“The Burial” is a 2023 American legal drama film directed by Maggie Betts and written by Betts and Doug Wright. Loosely based on a true story, the film centers on the lawsuit filed by lawyer Willie E. Gary and his client Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe against the Loewen funeral company, as chronicled in the 1999 New Yorker article of the same name by Jonathan Harr. The movie features a star-studded cast, including Jamie Foxx as Willie E. Gary, Tommy Lee Jones as Jeremiah O’Keefe, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, and Bill Camp.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2023, and it was subsequently released in a limited capacity by Amazon MGM Studios on October 6, 2023. It became available for streaming on Prime Video starting on October 13, 2023.
Plot: Set in 1995, “The Burial” follows the story of Willie E. Gary, an unconventional personal injury lawyer with a strong track record. He assists Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe, a financially troubled funeral home owner, in suing the Loewen Group, a large funeral home company, over a contractual dispute.
Cast:
- Jamie Foxx as Willie E. Gary
- Tommy Lee Jones as Jeremiah O’Keefe
- Jurnee Smollett as Mame Downes
- Alan Ruck as Mike Allred
- Mamoudou Athie as Hal Dockins
- Pamela Reed as Annette O’Keefe
- Bill Camp as Raymond Loewen
- Amanda Warren as Gioria Gary
- Dorian Missick as Reggie Douglas
- Lance E. Nichols as James E. Graves Jr.
- Billy Slaughter as Robert Sperry
Production: The film is an adaptation of Jonathan Harr’s 1999 New Yorker article, “The Burial.” The project originally began development at Warner Bros. In March 2018, Amazon Studios took over the project, with Doug Wright handling the script and Alexander Payne in discussions to direct. By November 2020, Maggie Betts was named the director, with Jamie Foxx attached as the star and producer. In October 2021, Tommy Lee Jones joined the cast, filling a role initially considered for Harrison Ford. Jurnee Smollett was added to the cast in November. Principal photography commenced in New Orleans in March 2022.
Release: “The Burial” made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2023. Subsequently, Amazon MGM Studios released it in limited theaters on October 6, 2023, before offering it for streaming via Prime Video on October 13, 2023.
Critical Reception: The film received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 30 critics’ reviews were positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site’s consensus described it as “a solid courtroom drama with compelling performances” and a crowd-pleasing experience. Metacritic, using a weighted average, gave the film a score of 74 out of 100, based on ten critics’ reviews, indicating generally favorable reception.
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