Funerals on Film

Heathers (1988)

Let’s start with a classic from the same year I was born! Heathers tells the story of Veronica (Winona Ryder), an ultra popular teen who can’t stand her ultra popular friends—all named Heather. When she starts dating “bad boy” J.D. (Christian Slater), he helps her confront her foes…by killing them and making it look like suicide. Heather Chandler’s funeral is comic gold, from the out-of-touch priest to the selfish prayers of her classmates.

Empire Records (1995)

Empire Records (starring Liv Tyler and Renee Zellweger) is about a group of misfit teen record store employees who band together to save the business when the owner threatens to sell it to a national chain. In this scene, they hold a living funeral for their troubled colleague Deb (Robin Tunney). They don’t do a great job, but it helps anyway.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

I don’t care what anyone says: THE 1992 FILM VERSION OF BUFFY IS BETTER THAN THE TV SHOW!! It’s been one of my favorites since I was a little kid—my parents didn’t know I had watched it, and when they found out, they tried to ban me from watching it again. They failed miserably. Here Merrick (Donald Sutherland) tries to prove to Buffy (Kristy Swanson) that she is indeed the chosen slayer by bringing her to a fresh grave. I only ask for gum the exact way she does in this clip, and hardly anyone gets the reference. Oh well.