Four Weddings and a Funeral--1994 Richard Curtis http://movieclips.com/Yxosb-four-weddings-and-a-funeral-movie-wh-auden/ Matthew: Gareth used to prefer funerals to weddings. He said it was easier to get enthusiastic about a ceremony one had an outside chance of eventually being involved in. In order to prepare this speech, I rang a few people, to get a general picture of how Gareth was regarded by those who met him. Fat seems to have been a word people most connected with him. Terribly rude also rang a lot of bells. So very fat and very rude seems to have been a stranger's viewpoint. On the other hand, some of you have been kind enough to ring me and let me know that you loved him, which I know he would have been thrilled to hear. You remember his fabulous hospitality, his strange experimental cooking. The recipe for "Duck à la Banana" fortunately goes with him to his grave. Most of all, you tell me of his enormous capacity for joy. When joyful, when joyful for highly vocal drunkenness. But I hope joyful is how you will remember him. Not stuck in a box in a church. Pick your favourite of his waistcoats and remember him that way. The most splendid, replete, big-hearted, weak-hearted as it turned out, and jolly bugger most of us ever met. As for me, you may ask how I will remember him, what I thought of him. Unfortunately there I run out of words. Perhaps you will forgive me if I turn from my own feelings to the words of another splendid bugger: W.H. Auden. This is actually what I want to say: "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let the aeroplanes circle, moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message 'He is Dead'. Put crepe bows 'round the white necks of the public doves, Let traffic policemen wear black, cotton gloves. He was my North, my South, my East, and West. My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now; put out every one, Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun, Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood; For nothing now can ever come to any good." DIALOGUE ON DIALOGUE: Often in screenplays, the memorable speech goes to the Protagonist. I think giving this speech/eulogy to the quietest character makes it even more powerful--quiet fervent love rings loudest of all.

Death at a Funeral (2007) suggested by @CultureGoesPop

Hollywood Blacklister Dalton Trumbo's eulogy #1 " At rare intervals," fellow blacklisted screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr. intoned during his eulogy at Dalton Trumbo's funeral in 1976, "there appears among us a person whose virtues are so manifest to all, who has such a capacity for relating to every sort of human being, who so subordinates his own ego drives to the concerns of others, who lives his whole life in such harmony with the prevailing standards of the community, that he is revered and loved by everyone with whom he comes in contact. Such a man Dalton Trumbo was not." TRUMBO (2007) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0889671/?ref_=sr_2

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU0H-a03Ex8 Prof Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) delivers Aragog's eulogy in the comic cadence usually associated in the UK with the theatrical portrayal of a Church of England vicar's sermon. EXT. HAGRID’S HUT - DUSK (MOMENTS LATER) Harry appears over a rise, strolling happily along... when Slughorn appears, huffing and puffing to keep up. SLUGHORN Harry, I must insist you accompany me back to the castle immediately! HARRY That would be counterproductive, sir. SLUGHORN And what makes you say that? HARRY No idea. Slughorn frowns impatiently -- then stops, blinks. SLUGHORN Merlin’s beard... Up ahead, Hagrid sits disconsolately upon a stump. Nearby, Aragog’s massive body lies legs up. SLUGHORN Is that an actual Acromantula? HARRY A dead one, I think, sir. NEW ANGLE - SECONDS LATER Harry and Slughorn approach a sullen Hagrid. HAGRID ‘Arry. ‘Orace. SLUGHORN My god, dear man. How did you ever manage to kill it? HAGRID Kill ‘im! Me oldest friend, ‘e was! SLUGHORN I’m sorry, I... (didn’t realize.) * Slughorn falters helplessly. Hagrid waves his hand. HAGRID Ah, don’ worry yerself. Yer not alone. Seriously misunderstood creatures -- spiders. It’s the eyes, I reckon. Unnerve people. HARRY Not to mention the pincers. Harry makes a little claw motion with his hand, while making a CLICKING sound. Hagrid eyes Harry curiously. HAGRID I reckon that too... How’d yeh get outta the castle anyways? HARRY Through the front doors. SLUGHORN Hagrid. I wouldn’t want to be indelicate, but Acromantula venom is uncommonly rare and, well, if you wouldn’t mind my extracting a vial or two -- purely for academic pursuits... HAGRID Don’ suppose it’s doin’ ‘im any good, izzit? SLUGHORN My thoughts exactly! Always carry a few spare ampoules for just such occasions. Old Potion Master’s habit, you know... Slughorn rummages about his pockets, extracts some SMALL VIALS -- all empty save for one containing a HAIRY WORM -- then scrambles up close to Aragog. Harry and Hagrid watch. HAGRID Wish yeh coulda seen ‘im in ‘is prime. Magnificent ‘e was. Jus’ magnificent... Hagrid BLINKS wildly, then takes out a handkerchief and SNORTS LOUDLY into it. Slughorn looks up, studies Hagrid’s sorry expression with empathy and steps away. SLUGHORN Why don’t I say a few words? I trust he had family? HARRY Oh yeah. SLUGHORN (clearing his throat) Farewell... Slughorn frowns. HAGRID Aragog. SLUGHORN (a nod) Farewell, Aragog, king of arachnids. Though your body will decay, your spirit lingers on in the quiet, web-spun places of your Forest home. May your many-eyed descendents ever flourish and your human friends find solace for the loss they have sustained. HAGRID Tha’ was... tha’ was... beautiful. Hagrid wipes his eyes, then rises. He walks to Aragog, studies him lovingly, then puts a shoulder to the big beast’s body... and sends him tumbling into the freshly- dug grave adjacent with a SICKENING THUNK.

