Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysAPA Heritage MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)

Everything Is Illuminated

  • 20052005
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
58K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Elijah Wood in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
Trailer 1
Play trailer2:31
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama

A young Jewish American man, with the help of an eccentric local, endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village that was ultimately razed b... Read allA young Jewish American man, with the help of an eccentric local, endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village that was ultimately razed by the Nazis.A young Jewish American man, with the help of an eccentric local, endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village that was ultimately razed by the Nazis.

IMDb RATING
7.4/10
58K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Liev Schreiber
  • Writers
    • Jonathan Safran Foer(novel)
    • Liev Schreiber(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Elijah Wood
    • Eugene Hutz
    • Boris Lyoskin
Top credits
  • Director
    • Liev Schreiber
  • Writers
    • Jonathan Safran Foer(novel)
    • Liev Schreiber(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Elijah Wood
    • Eugene Hutz
    • Boris Lyoskin
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 186User reviews
    • 98Critic reviews
    • 58Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 7 wins & 6 nominations

    Videos1

    Everything Is Illuminated
    Trailer 2:31
    Everything Is Illuminated

    Photos122

    Eugene Hutz in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Laryssa Lauret and Boris Lyoskin in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Elijah Wood and Eugene Hutz in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Elijah Wood in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Elijah Wood and Eugene Hutz in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Elijah Wood, Boris Lyoskin, and Eugene Hutz in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Eugene Hutz in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Elijah Wood and Eugene Hutz in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Elijah Wood and Laryssa Lauret in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Elijah Wood and Eugene Hutz in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Elijah Wood, Boris Lyoskin, and Eugene Hutz in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Elijah Wood and Eugene Hutz in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Elijah Wood
    Elijah Wood
    • Jonathan Safran Foeras Jonathan Safran Foer
    Eugene Hutz
    Eugene Hutz
    • Alexas Alex
    Boris Lyoskin
    Boris Lyoskin
    • Grandfatheras Grandfather
    Jonathan Safran Foer
    Jonathan Safran Foer
    • Leaf Bloweras Leaf Blower
    Jana Hrabetova
    • Jonathan's Grandmotheras Jonathan's Grandmother
    Stephen Samudovsky
    • Jonathan's Grandfather Safranas Jonathan's Grandfather Safran
    Ljubomir Dezera
    Ljubomir Dezera
    • Young Jonathanas Young Jonathan
    Oleksandr Choroshko
    • Alexander Perchov, Fatheras Alexander Perchov, Father
    Gil Kazimirov
    • Igoras Igor
    Zuzana Hodkova
    • Alex's Motheras Alex's Mother
    Mikki
    • Sammy Davis Jr. Jr.as Sammy Davis Jr. Jr.
    Mouse
    • Sammy Davis Jr. Jr.as Sammy Davis Jr. Jr.
    Robert Chytil
    • Breakdanceras Breakdancer
    Jaroslava Sochova
    • Woman on Trainas Woman on Train
    Sergei Ryabtsev
    • Ukrainian Band Memberas Ukrainian Band Member
    • (as Sergej Rjabcev)
    Yuri Lemeshev
    • Ukrainian Band Memberas Ukrainian Band Member
    • (as Jurij Lemeshev)
    Pamela Racine
    Pamela Racine
    • Ukrainian Band Memberas Ukrainian Band Member
    Oleksandr Houtz
    • Ukrainian Band Memberas Ukrainian Band Member
    • Director
      • Liev Schreiber
    • Writers
      • Jonathan Safran Foer(novel)
      • Liev Schreiber(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Wristcutters: A Love Story
    7.2
    Wristcutters: A Love Story
    The Science of Sleep
    7.2
    The Science of Sleep
    Kill Your Darlings
    7.7
    Kill Your Darlings
    Love Is Blind and Deaf
    6.8
    Love Is Blind and Deaf
    Try Seventeen
    6.0
    Try Seventeen
    The Station Agent
    7.6
    The Station Agent
    Garden State
    7.4
    Garden State
    Green Street Hooligans
    7.4
    Green Street Hooligans
    Filth and Wisdom
    5.3
    Filth and Wisdom
    Broken Flowers
    7.2
    Broken Flowers
    Paris, je t'aime
    7.2
    Paris, je t'aime
    Submarine
    7.3
    Submarine

