had printed for him one-copy edition newspapers, censored of all news about the political struggles of the time.
    • Goofs
      Denis wears a "digital rain"-style T-shirt in 1989 because he has developed the idea himself and has come up with an idea for a film exactly like The Matrix (1999), which he describes in a deleted scene (the letters are not identical to the Matrix scheme.) The joke is that the idea originated in East Germany; compare the claim in one of Denis's fake news shows that the Coca-Cola formula was invented there. It also ties in to the film's main theme of keeping people in a simulated reality.
    • Quotes

      Sigmund Jähn: Socialism doesn't mean live behind a Wall. Socialism means reach the others and live with the others.

    • Crazy credits
      Renowned German actor Jürgen Vogel plays the chicken in the supermarket and is credited as "Das Küken" ("young chicken").
    • Connections
      Featured in The 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      Mocca-Milch-Eisbar
      Written by Thomas Natschinski and Hartmut König

    User reviews253

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Excellent film
    I didn't have too many expectations for this film. My partner pitched it to me as a comedy, and I hadn't seen the trailer in a while so I went into thinking that's all it would be. Instead, it really was a sublimely sophisticated film.

    I had the good fortune to see East Berlin first in July 1989 (there was *ZERO* hint that the wall would be down in 4 months) and then in February 1990. It was an amazing before and after, and I thought this film captured this very well. As a visitor to the East for several months that year, this film really brought back to me the East European Quiet Revolution when everything really did change.

    The characters going through that change are of course an allegory for the changes all around them- '40 years gone! They sold us up river!' says an old man who represents those who 'lost' in the reunification contrasted to those who won-the youth. Similarly, the contrast of personal re-unification (the children and their father) vs that of the east and west is a wonderfully treated theme through the film…. And of course lies. Lies to comfort us, lies to deal with other lies. A very, very touching film.
    helpful•104
    9
    • mike-1230
    • Oct 2, 2004

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 14, 2004 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Germany
    • Official sites
      • German Cinema Archive
      • Océan Films (France)
    • Languages
      • German
      • English
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • Goodbye Lenin!
    • Filming locations
      • Alexanderplatz, Mitte, Berlin, Germany
    • Production companies
      • X-Filme Creative Pool
      • Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
      • ARTE
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €4,800,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,064,200
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $57,968
      • Feb 29, 2004
    • Gross worldwide
      • $79,316,957
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 1 minute
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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