My Girl by Laurice Elehwany http://youtu.be/DFr3BkrjGhU FUNERAL ROOM, MINISTER IS WALKING UP THE FRONT MINISTER We are here to honor Thomas James Sennett. He was born, May 7 1961, in Madison, Pennsylvania, and he was survived by his loving parents, Charles and Susan Sennett...... (fades as camera changes) CAMERA IS ON VADA, WHO IS SLOWLY MAKING HER WAY OUT OF HER ROOM The minister is heard to say this in the background MINISTER The family has asked me to say a few words before we proceed. No words that I could say, would begin to describe the loss and grieving, one word that keeps ringing in my ear is Why?. Why would God choose to take this little boy from us? I can't give you an answer to that question, but I can tell you that God has chosen Thomas J for some very special reason, we must find solace in knowing that Thomas J is now in Gods care. In that face, there is no sorrow such as.... The ministers words fade into the very moving music CAMERA IS ON VADA SLOWLY DESCENDING THE STAIRS AND LOOKING INTO THE FUNERAL ROOM, THE MUSIC, SCENE AND ACTIONS OF CHARACTERS IS GETTING TO THE POINT OF MAKING THE VIEWER CRY Vada stops and sits on a step where she can look through and see Thomas J lying in his coffin, she begins to cry BACK IN FUNERAL ROOM, VADA ENTERS AT THE BACK AND BEGINS TO SLOWLY MAKE HER WAY UP TO THE FRONT MINISTER ....disciples began to chastise them, and Jesus said "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (the minister notices Vada coming around the front of the room) He laid his hands on their heads before he left that place, let us pray in silence. Vada has made it right up to the coffin, which she leans over and crying, says the following VADA Wanna go tree climbing Thomas J? CAMERA DOES A CLOSE UP OF THOMAS J'S BEE STING COVERED FACE CAMERA GOES BACK TO PREVIOUS SHOT INCORPORATING VADA AS WELL VADA His face hurts, and where is his glasses? He can't see without his glasses! Put his glasses on! (Harry and Shelly are rapidly approaching Vada, Shelly takes hold of her and tries to pull her away) Put on his glasses! He was gonna be an acrobat. HARRY He's gone sweetheart. He's gone! VADA Get away, get away!! Vada breaks away from Harry's grip and runs out of the room, followed closely by Harry and Shelly (me tearing up)

Mississippi Burning Eulogy Mississippi Burning at MOVIECLIPS.com Eulogist: They want me to say, "Let us not forget that two white boys also died helping negros help themselves." They want me to say, "We mourn with the mothers of these two white boys." But the state of Mississippi won't even allow these white boys to be buried in the same cemetary as this [points to coffin] Eulogist: negro boy. I say, "I have no more love to give! I have only anger in my heart today, and I want you to be angry with me! That I am sick and I am tired, and I want you to be sick and tired with me! I-I-I am sick and tired of going to the funerals of black men who have been murdered by white men! And I-I am sick and tired of the people of this counrty who continue to allow these things to happen!" What is an unalienable right if you are a negro? What does it mean, Equal Treatment under the law? What-what does it mean, Liberty and justice for all? Now I say to these people, "Look at the face of this young man, and you will see the face of a black man. But if you look at the blood shed, it is red! It is like yours! It is JUST... LIKE... YOURS!"

