The Pallbearer

The Pallbearer is a 1996 American romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Matt Reeves and starring David Schwimmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Toni Collette, Michael Vartan, Michael Rapaport, and Barbara Hershey. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.[1]

The Pallbearer
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMatt Reeves
Produced byJ. J. Abrams
Paul Webster
Written byMatt Reeves
Jason Katims
Starring
Music byStewart Copeland
CinematographyRobert Elswit
Edited byStan Salfas
Distributed byMiramax Films
Release date
  • May 3, 1996 (1996-05-03)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million
Box office$8 million

Plot

Tom Thompson (David Schwimmer) is a 25-year-old man who sleeps in a bunk bed and lives with his mother. Tom is contacted by his high school classmate's mother, Ruth Abernathy (Barbara Hershey), to tell him that his "best friend," Bill Abernathy, committed suicide, and is asked to give a eulogy at the funeral. Tom does not remember his friend, but out of sympathy attends the funeral as a pallbearer. While Ruth struggles with her loss and Tom with his supposedly failed memory, the two develop a romance. Meanwhile, Tom's unrequited high school crush, Julie DeMarco (Gwyneth Paltrow), re-enters his life.

At Abernathy's funeral, Tom's vague and impersonal eulogy confuses the Abernathy family and amuses Tom's friends. Julie, upset at their lack of respect, tries to leave as the pallbearers carry Bill's coffin out of the church. Tom, one of the pallbearers, drags the coffin and the rest of the pallbearers after Julie. He asks her if she knew Bill; she replies that she did not know Bill, but was saddened by the image of Bill in the coffin. Tom asks Julie out for coffee still holding up Bill's coffin. Bill's relatives, upset about Tom's indifference towards Bill, forcefully relieve him of his duty as a pallbearer. Visibly upset, Ruth states that Tom is in Bill's will.

Afterwards, Tom calls Julie about the coffee date and Julie asks if Scott and Cynthia can come along for a double date. During dinner with Scott and Cynthia, it is apparent that Julie and Scott have more in common and listen to the same musicians. Conversation between Tom and Julie is stilted and awkward, while Scott slips up and reveals that Tom still lives with his mother.

Disgusted by Scott's behavior during dinner, Tom reluctantly follows through with the plan to drive Julie home. When they reach Julie's home, Julie reveals that she remembered Tom in high school. As Tom leans in for a kiss, Julie turns her head colliding against Tom's. Julie states she had given off the wrong signal to Tom, since she is planning on moving away.

Tom is rejected at the end of his second interview and goes to Ruth's to help pack Bill's belongings. While looking through pictures of Bill growing up, Ruth and Tom kiss and have sex on Bill's bed. Ruth tells Tom about Bill's father, a Vietnam War veteran, who is implied to have died in the war. Tom, in turn, tells Ruth about Bill's fictitious love interest based completely on Tom's infatuation with Julie. Tom and Ruth continue to see each other as Tom reveals more about his own affections for Julie in the guise of Bill's affections and Tom's attempts to forget about Julie in Ruth's arms.

Tom repeatedly watches Julie working at a record store while parked on the street. One day after the shop closes, Tom sees Julie let Scott into the store. Jumping into the driver's seat, Tom drives by and stops to see Scott lean in to kiss Julie. When Scott sees Tom, Tom drives off.

The next morning, Julie comes to talk to Tom about Scott's attempt of infidelity, not knowing Tom had witnessed the entire event. Reminiscing about high school band, Julie tells Tom that she wants to just drive away for a year just to be on her own. Julie invites Tom to a concert she had planned on going with her former fiancé, Jed.

When arriving at Ruth's, Tom is rushed to a family gathering of Abernathy's. At Aunt Lucille's, Tom sees that Ruth had overheard him talking to Julie about their date later that evening. When Tom's car breaks down, Julie finds Ruth's charm bracelet, so Tom tells her that he has been helping Bill Abernathy's mother since the funeral. Julie mistakenly assumes an innocent relationship between Tom and Ruth.

After a tow truck takes Tom and Julie back to Tom's house, Tom sneaks into his mother's room to get her car keys, while Julie enters Tom's room. Tom reveals he wanted to dance with her at a homecoming dance and she kisses him. As they fall into Tom's bed, Ruth calls Tom finding out that Julie is in the room with him.

When Tom goes to see Brad for advice, he tells Tom to drop the bracelet with a letter into a mailbox for a clean break with Ruth. Tom does as Brad tells him and proceeds to continue dating Julie. For Julie's birthday, Julie asks Tom to go with her to meet her parents. On that morning, Tom sees Ruth carrying the envelope with her bracelet and Tom's letter, so Tom sneaks away through the back door. At brunch with Julie's parents, it is immediately apparent that her father disapproves of Tom and Julie's relationship when he keeps asking why he is there with them. After Tom pleads with Julie to abandon her plans to leave for a year, Ruth barges into the restaurant and humiliates Tom by revealing their past relationship.

At Brad's bachelor party, Tom makes a scene at the strip club telling Brad not to marry Lauren. Tom says Lauren is an albatross around his neck and Scott thinks so as well. The next day, Scott apologizes to Tom and they reconcile. While talking about past crushes growing up, they both realize that there was another Tom who moved away after junior high school. Tom brings the other Tom to Ruth, who appreciates the gesture to reminisce about her son. They come to an understanding about needing someone at the time, Ruth mourning her son and Tom being rejected by his childhood crush, Julie.

At Brad's wedding, Tom patches his friendship with Brad approving of his marriage to Lauren, as Scott and Cynthia appear to talk civilly together hinting of reconciliation. During the reception, Tom sees Julie and gives her the keys to his car as a belated birthday present for her trip. She hints to him from a previous conversation that she wants to dance.

Tom gets a new job and moves into Julie's apartment while she is on her trip.

Cast

Reception

Box office

The Pallbearer opened at #9 in its opening weekend (5/3-5) with $2,319,236.[2] By the end of its run, the film had made $7,656,388 in the United States.[3]

Critical reception

The review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes reported that 45% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 5.12/10.[4]

References
  1. "Festival de Cannes: The Pallbearer". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  2. "The Craft Has the Knack for Scaring Up an Audience". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
  3. "The Pallbearer (1996) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
  4. "The Pallbearer (1996)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
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