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

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Felix is asked how he managed to live forty years all by himself, Felix replies "The first thirty eight are the hardest". He says this thirty eight minutes into the film.

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Goofs

You can see a camera man in the reflection of the funeral coach.

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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

Monkey Bay
(1993)
Written by Russ Barenberg (as Russell Barenberg),
Jerry Douglas & Edgar Meyer
Performed by Jerry Douglas, Russ Barenberg & Edgar Meyer
Courtesy of Sugar Hill Records, A Welk Music Group label

User Reviews

Funeral for a Man Alive

In the 30's, in Caleb County, the loathed hermit Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) offers a large amount of money to the local Rev. Gus Horton (Gerald McRaney) to organize his funeral, but the preacher refuses the request. The family man Buddy Robinson (Lucas Black) overhears the conversation and talks to his boss Frank Quinn (Bill Murray); they visit Felix and offer the service of the Quinn Funeral Home. Felix requests a funeral party and invites anyone that has a story to tell about him. Further, he offers his three hundred acre land for US$ 5.00 a ticket to be disputed in a raffle. When Felix asks Buddy to drive him to Illinois to see Rev. Charlie Jackson (Bill Cobbs), Buddy learns that Felix has a painful secret and need the help of his friend to disclose it to the population.

"Get Low" has an interesting premise of a funeral for a man that is still alive in a good screenplay. The cast is excellent, with Robert Duvall, Lucas Black, Bill Murray, Bill Cobbs and Sissy Spacek. The reconstitution of the 30's is very careful in an excellent work of costumes and art direction. Unfortunately, the story is weak, and the revelation of Felix's secret that should be the climax of the film does not impact and neither justify the attitude of Felix Bush toward the locals nor his self-punishment. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Segredos de um Funeral" ("Secrets of a Funeral")

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Sony Pictures Classics [United States]

Country:

USA Germany Poland

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 August 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Get Low

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$88,182, 1 August 2010

Gross USA:

$9,176,933

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,522,511

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