20 Things You Didn't Know About A Serious Man

The embattled Larry asks this question several times throughout the movie, and with good reason. The professor's personal life is gradually falling apart in an often surreal manner and it is only natural that he would attempt to make sense of it. The occasions when the question is dropped are often accompanied by similarly-themed questions/statements such as ''Why is this happening to me'' and ''I didn't do anything.''

This is a natural reaction from a man such as Larry, an individual whose passive morality would lead him to attempt to absolve himself of the events that he may see as divine punishment. The lack of direct guidance from the Rabbis he interacts with only furthers the idea that comprehending God's motives and actions is an ultimately futile act.

The lack of clarity is cemented in the Gopnik household, where Larry directs his most notable question to his children, who do not even bother to provide the slightest hint to their bewildered father.