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, Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek

5 wins & 27 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 Sikes	...	Kathryn (as Lori Beth Edgeman)
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 | funeral home | party | secret | 

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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 [United States]

Country:

USA Germany Poland

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 August 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Funeral Party

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$88,182, 1 August 2010, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$9,176,553, 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

The story is partly derived from the funeral party thrown by Felix Bushaloo Breazeale for himself, in Cave Creek, Tennessee, in 1938.

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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

Featured in 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2011)

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Soundtracks

If I Didn't Care
(1939)
Written by Jack Lawrence
Performed by The Ink Spots
Courtesy of Geffen Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Prisons Without Bars

You have to admire Robert Duvall. For fifty,plus years now,he has starred in countless films portraying characters that are somewhat left of centre. In Get Low,he plays Felix Bush,a hermit who has,for the most part,retreated from society,due to some mighty dark daemons he has been carrying around for far too long. Felix is old & feels his time for shuffling off his mortal coil is not far away. Felix is either feared or hated by most of the people that live in the town (as far from his land,as possible). Felix gets the idea of having a funeral party before he bids farewell. He gets assistance in the form of two workers at the local funeral parlor,Frank Quinn & his partner Buddy. The three of them plan the mother of all funerals to take place on Felix's land (a mighty feat,considering most of the townies want little or less to do with him). In the midst of all this,a woman from Felix's past turns up (Mattie Darrow)to make things even more interesting. All of this makes for a multi layered story that,despite the dark subject matter,will have your head in the clouds (trust me). Besides the superb work of Robert Duvall,as Felix,there is ever so fine work from the likes of Sissy Spacek (where has she been lately?),as Mattie Darrow,Bill Murray,as Frank Quinn (ever deadpan as always),and Lucas Black as Frank's business partner,Buddy. With Bill Cobbs,Lori Beth Edgeman,Gerald McRaney...and featuring Gracie,as Felix Bush's mule,Gracie (who would have thunk it?). Aaron Schneider,working his way up from cinematographer & film editor for television projects,directs & edits from a screenplay written by Chris Provenzano & C.Gaby Mitchell,from a story by Scott Seeke & Provenzano. Cinematography by David Boyd. The film's musical score is composed by Jan Kaczmarek (incidental music),and legendary Bluegrass musician,Jerry Douglas (for some of the American roots oriented musical score),as well as some nice use of some actual 1930's period popular music of the era (Example:does 'If I didn't care'by the Ink Spots strum a familiar chord with you?). This is tasteful film making,with top notch acting from a superb cast. Rated PG-13 by the MPAA for a few outbursts of rude language & some adult themes