American Beauty (1999) -- Directed by Sam Mendes; Written by Alan Ball https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVHVRHB7qJA EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - EARLY MORNING We're FLYING above suburban America, DESCENDING SLOWLY toward a tree-lined street. LESTER (V.O.) My name is Lester Burnham. This is my neighborhood. This is my street. This... is my life. I'm forty-two years old. In less than a year, I'll be dead. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS We're looking down at a king-sized BED from OVERHEAD: LESTER BURNHAM lies sleeping amidst expensive bed linens, face down, wearing PAJAMAS. An irritating ALARM CLOCK RINGS. Lester gropes blindly to shut it off. LESTER (V.O.) Of course, I don't know that yet. He rolls over, looks up at us and sighs. He doesn't seem too thrilled at the prospect of a new day. LESTER (V.O.) (CONT'D) And in a way, I'm dead already. He sits up and puts on his slippers. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - MASTER BATH - MOMENTS LATER Lester thrusts his face directly into a steaming hot shower. ANGLE from outside the shower: Lester's naked body is silhouetted through the fogged-up glass door. It becomes apparent he is masturbating. LESTER (V.O.) (amused) Look at me, jerking off in the shower. (then) This will be the high point of my day. It's all downhill from here. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER CLOSE on a single, dewy AMERICAN BEAUTY ROSE. A gloved hand with CLIPPERS appears and SNIPS the flower off. CAROLYN BURNHAM tends her rose bushes in front of the Burnham house. A very well-put together woman of forty, she wears color-coordinated gardening togs and has lots of useful and expensive tools. Lester watches her through a WINDOW on the first floor, peeping out through the drapes. LESTER (V.O.) That's my wife Carolyn. See the way the handle on those pruning shears matches her gardening clogs? That's not an accident. EXT. JIMS' HOUSE - CONTINUOUS In the fenced front yard of the house next door, a dog BARKS repeatedly. A MAN in a conservative suit (JIM #1) chastises the barking dog. JIM #1 Hush, Bitsy. You hush. What is wrong? LESTER (V.O.) That's our next-door neighbor Jim. A second MAN in a conservative suit (JIM #2) comes out of the house. LESTER (V.O.) (CONT'D) And that's his lover, Jim. JIM #2 (re: barking dog) What in the world is wrong with her? She had a walk this morning. JIM #1 And a jerky treat. JIM #2 You spoil her. (sternly) Bitsy. No bark. Come inside. Now. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Lester watches all this from the window. CAROLYN Good morning, Jim! Jim #1 walks toward the fence to greet Carolyn. JIM #1 Morning, Carolyn. CAROLYN (overly friendly) I just love your tie! That color! JIM #1 I just love your roses. How do you get them to flourish like this? CAROLYN Well, I'll tell you. Egg shells and Miracle Grow. Jim #1 and Carolyn continue to chat, unaware that Lester is watching them. LESTER (V.O.) Man. I get exhausted just watching her. Lester's POV: We can't hear what Jim and Carolyn are saying, but she's overly nimated, like a TV talk show host. LESTER (V.O.) (CONT'D) She wasn't always like this. She used to be happy. We used to be happy. INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS JANE is seated at her desk, working at her computer. LESTER (V.O.) My daughter Jane. Only child. CLOSE on the COMPUTER MONITOR: A PERSONAL BANKING SOFTWARE window suddenly disappears to reveal another window: a PLASTIC SURGERY WEBSITE, featuring clinical "before" and "after" photos of surgically augmented breasts. LESTER (V.O.) (CONT'D) Janie's a pretty typical teenager. Angry, insecure, confused. I wish I could tell her that's all going to pass... Outside, a CAR HORN BLARES. Jane stuffs items into her BACKPACK. LESTER (V.O.) (CONT'D) But I don't want to lie to her. We HEAR the CAR HORN again from outside. Jane studies herself in a mirror, then shifts to get a good profile of her breasts. EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Carolyn stands next to a platinum-colored MERCEDES-BENZ ML320, reaching in through the drivers' window to blow the HORN again. Jane shuffles out of the house, her backpack slung over her shoulder. CAROLYN Jane. Honey. Are you trying to look unattractive? JANE Yes. CAROLYN Well, congratulations. You've succeeded admirably. Jane gets in the car. Lester hurries out the front door, carrying a BRIEFCASE. CAROLYN (CONT'D) Lester, could you make me a little later, please? Because I'm not quite late enough. Lester's briefcase suddenly springs open and his papers spill all over the driveway. He drops to his knees to gather everything. JANE Nice going, Dad. Lester smiles sheepishly, trying to lighten the moment. His POV: Carolyn looks down at us, contemptuous but also bored, as if she gave up expecting anything more long ago. LESTER (V.O.) Both my wife and daughter think I'm this gigantic loser, and... they're right. INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - A SHORT TIME LATER Carolyn is driving; Jane stares out the window. Lester is asleep in the back seat. LESTER (V.O.) I have lost something. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I know I didn't always feel this... sedated. But you know what? It's never too late to get it back. --------------- Definitely not used in the literal sense, but everything in Lester's opening monologue has all the necessary components of a successful eulogy: Basic facts, his impact (or lack of it) on his family, his life in general, and -- probably most importantly -- ends on a hopeful note. And what I think is most effective is the fact that we will never get to deliver our own eulogy. Only we know the truth of how we lived our lives and by letting Lester essentially eulogize himself, Alan Ball gives us the chance to think about what we would say about ourselves upon our deaths and how we would remember our lives.

