Get Low (2009)

A movie spun out of equal parts folk tale, fable and real-life legend about the mysterious, 1930s Tennessee hermit who famously threw his own rollicking funeral party... while he was still alive.

Director:

Aaron Schneider

Writers:

Chris Provenzano (screenplay), C. Gaby Mitchell (screenplay),

Stars:

Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray

2 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Duvall	...	Felix Bush
Sissy Spacek	...	Mattie Darrow
Bill Murray	...	Frank Quinn
Lucas Black	...	Buddy
Gerald McRaney	...	Rev. Gus Horton
Bill Cobbs	...	Rev. Charlie Jackson
Scott Cooper	...	Carl
Lori Beth Edgeman	...	Kathryn
Linds Edwards	...	WKNG Announcer
Andrea Powell	...	Bonnie
Chandler Riggs	...	Tom
Danny Vinson	...	Grier
Blerim Destani	...	Gary
Tomasz Karolak	...	Orville
Andy Stahl	...	Photographer (as Andrew Stahl)

Storyline

Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) is a hermit who has no regard for anybody in the town or anyone who wants to get to know him. But one day, after a fellow old hermit has died and he hears people in the town telling stories about him, he decides that he needs to get these stories out in the public. He recruits Frank (Bill Murray), the local funeral home director, to host his own funeral. This way he can hear what everyone is saying about him, and get the truth to his past out in the open. But will he be able to get anybody to come? And will he be able to reveal his secrets?

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Plot Keywords:

funeral | hermit | secret | funeral home | party | 

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Taglines:

A True Tall Tale

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some thematic material and brief violent content

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Sony Pictures Classics [us]

Country:

USA Germany Poland

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 October 2010 (Poland)

Also Known As:

A temetésem szervezem

Filming Locations:

Atkinson-Glover House - 19 Temple Avenue, Newnan, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$88,182 (USA) (30 July 2010)

Gross:

$9,176,553 (USA) (18 February 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

K5 International, Zanuck Independent, David Gundlach Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shipped to theaters under the code name "Burly Beard".

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Goofs

Felix is shown splitting wood by striking a wedge with the butt of a single-blade axe. The wedge is displayed when he raises the axe, butt forward, to split the last piece but when he comes down with the axe he strikes with the blade and the wedge has disappeared.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Rev. Gus Horton: Good morning, sir.
Felix Bush: It's a hard life if you can't read.
Rev. Gus Horton: Pardon?
Felix Bush: [gestures toward NO DAMN TRESPASSING sign]

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Connections

Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World/Eat Pray Love/The Expendables (2010)

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Soundtracks

"My Blue Heaven"
(1924)
Music by Walter Donaldson
Lyrics by George Whiting
Performed by Gene Austin
Courtesy of RCA Records and the RCA/Jive Label Group
A Unit of Sony Music Entertainment
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

A stylized drama - part comedy, part psychology

"Get Low" is, in part, considered a psychological drama, it's also one of those films that can be classified as almost anything because the actors are able to add so many layers of interest with intrigue and comedy.

Starring an almost unrecognizably old Robert Duvall and a Jarmusch-styled Bill Murray, respectively, as a hermit wanting to host his own funeral and a funeral home director wanting his business. On the surface, it's a very slow drama because that is essentially all that happens, Murray helps Duvall plan his own funeral. But we are saved from a tedious drama by the actors' comedic timings. There's a lot of dry humour that I found myself laughing out-loud many times. The significance of the film is the psychology in its heart. Throughout, Duvall drops hints as to what his character is all about. You find yourself thinking about who he really is, and what he really means with every line he says. Robert Duvall just may be the best subtle actor.

"Get Low" is very stylized. Set in the 1920s, the director and cinematographer paid attention to the lighting, casting shadows where they wanted them, providing a dark atmosphere when needed to echo the times of the depression-era. I'll also call the humour stylized, it's dry, and it can take you a minute to make sure you got it right.

The one down-side is that the film-makers may have made it a bit too artsy and not accessible enough, because otherwise this could be up for every major award. At least we can rest assured that the Academy knows where to find Mr. Duvall.