Magpie Funeral

I did enjoy the movie, It left me smiling inside. I realize it has been a long time since I've written anything like a review, but is was nice to have a movie theme of "coming to peace with transitions" (including death) instead of "man against man" (or woman). I loved the opening scene that totally shifted from Sy's inner drama to his real world which we watched literally come crashing down.

I liked Sy as a person, and Lisa was an amazing delightful little actress. I very much liked the birds and their songs. They were equally stars in the movie. I enjoyed the anachronisms like the the portable typewriter, the answering machine, and the old phonograph.

I have tried to imagine all that goes into creating a movie like this. What an outstanding accomplishment.

I am not a writer or in the film industry. Admittedly I chose this film when I learned Darren was in it. I was/am a huge Northern Exposure film and in 2025 some of the actors gathered for a weekly episode. My interest in those actors drove me to seek more recent work and voila - found this little gem. I love the film. No CGI, no superheroes, no childish themes, and conversely nothing offensive to gentle souls. The acting is strong, amusing when it should be, and warm throughout. The story is original and thoughtfully written. I took me a few minutes to catch on at the beginning but that speaks more to my short attention span. You will miss so many nuances if you multitask. Even though so many films allow that process. The way that death, grief, nature, etc. Were handled was heartfelt without being cliche. One other note.... I watched it before I read the reviews. That is what prompted me to write one of my own. I noticed that many, many people (or maybe a handful of lazy nuts) placed a downward thumb on all of the reviews. Taking the time to do that without writing a review, and there are no negative reviews, speaks volumes about you and your lack of ability to communicate with other humans. I assume you are the same ones who rated the film with 1, 2, 3, etc. Stars.

I thought the characters brought the film story together beautifully. The start of the film confused me a little, but it didn't take long for it all to come together. The actors were great and the production and script held my attention. Darren Burrows and Meredith Shank had very believable performances. For being so young, Elizabeth Leach did a great job acting. I recognized the actress Katherine Norland from the DharMann videos! David Weisenberg played the man you love to hate. The film was filmed and edited well. The scenery was spectacular! A film I would recommend and watch again and again.

I absolutely loved this movie so much that I watched it twice. Wonderful and beautifully written story that inspires each and every one of us to follow our dreams. The movie starts out a little bit slow but builds up considerably leaving you with the that endearing sense of hope within all of us about life itself and the journey along the way.

Spectacular cast and the combination of artistic talent and passion will leave you with a feeling of joy and wonder. Darren Burrows delivers an amazing performance and the writing is outstanding and very original. Would love to see more movies like this.

I wish I could say more about the movie without giving anything away but you will be happy after seeing it.

Ten stars and a must see !

Magpie Funeral is a little gem of a film. It's the story of a man who loses his close friend in a car accident. He meets a young widow, and her daughter at the cemetery, and they develop a close, if unlikely friendship. When a misunderstanding unfolds around a project she's been working on, their friendship is put to the test.

Although death and loss are a big part of the story, Magpie Funeral is a funny, touching film -- never a downer. It has great performances by Darren Burrows and Meredith Shank as the lead characters, and Elizabeth Leach does a wonderful turn as the daughter.

Other standouts include David Weisenberg who plays an obnoxious boss and Mario DiDonato plays a very funny literary agent.

This is a wonderful indie movie, with a heart.