Twin Cities attorney is a Coen brothers punch line

Ron Meshbesher
Twin Cities attorney Ron Meshbesher.
MPR Photo/Elizabeth Stawicki

When the new Coen brothers movie "A Serious Man" is shown in the Twin Cities, the line that invariably gets the biggest reaction from the audience is an inside joke.

It comes when a character needs a criminal defense attorney and he is advised to "hire Ron Meshbesher."

The line was inspired by Ethan and Joel Coen's memories of growing up in St. Louis Park in the 1960s, and seeing lots of ads for Meshbesher as he was making a name for himself as an attorney.

Though he doesn't appear on camera in "A Serious Man," the actions of the Meshbesher character actually play an important role in the plot of the film.

Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talks with the real-life Ron Meshbesher about his involvement in the film.

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