The Coen brothers deliberately created "Barton Fink" in 1991 as a film they knew would appeal only to a limited audience, accepting that critical acclaim rather than commercial success was the realistic goal. The black comedy, featuring John Turturro as a New York playwright caught up in a murder investigation whilst writing scripts for Hollywood, was deliberately filled with surreal moments, literary references and genre-blending that would confound mainstream viewers, but the brothers were confident enough in their artistic vision to pursue the project.

Box office returns vindicated their modest expectations: made on a budget of $9 million, the film recouped only about two-thirds of that from cinema ticket sales. However, the critical response proved far more rewarding, earning three Academy Award nominations and a Golden Globe nomination for supporting actor John Goodman, establishing the foundation for Goodman's three-decade collaboration with the brothers and confirming the studio's faith in their talent.