08/27/2026
Movies and TV have been telling us for decades what a funeral is supposed to look like. Rainy afternoons. Black umbrellas. Silent grief.
Real funerals rarely look like this.
Here are five things TV gets wrong:
1. It's not always raining. Most services happen in the sunshine, on beautiful afternoons, in gardens and parks and living rooms.
2. Everyone doesn't wear black. Some families now ask guests to wear color, or the loved one's favorite hue, or a sports team's jersey.
3. It's not always silent. Some services are full of stories, laughter, music, and the sound of people who loved someone remembering them out loud.
4. Most families don't have a movie-worthy confrontation. Most families are just trying to hold each other up.
5. It doesn't end when the service does. The hardest part often begins after everyone goes home. Grief and remembrance continue long after the last guest leaves.
