This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Tom Thompson, a nerdy Brooklyn man, is 25 when we meet him. He still lives at home with his overbearing mother, occupying the same room he lived when he was a teen ager. Tom's placid existence comes to an abrupt stop when he receives a phone call from a Mrs. Abernathy, who proceeds to tell him about the death of her son Bill, who supposedly had been a school mate of Tom's, but as much as he tries to remember the departed classmate, he can't seem to remember. She invites him to be a pallbearer at the funeral.At the same time, Tom, who doesn't seem to have social graces at all, meets a young woman, Julie DeMarco, from his past. He always liked her, but being shy, never told her about the way he felt about her. All this happens at the time when Tom is trying to enlist his friends, Brad and Scott, to accompany him to the funeral. Little prepare Tom for the embarrassment he undergoes while delivering the eulogy. After all, he doesn't even remember the dead man! To make matters worse, Julie, who knew the late Bill Abernathy, is appalled at the spectacle she sees."The Pallbearer", based on David Lipsky's novel, which we never read, was adapted for the screen by Matt Reeves, who also directs, and Jason Katims. The film evokes other films, specially certain aspects of "The Graduate", or even the hit television series "Friends", in which the leading man, had a prominent role. After watching the movie, we are going to make the point of reading the book, because it appears this work didn't quite translate to the screen, as conceived by its creator.What the film has going for itself is the interesting cast assembled for it. Never having been a fan of David Schwimmer, we have to admit he does a decent job because he is playing against type. Gwyneth Paltrow's take on Julie doesn't quite come across, but she always gives good readings in anything she appears. The surprise was Barbara Hershey, who as Mrs. Abernathy brings substance to a role that could have been a caricature with another, less experienced actress.The excellent supporting role is about the best thing in the movie. Michael Rappaport, a versatile actor, gives a fine performance as Tom's best friend. The amazing Carol Kane is never seen too long, but has a couple of funny scenes as Tom's mother. Tony Collette, as a brunette doesn't get to do much; also in minor roles, Michael Vartan, Mark Margolies, Elizabeth Franz and the rest, contribute to the film.

I loved "Friends," I love Michael Rappaport and I love Michael Vartan even more. . .yet I could barely sit through this dreadful film. (I gave it a 5/10 only because it's two hours of staring at Michael Vartan and I'm jonesing for Alias Season 5, so I'll do anything to stare at Not!Vaughn.) The characters are wholly unlikeable, the plot is outrageously ridiculous and Gwyneth Paltrow's admirable acting chops are utterly wasted in this awful excuse for a film.To be very frank, I'm not really sure what any of them were thinking when they decided to sign on for this film. Michael Rappaport in particular is a fabulous character actor. This film did solve one mystery: how Michael Rappaport and Michael Vartan won their fabulous guest spots on "Friends."

This is a good,good story. I don' t care what anyone else thinks about it. David Schwimmer does start weak and is almost embarrassingly bad at the funeral before the story develops. Gwyneth Paltrow and Barbra Hershey hold things together. The scenes of Julie on the back porch and in Tom's bedroom are great. Mrs.Abernathy saying goodbye to Tom is touching to say the least. When seen after the first time,the story is motivational. It emits patience in love and gives a view of real rock solid friendships. Finally, the music in the background especially in the scenes at the wedding,the reception,and during the credits is great. I'm glad I own this movie.

... You can't exactly shove her out of the way, because she's old; and if you were being charitable you might say that the ponderous gait she ambles along with isn't really her fault. Nevertheless, in these circumstances it's often difficult not to become irritated when you find yourself dragging your heels in her wake. So it is with "The Pallbearer", an attempt to do something 'different' with a romantic comedy that in this way is chiefly hamstrung because the venue is all wrong; sort of like showing off your 'breakdancing' skills at a grandparent's funeral.To further extend the metaphor (perhaps unwisely!); like the old lady, one starts to feel with the set-up of the film that its demise cannot be far away. Sure enough, this particular 'death' is agonizingly protracted, slowly chipping away at our reserves of empathy in tiny little increments, as depressingly we come to the realisation that the proceedings are only headed in one direction: Downhill. Its laboured attempts at 'humour' can be seen coming a mile off - again, not unlike the grim inevitability of death!Returning once again to the image of 'dragging heels', the main character, Tom, is shown to ceaselessly repeat this action throughout his life. If there are indeed degrees of 'pathetic', then this sap is possibly a good few notches ahead of Schwimmer's other - more famous - role. To find oneself in the awkward position of having to align audience sympathies with a character even MORE 'clueless' than Ross is certainly a tough ask even for as 'able' a comic performer as Schwimmer, but I guess he can find fault with himself for signing on to some seriously 'echoing' situations in the first place.How will he ever escape his most famous portrayal if he's picking scripts where the characters could almost be 'interchangeable', even if the situations aren't? A man with a longstanding high-school crush on someone he hasn't seen for years. Sound familiar... ? Paltrow is nothing else if not bland in her 'Rachel' role, but all of this going over old ground would perhaps be forgivable if the noticeable DIFFERENCES present weren't so incongruous as well. Unfortunately, the romantic element is so well-worn it's threadbare, and the 'backdrop' is so inappropriate that it seems the best way to describe the resultant film is as something of a 'stiff'... ! 2/10.