when I watched this movie for the umpteenth time is why did they have Alex in a closed casket? Was it just a movie thing so that we, the audience, would never know what he looked like? Similar to Hitchcock's Rebecca where we never saw a likeness of the heroine.
shareI've seen caskets in the church both closed and open. That probably was based on family decision.
We saw his wrists, the slash marks, stitching. He didn't shoot himself so his face would have been untouched, possibly shaved. Early parts of movie were edited so we may never know what funeral actually showed.
Do we know it was definitely a closed ceremony?
The casket was closed.
shareIn my church, most of the time, the "viewing" is held outside the sanctuary normally in the narthex. That way it can be a little noisier with people talking. When it is time for the funeral, privately for the family, they close the casket and move it into the sanctuary.
I think part of it is practicality - it is harder to move an open casket. Partially, more importantly, it is very hard to anticipate the family's reaction that final time the casket is closed. Normally, you don't want to be sitting in a crowded church at the time.
watch the DVD extras. or type "The Big Chill - Michael" into youtube search. there's a deleted scene where Sam and Michael view the open casket before it's taken into the church
shareThe corpse resembled a young Kevin Costner.
"'Extremely High Voltage.' Well, I don't need safety gloves, because I'm Homer SimpsonzzzzZZZZnnnnNNNN--" - Frank Grimes
There is a likeness in Rebecca, as I recall. The huge painting of her in that dress that the new wife has copied for her first ball.
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