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Poster for Good Bye, Lenin!

Good Bye, Lenin!

Seen it?

2003 | 121 min | Comedy, Drama

Saturday Special

Why it’s a Saturday Special

It earned strong reviews (91% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences rate it highly (7.5 out of 10) and it drew serious awards attention. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who wants a laugh. If you loved A Man Called Otto, start here.
The mood
Funny with heart.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 1 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated R: meant for adults.
  • It's in German, so expect subtitles (or a dub).

Alex Kerner's mother was in a coma while the Berlin wall fell. When she wakes up he must try to keep her from learning what happened (as she was an avid communist supporter) to avoid shocking her which could lead to another heart attack.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 68 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesStrong

    7.5 out of 10

  • AwardsStrong

    Won 1 Berlin award: Berlin International Film Festival: Best Film Not in the English Language. Also nominated for 1 Golden Globe and 1 BAFTA. Plus 14 other awards.

  • Box office & staying powerStrong

    $79 million worldwide on a $5 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 154K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Wolfgang Becker

  • Daniel BrühlAlex
  • Katrin SassMother
  • Chulpan KhamatovaLara
  • Maria SimonAriane
  • Florian LukasDenis
  • Alexander BeyerRainer
  • Burghart KlaußnerAlex's Father
  • Michael GwisdekKlapprath
  • Christine SchornMs. Schäfer
  • Jürgen HoltzMr. Ganske