The Burial

2023

Action / Drama / History

71
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 92% · 122 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 83% · 500 ratings
IMDb Rating 7.1/10 10 43557 43.6K

based on true story trial racial tension corporate greed funeral director funeral home

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Plot summary

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.

Director

Margaret Betts Photo
Margaret Betts

Top cast

Jamie Foxx Photo
Jamie Foxx as Willie Gary
Tommy Lee Jones Photo
Tommy Lee Jones as Jeremiah O'Keefe
Vince Pisani Photo
Vince Pisani as Professor Rossencomb
Doug Spearman Photo
Doug Spearman as Richard Mayfield
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 1080p.WEB.x265 2160p.WEB.x265
1.14 GB
1280*534
English 2.0
R
Subtitles us  ar  cz  dk  de  gr  es  fi    fr  il  in  hu  id  it  ja  kr  ms  no  nl  pl  pt  ro  ru  sv  ta  te  th  tr  uk  vi  cn  
24 fps
2 hr 7 min
Seeds 27
2.34 GB
1920*800
English 5.1
R
Subtitles us  ar  cz  dk  de  gr  es  fi    fr  il  in  hu  id  it  ja  kr  ms  no  nl  pl  pt  ro  ru  sv  ta  te  th  tr  uk  vi  cn  
24 fps
2 hr 7 min
Seeds 27
2.12 GB
1920*800
English 5.1
R
Subtitles us  ar  cz  dk  de  gr  es  fi    fr  il  in  hu  id  it  ja  kr  ms  no  nl  pl  pt  ro  ru  sv  ta  te  th  tr  uk  vi  cn  
24 fps
2 hr 7 min
Seeds 14
5.68 GB
3840*1600
English 5.1
R
Subtitles us  ar  cz  dk  de  gr  es  fi    fr  il  in  hu  id  it  ja  kr  ms  no  nl  pl  pt  ro  ru  sv  ta  te  th  tr  uk  vi  cn  
24 fps
2 hr 7 min
Seeds 9

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots

There isn’t much to dislike about director Maggie

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_**
Reviewed by

Reviewed by steiner-sam 6 / 10

The courtroom scenes have little relationship to reality

It's a legal drama set in 1995 in Hinds County, Mississippi. It follows the case of Jeremiah O'Keefe, the owner of eight funeral homes in Southern Mississippi, against the Loewen Group, LLC., the owner of over 1,000 funeral homes at the time.

"The Burial" initially introduces us to fast-talking African-American Florida lawyer Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx). He's a very successful personal injury lawyer with only Black clients. We then meet Jeremiah O'Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), a 75-year-old third-generation funeral home operator in Southern Mississippi. Jeremiah and his wife, Annette (Pamela Reed), have run into financial problems because of issues with an insurance company he owns. His lawyer, Mike Allred (Alan Ruck), suggests three of his funeral homes to the Loewen Group, headed by Ray Loewen (Bill Camp). The Loewen Group is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. O'Keefe agrees to a contract with the Loewen Group, but the deal is never closed. O'Keefe then sues Loewen Group for damages.

The Loewen Group uses a brilliant young African-American attorney, Mame Downes (Jurnee Smollett), to argue its case. O'Keefe hires Willie Gary to work with Mike Allred and a young attorney, Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie). The film follows the ebbs and flows of the court case that ends with a massive settlement for the O'Keefes.

"The Burial" is entertaining but logically confusing. Legal procedure is depicted entirely unrealistically (the lawyers make lengthy statements when supposedly questioning witnesses). The film provides no logical reason for including the Loewen Group's arrangement with the National Baptist Convention in the case--how was the case allowed to expand as much as it did?

Foxx, Jones, and Camp play stereotypes but with a certain entertaining verve. Athie is an excellent young lawyer. Smollett is serviceable as the young female attorney for the Loewen Group.

"The Burial" does not mention that Ray Loewen came from a Mennonite family operating a funeral home in Southern Manitoba. That's a blessing. The courtroom scenes have little relationship to reality. I encourage interested people to look up the 1996 article in the New York Times about the trial. The legal linkages become much more apparent, and the issues of the O'Keefe Insurance business become clear.

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