Death in the Family - Recap

A hearse pulls up to the Soames Funeral Home and delivers a body to the owner from a senior citizens home. The deliverymen admit that they’re running a day behind, and offer owner Jared Soames all of the papers to sign. Soames asks for the name, but the deliverymen have no idea what it is. According to the papers, it’s Simon Cottner. Soames asks them to bring the body into one of the viewing rooms. He asks them if flowers and a minister have been chosen, and the deliverymen say it’s a charity burial paid by the county. Soames wonders if there’ll be mourners, and the deliveryman explains that the dead man had no friends and no relatives. Soames insists that a man’s death should be everyone’s business, but the driver says all the county provides is a wooden marker and $100 for services. After the deliverymen go, Soames congratulates the corpse for living 81 years and admits he deserves more than a $100 funeral. He assures him that he will have much more.



Later, the grave diggers place a wooden box in the ground and note that it feels light. Soames is there and explains that Cottner was a little man and wasted away.

As a storm comes up and Soames drives back to the funeral home, troopers stop him. They ask if he’s seen anyone, and explain that a convict, Doran, is on the loose. Doran was shot during his escape and they warn Soames that he’s dangerous. Soames continues on his way to the funeral home.

Later, Soames is at the funeral home and singing “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” He emerges from a room and tells the occupant that he’ll be back soon. As Soames turns off the lights, a young man, Doran, smashes through a window. He heard Soames singing, and asks who he was singing to. The mortician insists that it’s no one who could harm the convict, but Doran goes into the room. Inside is Cottner, sitting at a table and dressed for a party. Soames explains that he kept the body and had the grave diggers bury an empty box. Doran admits that he’s badly wounded, and Soames appears concerned. Doran asks for a car and clean clothes in return for a quick exit. Soames says that he won’t survive that long, but Doran warns that he has no choice. The mortician explains that the only car he has is a hearse, which would be too inconspicuous, and offers Doran a sofa to rest on as long as he wants.

As Doran lies down, he asks Soames why he’s giving him a break. Soames says he’s too young to die in the rain and asks if he has a family. When Doran says that he doesn’t, Soames admits that he was an orphan and remembers the first sixteen years he spent in an orphanage. As Soames goes to get some tea, Doran explains that he’s serving a first-degree murder charge, and Soames is the first person who has ever showed him compassion.



Later, Doran wakes up and goes looking for Soames. He hears the mortician singing in the basement and goes downstairs. Soames is in a room serving dinner to several corpse, all gathered around a table. He introduces them as his family: a wife, two children, a mother, brother, and Cottner, his father who just arrived. Doran points out that they’re dead, and Soames says that they’re at peace, and know nothing of greed and prejudice. There’s a knock on the door upstairs, and Soames goes to get rid of them. Doran asks Soames to take him upstairs, insisting that Soames’ “family” are stiffs. Soames insists that Doran belongs there.



Upstairs, the troopers prepare to go when they hear gunshots. They break in and find a trail of Doran’s blood leading to the cellar. They follow it and find the mortician’s “living room.” A wounded Soames is seated at the head of the table, the dead Doran seated next to him. The troopers recognize Soames’ family, and Soames explains that they were all people who were unloved in life. In his room, they have love and identity. Soames introduces Doran as his son and himself as the father of the family, and then collapses, dead.



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