ASHES TO ASHES, DUST IN YOUR FACE: Cremation, Comedy and Creativity
Presented by Gail Rubin, A Good Goodbye
Elizabethtown (2005, PG-13) Romantic comedy starring Orlando Bloom, Kirsten
Dunst and Susan Sarandon
A young man from Oregon returns to his father’s hometown in Kentucky after Dad
unexpectedly dies there while visiting family. Romance blossoms as he wrestles
with cultural differences over the issue of burial versus cremation.
Six Feet Under TV series (2000-2005)
An education in funeral issues all by itself! This scene shows a retort in action.
The Big Lebowski (1998, R) A cult-classic comedy starring Jeff Bridges and John
Goodman, written and directed by the Coen brothers
After their bowling teammate dies from a heart attack at the bowling alley, two
friends meet with a funeral director to collect the cremated remains. The following
scene provides insights into ash scattering and eulogies.
Due Date (2010, R) Comedy starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis
A high-strung father-to-be is forced to hitch a ride with an aspiring actor, taking a
road trip in order to make it to his child's birth on time. The actor has his father’s
ashes with him, which makes for comedic confusion and a grand scattering scene.
The Bucket List (2007, PG-13) Comedy-drama starring Jack Nicholson and
Morgan Freeman
A corporate billionaire and a working class mechanic have nothing in common
except for terminal cancer diagnoses. Thrown together while sharing a hospital
room, they set out to experience all the things they want to do before they die,
enumerated on a “bucket list.” Shows a creative placement of cremated remains.
Meet the Parents (2000, PG-13) Comedy starring Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro
Male nurse Greg Focker meets his girlfriend's parents before proposing, but her
suspicious father is every date's worst nightmare. Instructive regarding the perils of
keeping cremated remains at home.
The Descendants (2011, R) Drama starring George Clooney
The film opens with Hawaiian land baron and lawyer Matt King in his wife’s hospital
room, where she is on life support after a boating accident. A great story of love and
betrayal set in the beautiful islands of Hawaii. It also provides a great starting point
to discuss advance directives and how to break bad news to family and friends. The
film also shows a lovely ash scattering ceremony at sea.
He Died With a Felafel in His Hand (2001, NR) Comedy starring Noah Taylor,
Emily Hamilton and Romane Bohringer
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Gail Rubin ◊ Ph: 505.265.7215 ◊ Gail@AGoodGoodbye.com
This offbeat Australian film focuses on a guy who lives in a series of group homes
with a parade of odd housemates. As the title suggests, one of them dies. Their
ritual for honoring him takes the Aussies’ love of “the barbie” to a new level.
The Vikings (1958, NR) Action-adventure drama starring Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis
and Ernest Borgnine
This sweeping epic film is responsible for the romantic notion of the Viking funeral
as a grand way to go. Not historically accurate, but entertaining and colorful.
Additional Cremation Films to Consider
The Way (2010, PG-13) Comedy-drama-adventure starring Martin Sheen and
Emilio Estevez
An American doctor goes to France to collect the remains of his adult son who was
killed in a storm in the Pyrenees Mountains while walking The Camino de Santiago,
also known as the Way of St. James. Rather than return directly home, the father
decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honor his son's desire to finish the
journey. He scatters his son’s ashes as he travels along the trail.
Departures (2008, PG-13) Award-winning Japanese drama starring Masahiro
Motoki, Ryôko Hirosue and Tsutomu Yamazaki
A newly unemployed cellist takes a job preparing the dead for funerals. Shows
Japanese Buddhist funeral traditions and a modern cremation retort in action.
Presenter Gail Rubin
The Doyenne of Death™ Gail Rubin is author of the award-winning book, A Good
Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die. She is a Certified
Celebrant and an engaging speaker who uses funny film clips to help start serious
conversations.
She is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling and the
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association. She also volunteers
with the Chevra Kaddisha, a group that ritually prepares the bodies of Jews for
burial, as well as the cemetery committee for Congregation Albert synagogue in
Albuquerque, NM. Rubin is a breast cancer survivor who began her cancer journey
in the summer of 2008.
Visit www.AGoodGoodbye.com for more information.
Gail Rubin ◊ Ph: 505.265.7215 ◊ Gail@AGoodGoodbye.com