“Get Low” was released in 2009. It took me a few years, but I finally saw this film about a hermit planning his own funeral party. Starring Robert Duvall as Mr. Bush, the curmudgeon who has built a sanctuary for himself in rural Tennessee, and Bill Murray, the swindling funeral parlor director anxious to get his hands on the wad of cash Bush carries, “Get Low” was surprisingly poignant, entertaining and darkly comical.
The film deals with death, of course, but also with the psychology of guilt, the difficulties of living and the dangers of introspection. It makes you think, and it makes you feel.
Bush’s log cabin played a central role in the film, becoming a character all its own. Playing off the browns and greens of the natural setting, the cinematography was excellent. All at once, the film was dark but light in both its setting and its treatment of death. Bush is aware that the end is near. He neither fears nor welcomes his ultimate demise but rather accepts it as a natural part of life. In true Duvall style, his performance is excellent and understated. His character reminds me of a dark Hub in “Secondhand Lions”; a man of few words but deep insight and a fascinating history, Duvall plays Bush with remarkable restraint, betraying enough of the character’s melancholy past to keep the audience enthralled but retaining a stony quality befitting an old man set in his ways.
Bill Murray was hilarious in a black comedy kind of way. His excellent comedic timing and straight face were to his benefit as he slid in quick-witted remarks and butted heads with Duvall. Murray was the perfect blend of slimy and lovable, playing a swindler that you can’t help but like. The scenes of sparring between Murray and Duvall kept the film light, not easy to do when death is the overall theme.
Lucas Black did a great job as Murray’s right hand man, Buddy. Uncomfortable with the spectacle that Bush’s living funeral is becoming, Buddy stands as a moral compass of sorts, understanding Bush’s plight and helping in whatever way necessary to make this old man’s final days better.
We come to find that Bush has an ulterior motive for his funeral party. Without giving away significant plot points, I think it’s safe to say that Duvall’s speech at the party is the most moving scene in the film.
This is one of those movies that I will revisit in a while and have a different reaction upon my second, third and fourth viewings (all of which I gladly anticipate). Its message will change with my age as was apparent by my reaction as compared with those of my parents and brother.
Do yourself a favor: get “Get Low.”