The Pallbearer (1996)

A young man's life is thrown into a loop when he is asked to be a pallbearer for the funeral of a classmate he doesn't remember, and his old high school crush temporarily returns to town.

Director:

Matt Reeves

Writers:

Jason Katims, Matt Reeves

Stars:

David Schwimmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Michael Rapaport

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Schwimmer	...	Tom Thompson
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Julie DeMarco
Michael Rapaport	...	Brad Schorr
Toni Collette	...	Cynthia
Carol Kane	...	Tom's Mother
Michael Vartan	...	Scott
Bitty Schram	...	Lauren
Jean De Baer	...	Suzanne DeMarco
Elizabeth Franz	...	Aunt Lucille
Mark Margolis	...	Philip DeMarco
Barbara Hershey	...	Ruth Abernathy
Edoardo Ballerini	...	The Job Interviewer
Matthew Faber	...	Jared
Robin Morse	...	Sylvie
Tony Machine	...	The Undertaker

Storyline

Chaos unfolds as Tom is roped into being a pallbearer (and delivering the eulogy!) by the mother of a recently deceased "friend" from high school that he just can't remember. In the meantime, an unrequited love from high school (NOT the dead guy's girlfriend) reappears in his life.

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Plot Keywords:

dark humor | pallbearer | funeral | directorial debut | bachelor party | 

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Taglines:

A comedy about life-long crushes, mistaken identity and one really bad eulogy.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both Michael Rapaport (Brad Schorr) and Michael Vartan (Scott) did guest spots on Friends (1994) which starred David Schwimmer (Tom Thompson).

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Goofs

When the mother is making instant coffee, the jar label is turned between shots.

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Quotes

Julie: I love this song.
Tom: Is that a signal?

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Worst Movies by TV Stars (2016)

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Soundtracks

Cantaloupe Island
Written by Herbie Hancock
Performed by Herbie Hancock
Courtesy of Blue Note Records, a division of Capitol Records, Inc.
Under lcense from CEMA Special Markets

User Reviews

Delicate soufflé of comedy and melancholy

The tone of this film is really difficult to convey on paper. It manages to successfully capture the elusive appeal that David Schwimmer has from time to time; it's easy for his sad-sack personality to grow annoying and pathetic, but this script managed to walk that line. The scenes of embarrassment and shame never seem overdone or cheap, and serve the story well. I especially like the down-to-earth, realistic beauty that Gwyneth Paltrow always brings to a role; she never seems like a movie star playing a real person. Because of Schwimmer's brief tenure as a star with buzz, this was seen as a box office failure, but it was never the kind of movie likely to rake in huge bucks. For what it is, a small, thoughtful, offbeat romantic comedy, The Pallbearer is a winner.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 May 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Pallbearer

Filming Locations:

Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,319,236, 5 May 1996

Gross USA:

$5,656,388

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,656,388

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, The Chess Club

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1