Amazon MGM Studios
Big Indie Pictures
Double Nickel Entertainment
Foxxhole Productions
Not part of a collection.
The Burial
Never settle.
When a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O'Keefe enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice.
- Original title
- The Burial
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- $32,500,000
- Revenue
- —
Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots
Nov 3, 2023 · via TMDB
There isn’t much to dislike about director Maggie Betts‘ “The Burial,” a solid courtroom drama that hits all the expectations of the genre (and sometimes even exceeds them). Inspired by true events, this rousing David versus Goliath story is well cast, well acted, well told, and is set up to be an all-around crowd pleaser. Mississippi funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) has fallen on hard times. The mom-and-pop business has been in his family for generations, and he aims to have something to pass down to his plethora of children and grandchildren. When a deal with the CEO (Bill Camp) of a heartless multibillion dollar “death care industry” corporation goes South, Jeremiah hires the smooth talking, charismatic personal injury attorney Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) to help save the family business. The men and their legal team uncover a deliberate web of deception designed by insurance companies to scam poor people out of their money by taking advantage of them in their time of grief. In the process of exposing corporate corruption, Willie and Jeremiah learn that they have a lot to like and respect about each other. It’s an irresistible story about legal system actually working the way it’s supposed to, and there are a lot of scenes featuring technical lawyer speak. It’s not dumbed down, which is refreshing, and the film features many scenes of legal strategy, brainstorming, and talk about business deals, burial insurance, and racial injustice. Thankfully it’s not as dry as it sounds, as Betts moves the timeline along quickly. She dives right into the lawsuit and the story, not wasting a lot of time setting things up. Foxx is perfectly cast as a flamboyant attorney, and he’s entertaining to watch in the role. Willie is all about showmanship, and he’s a lawyer with a knack for communicating with common folk. Foxx emotes this with a natural charisma and effortless spirit, and it’s difficult to resist his character’s dazzling charm. Jones doesn’t have a whole lot to do, but he provides the quiet balance needed as a contrast to Foxx (and they make a great onscreen pair). Since this is a courtroom legal drama, there are several scenes designed with the sole intention of emotionally manipulating the audience. Get ready for those gutsy monologues that are accompanied by corny dramatic music swells, or the requisite interaction where Willie at first refuses to take on Jeremiah’s case because the payday won’t be in the multi-million dollar range. It appears Betts suddenly had a change of heart and decided that she didn’t want to include every single courtroom cliché in her movie, however, because I was disappointed that there was no big, blustering closing argument scene. If you are a fan of legal dramas and like stories where greedy corporations get their what-for, then you are going to enjoy “The Burial.” This is a solid, easy watch about helping the little guy stick it to those responsible for the rampant monetary shakedowns that can lead to the financial ruin of normal, hardworking citizens. **_By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS_**
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Tommy Lee Jones
Jeremiah O'Keefe
Jamie Foxx
Willie E. Gary
Jurnee Smollett
Mame Downes
Alan Ruck
Mike Allred
Mamoudou Athie
Hal Dockins
Pamela Reed
Annette O'Keefe
Bill Camp
Ray Loewen
Amanda Warren
Gioria Gary
Dorian Missick
Reggie Douglas
Tywayne Wheatt
Al Jones
Lance E. Nichols
Judge Graves
Keith Jefferson
Dashaan Harris
B.J. Clinkscales
Chris Wakefield
Doug Spearman
Richard Mayfield
Gralen Bryant Banks
Walter Bell
Olivia Brody
Little O'Keefe Granddaughter
Dave Maldonado
Jim Lafont
Billy Slaughter
Robert Sperry
Christopher Winchester
Steve
Lorna Street Dopson
Hotel Receptionist
Erika Robel
Lorraine McGrath
Fracaswell Hyman
Ruben Soames
Donna DuPlantier
Mattie Thibodeau
David Alexander
Gary Reynolds
Andrea Frankle
Mrs. Cassidy
Logan Macrae
Jodie O'Keefe
Jalene Mack
Jury Foreman
Sam Malone
Jury Member #1
Summer Selby
Mamma Gary
Evan Brinkman
Paralegal in Courthouse
David Shae
David Shatterock
Eric Mendenhall
Eric Bell
Mike Harkins
Wendell Aldridge
Jason Bayle
Gordon Metzger
Jim Klock
Rick Riverridge
Vince Pisani
Professor Rossencomb
Jason Bayle
GORDON METZGER
LeBaron Foster Thornton
NBC Witness #1
Cydney Tucker
Construction Buyer
Maryse Alberti
Director of Photography
Margaret Betts
Director
Lee Percy
Editor
Kim Taylor-Coleman
Casting Director
Celine Rattray
Producer
Datari Turner
Producer
Jamie Foxx
Producer
Jenette Kahn
Producer
Trudie Styler
Producer
Michael Abels
Music
Doug Wright
Screenplay
Margaret Betts
Screenplay
Doug Wright
Story
GoodFellas
Papa
Apollo 13
The Hurricane
Chaplin
The Last Duel
The Aviator
Susi Susanti: Love All
Born on the Fourth of July
Valkyrie
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
The Bounty
The Ghost and the Darkness
Military Wives
Black Mass
Hart's War
La Llorona
White Boy Rick
Justice for Annie
The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Glory
Miller's Crossing
Killers of the Flower Moon
Matewan
Marshall
Angel Face
Lawless
Runaway Jury
Oranges and Sunshine
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Walking Tall
A Most Violent Year
No Man of God
Rosewood
Black Mass
Son of the South
Heatwave
The Chamber
Collision
Oct 6, 2023
Oct 13, 2023
Prime Video
