Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones in ‘The Burial’
Jamie FoxxseesTommy Lee Jonesas a kindred spirit in their new dramaThe Burial.
The movie tells the true story of Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe (Jones), a Mississippi funeral home operator who hires a flashy personal injury attorney Willie Gary (Foxx) to help him sue a major Canadian corporation, the Loewen Group, for breach of contract, claiming they aim to put the squeeze on small businesses.
The modern David-and-Goliath tale features strong performances from Oscar winners Foxx, 55, and Jones, 76, whose characters bond while battling the corporate giant and its CEO, Ray Loewen (Bill Camp).
In a scene shared exclusively with PEOPLE, Gary — who was born to poor Florida sharecroppers and worked his way to becoming so successful he was featured onLifestyles of the Rich and Famous— and O’Keefe have a frank discussion about battling the odds.
“You’re a fighter,” O’Keefe, a married father of 13 children, tells his attorney.
Jamie Foxx plays attorney Willie Gary in ‘The Burial’.Skip Bolen/Prime
Skip Bolen/Prime
“I’m a fighter,” Gary agrees. “You are too, Jer, you’re a fighter, man. You know why I say you’re a fighter? Going up against this big Loewen group, man, small business owner, man, that’s something, that’s why we connect. What made you want to do it?”
“Cause he tried to mess with the one thing that means the most to me in life: being able to leave something behind for my children and my grandchildren when I go,” O’Keefe responds. “They have a legacy, Willie, and I do mean to pass it on to ‘em.”
“I had a lot of fun working with Jamie," Jones told PEOPLE before the SAG-AFTRA strike. “He’s fun to be around, and every work day was highly energized. We did a lot of laughing, and some pretty good work got done too.”
Foxx was ideal for playing Gary, who has a “huge, larger-than-life personality,” director Maggie Betts previously told PEOPLE.
“I knew Jamie had the talent, charisma and range to bring this complex and multifaceted persona to the screen," said Betts.
Tommy Lee Jones as Jeremiah O’Keefe and Pamela Reed as his wife, Annette, in ‘The Burial’.Skip Bolen/Prime
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“He was a perfect match for the role, and he brought so much more humanity and vulnerability to the character than I could have ever expected, which, as a director, was very exciting to work with,” she continued.
Foxx calledThe Buriala “great American story” and Betts agreed, telling PEOPLE its “themes are so universal, and I think audiences from all walks of life will find something that resonates with them.”
Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx in ‘The Burial’.Skip Bolen/Prime
“The film is triumphant and inspiring and will leave audiences laughing, cheering and feeling deeply,” she said.
Also starring inThe Burial, which is based on aNew Yorkerarticle, areSuccession’sAlan RuckandLovecraft Country’sJurnee Smollett.
The Burialis in select theaters Friday and on Prime Video Oct. 13.
source: people.com
