(October 24, 2009) Hollywood has been accused of portraying Christianity with a jaundiced eye while sugarcoating Jews and Judaism.

However, "A Serious Man," by Oscar winning directors Joel and Ethan Coen, satirizes many Jewish types and suggests Judaism is a fraud.

If this begins a trend toward honest self-examination, there is hope yet for the chosen people.

Set in Minneapolis in 1967, "A Serious Man" is an homage to the Coen's Jewish upbringing. The protagonist is physics teacher Larry Gopnik, played by stage actor Michael Stuhlbarg who, like the Biblical Job, is beset by a multitude of difficulties.

"I didn't do anything wrong," he protests when Judith, his pouting wife, announces she is leaving him for Sy Ableman (pictured together, left.) Larry is a "serious man" -- hard working, ethical and responsible. Why is God testing him?

Larry turns to a friend, Mimi for sympathy. "It's not always easy, deciphering what God is trying to tell you," she says.