Barbara Hershey, Bitty Schram, Carol Kane

David Schwimmer plays a drifting twentysomething who receives a telephone call out of the blue to be a pallbearer at the funeral of someone he supposedly knew in school. Trouble is, the caller has mis...( read more  read more... )taken Schwimmer's character for someone else, but our hapless hero--who still lives with his mother at home--doesn't know how to say no. An encounter with the dead man's mother (Barbara Hershey) leads to a sexual relationship, while an old flame (Gwyneth Paltrow) from high school is suddenly on the horizon if only Schwimmer's loser character can quickly get his act together. This umpteenth variation on the Oedipal conflicts in Mike Nichols's The Graduate doesn't have the imagination, vitality, or authority to take classic themes about growing up all the way to the finish line. But in its brooding, comic way, it is honest about the difficulties of crossing the line into adulthood when one doesn't know how. --Tom Keogh

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14% liked it

7,485 ratings

PG-13, 96 min.

Directed by: Matt Reeves

Release Date: May 3, 1996

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DVD Release Date: April 3, 2001

Stats: 169 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (169)


  • October 11, 2007
    hilarious
  • July 14, 2007
    Case of mistaken identity.
  • October 25, 2008
    The story is pretty limited and doesn't really go anywhere.
  • November 9, 2007
    A hilarious film.
  • November 20, 2009
    It started like a boring and annoying film with no twist thought to watch what was in the film and at the end i feel quiet happy about the story and the screenplay which made me to have fun a lot because it started all the way with the phone call and there it crewed to old school...( read more) mate julia and between the Ruth abernathy and tom love was really fantastic i loved the way the story went... But some where there r unusual problems and critics through out the film which annoyed a lot... the story was calm in volcano but it has its root for the quiet smooth ending...This film will have less fun but it was good...
  • November 4, 2009
    A funny romantic comedy. Starring David Schwimmer and Gwyneth Paltrow. The story and the acting is solid. Not the greatest romantic comedy but I did get a few laughs from it. Worth a watch if enjoy romantic comedies.
  • October 23, 2009
    First of all, I love Gwyneth Paltrow! One of the reasons why I decided to watch The Pallbearer.
    The plot was pretty good, it's a unique story. Bit still the whole movie was a bit disappointing. The ending was kinda easy, they could have done better.
  • September 29, 2009
    ok the movie is very tedious to watch and I like funny things this wasn't funny interesting or anything it was a dare I say a disater of a movie!!
    and another thing I can't believe how Toni Collette could look sexy now and then she couldn't when she was younger.. do things reall...( read more)y get better with age!! I starting to think so!!

    David Schwimmer plays a drifting twentysomething who receives a telephone call out of the blue to be a pallbearer at the funeral of someone he supposedly knew in school. Trouble is, the caller has mistaken Schwimmer's character for someone else, but our hapless hero--who still lives with his mother at home--doesn't know how to say no. An encounter with the dead man's mother (Barbara Hershey) leads to a sexual relationship, while an old flame (Gwyneth Paltrow) from high school is suddenly on the horizon if only Schwimmer's loser character can quickly get his act together. This umpteenth variation on the Oedipal conflicts in Mike Nichols's The Graduate doesn't have the imagination, vitality, or authority to take classic themes about growing up all the way to the finish line. But in its brooding, comic way, it is honest about the difficulties of crossing the line into adulthood when one doesn't know how.

    Chaos unfolds as Tom is roped into being a pallbearer (and delivering the eulogy!) by the mother of a recently deceased "friend" from high school that he just can't remember. In the meantime, an unrequited love from high school (NOT the dead guy's girlfriend) reappears in his life.
  • February 23, 2009
    I just LOVE David Schwimmer and Gwyneth.
  • November 17, 2008
    This movies sucked, mainly because Schwimmer doesn't seem to be able to act a normal adult role..

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  • michellefortuin
    October 23, 2009
    First of all, I love Gwyneth Paltrow! One of the reasons why I decided to watch The Pallbearer.
    The plot was pretty good, it's a unique story. Bit still the whole movie was a bit disappointing. The ending was kinda easy, they could have done better.

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The Pallbearer Trivia


  • This actor moon walked in 'The Wedding Singer', was a hobo and had a big adventure, and was a pallbearer in 'Mousehunt'?  Answer »
  • In which film does David Schwimmer star with Gwyneth Paltrow?  Answer »
  • True or false: David Schwimmer had to have teeth dentures when filming 'The Pallbearer' due to bumping his jaw on a table corner.  Answer »
  • Whose life split into two, became the true love of William Shakespeare, sang on tour with her father and was attracted to a pallbearer?   Answer »

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