Frankly, I don't think I'd trust any screenwriter who didn't drop to their knees and bow at the shrine that is this film. It's OUR story, fer pete's sake. After Llewyn completely pours every dollop of his soul in front of F. Murray Abraham's prickly record producer...and then..."I don't see a lot of money here." Tell me that's not every single rejection letter you ever got.

In terms of movies about creative types, we've seen success stories. Tales of rise and fall. But leave it to the Coens to follow one musician's saga who has some talent, is in the right place at the right time, but his fate... success, at least creatively, is not going to happen to him. It's like someone was doing a documentary of Bob Dylan and one of the members of the film crew decided to follow Davis around for kicks. A variation on The Life of Brian. And to your point, Jeff, we've all been there: Rejection. I would love to know what happened to Llewyn. I hope he's wound his way back to Akron to connect with his son and ex-lover. I hope he's happy. Maybe playing music on weekends with a pick-up group. Knowing the Coens... he's probably not.

Sadly, Scott, I think we got a glimpse of his future during his mini-jaunt across half the country with John Goodman and his valet, "Johnny Five" (?!??!?!). Goodman's an old jazz man, bitter, soul-sick, addicted. Since the folk scene pretty much followed the jazz one, the writing sure is on the wall for Llewyn.

One aspect that the Coen brothers injected into the back story fascinates me: that Llewyn's moderately successful career craters after the death of his partner. His solo album is a flop. As if to suggest what might happen with their own partnership were it too end -- God forbid. Could either one of them be as successful without the other?