"Analyze That." Billy Crystal imagines the proper eulogy to his dead father. . Dr. Ben Sobel: [at his father's funeral] It's not easy for me to speak about my father, cause in a sense I'm talking about two people. One is the public Issac Sobel, the eminent psychotherapist and popular author, known to millions of readers around the world. The second is the private man, my father, Dad; And for those who knew him well, and for those who knew our family well. Well, I don't have to tell you: He was a psychotic fucking mind prick! An arrogant ego inflated son of a bitch! I wish you were alive so I could kill you. [shouts] Dr. Ben Sobel: Rot in hell!

This eulogy is one of my favorites, in part because of Matthew's relatively quiet part to this point in the movie as Traci mentions. But the eulogy also firmly cements the nature of the two men's relationship for any others who had doubts, whether characters in the movie or the audience. Matthew makes absolutely clear that for all intents and purposes Gareth was his spouse. It is a powerful tribute considering the still-sketchy nature of gay rights that Matthew outs himself as Gareth's partner in this eulogy -- really a public declaration of love.

One of my favorites — it always makes me tear up, never fails! — is Karen Blixen's eulogy for Denys Finch-Hatton in Out of Africa (1985). [Video clip] [Screenplay (PDF] __________

KAREN The time you won your town the race We chaired you through the marketplace Man and boy stood cheering by And home we brought you, shoulder-high. Today, the road all runners come Shoulder-high we bring you home And set you at your threshold down Townsman . . of a stiller town. PAN the mourners. Brave men swallow. Women are crying. tears flow furiously from Bror's eyes; he will not wipe them. Delamere is trembling. KAREN (O.S.) (cont'd) Smart lad, to slip betimes away From fields where glory does not stay Early though the laurel grows It withers quicker than a rose. Felicity buries her face on her father's shoulder. Lady Macmillan's chin is very high. Lady Byrne turns away to stare up the hill. And Wasili, alone at distance, watches. KAREN (O.S.) (cont'd) Now you will not swell the rout Of lads that wore their honors out Runners whom renown outran And the name died fore the man. Not a tear. She no longer needs the book. KAREN So set, before its echoes fade The fleet foot on the sill of shade And hold to the low lintel up The still-defended challenge cup. And round that early-laureled head Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead And find unwithered on its curls (unsteady) A garland . . briefer than a girl's. Moment. Her voice steadies. She looks up at the hills. KAREN (cont'd) Now take back the soul of Denys George Finch-Hatton, whom you have shared with us. He brought us joy, we loved him well. He was not ours. (beat) He was not mine.

__________ Like Richard Curtis’ use of Auden in Four Weddings and Funeral, much of this eulogy is an excerpt from A. E. Housman's poem, To An Athlete Dying Young. The scriptwriter, Kurt Luedtke, is highly efficient in deploying this work; the poem says very crisply that which we would expect from Karen of her lover Denys while in a public venue. The poem helps maintain the feel of the period and location while furthering characterization. Luedtke focuses his punch on the last two lines of Karen's eulogy; when delivered by Meryl Streep the impact is utterly gut-wrenching. With these last words over the grave, Blixen's cool Danish reserve is shattered and the heart of Karen's and Denys' conflicted love is exposed. He was not hers — nor she his. And Africa was not theirs or ours.