    Storyline

    Edit
    Jewish-American writer Jonathan Safran Foer is a collector of his family's memorabilia, although most of the items, some which he takes without asking, would not be considered keepsakes by the average person. He places most of those items in individual Ziploc bags, and hangs them on his keepsake wall under the photograph of the person to who it is most associated. He has this compulsion in an effort to remember. He is able to tie a photograph that he receives from his grandmother, Sabine Foer, on her deathbed - it of his grandfather, Safran Foer, during the war in the Ukraine, and a young woman he will learn is named Augustine - back to a pendant he stole from his grandfather on his deathbed in 1989, the pendant of a glass encased grasshopper. Learning that Augustine somehow saved his grandfather's life leads to Jonathan going on a quest to find out the story at its source where the photograph was taken, in a now non-existent and probably largely forgotten town called Trachimbrod that was razed by the Nazis during the war, he armed only with his limited knowledge, the pendant, his grandfather's Star of David necklace, the photograph, tip "money", and an old and largely outdated map. Prior to arriving in the Ukraine, Jonathan prearranges the guide services of Odessa-based Heritage Tours, which specializes in helping Jewish expats discover their past. The company is owned and operated by three generations of the Alexander Perchov family, who generally think Jewish people are stupid for wanting to revisit their past, and spend large sums of money for their services in doing so. The three from Heritage assigned to Jonathan's file are: the company founder Alexander I ("Grandpa"), the retired, non-blind blind man who will be the driver; his "seeing eye" dog, Sammy Davis Jr. Jr., a deranged bitch of a dog; and Alexander III ("Alex"), a western pop cultural loving young man, whose broken English will need to suffice for translation. Jonathan will learn that his guides are a loving but dysfunctional lot who have little interest in helping him beyond taking his money. But during their time together, this quest will affect Jonathan, Grandpa and Alex in different ways, all tied to the value of remembering. —Huggo
    • ukraine
    • jewish
    • jewish american
    • nazi
    • shtetl
    • 216 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Leave Normal Behind.
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Drama
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated PG-13 for disturbing images/violence, sexual content and language
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Eugene Hutz's band Gogol Bordello appears as the polka band that greets Elijah Wood at the train station.
    • Goofs
      When the Grandfather repeatedly sounds the horn of the car, he presses the middle of the steering wheel to do so. In the Trabant, the horn is activated by pushing the signal light lever forward.
    • Quotes

      Alex: I have reflected many times upon our rigid search. It has shown me that everything is illuminated in the light of the past. It is always along the side of us, on the inside, looking out. Like you say, inside out. Jonathan, in this way, I will always be along the side of your life. And you will always be along the side of mine.

    • Crazy credits
      Several songs are credited to the New York punk/Gypsy/Jewish klezmer band, Gogol Bordello, which is led by Eugene Hutz, who plays Alex in the film (the same band greets Jonathan when he arrives on the train). The last of these songs, "Start Wearing Purple (For Me Now)," which plays over the end credits, is credited to both a correct spelling (Gogol Bordello), dg and Gogol Bodello, an incorrect spelling.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Operation Filmmaker (2007)
    • Soundtracks
      Shakedown
      Written by Jack Livesey

      Performed by The Con Artists

      Courtesy of Duotone Audio Group Ltd

    User reviews186

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    A real surprise
    I hardly ever write about a movie but I recently saw this on satellite and didn't know what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised and very happy I took the time to watch this movie. It is really an unusual gem that I truly enjoyed. For me it took some time to get involved into the whole idea of the movie, but once I did was totally hooked!

    To be honest if I hadn't seen that Elijah Wood was in it I probably wouldn't have taken the time, but I do enjoy his acting and here his character is quite quirky and entertaining. For my money though, Eugene Hutz stole this movie and prior to this I had no clue who he was, a truly fine job of acting!

    Hope you get the chance to enjoy!
    helpful•7
    0
    • hookupbaja
    • Oct 15, 2008

    FAQ1

    • Who is the dedication to at the end of the movie? Alex 1993

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 4, 2005 (Mexico)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Warner Independent Pictures (United States)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Russian
      • Ukrainian
    • Also known as
      • The Collector
    • Filming locations
      • Odessa, Ukraine
    • Production companies
      • Warner Independent Pictures (WIP)
      • Telegraph Films
      • Big Beach Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $7,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,712,337
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $66,806
      • Sep 18, 2005
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,601,974
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    20th Century Studios Names Ravi Mehta As Head of Physical Production, Post-Production, VFX
    20th Century Studios Names Ravi Mehta As Head of Physical Production, Post-Production, VFX
    Mar 23Deadline Film + TV
    My Little Pony: 35th Anniversary Edition Collection Arrives on Blu-ray and DVD October 16th
    Oct 2WeAreMovieGeeks.com

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Elijah Wood in Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Everything Is Illuminated (2005) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    2022 TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.