In a recent television series, The Madison, the protagonist, a woman named Stacy, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, is grieving the accidental death of her husband, Preston, played by Kurt Russell, and is considering having his physical remains buried on a hillside near his mountain retreat in Montana. It overlooks his favorite fishing spot on the Madison River, a setting that was very dear to him, one he would annually escape to from the hustle and bustle of New York City, where he enjoyed much luxury but too much noise. When a granddaughter asked Stacy if her grandfather was in heaven, Stacy told her that heaven is right here on earth and doing what he loved best, fishing. It was clear that Stacy had no religious or spiritual beliefs.
Several earlier scenes showed Preston catching fish, unhooking them and throwing them back in the river. He displayed pure ecstasy. Catching a fish was the ultimate experience for him. You could hear the triumphant music playing. While awaiting the burial service, Stacy attempted fishing in Preston’s favorite spot and was able to experience similar joy. She didn’t understand it before, but now it all made sense to her. No religious heaven could top the joy of catching a fish.
The mortician supported Stacy’s plan to have her husband buried on the hillside overlooking the river, commenting that he knew her husband and was sure that “he would want to spend eternity there.” The grieving widow considered moving from her luxurious New York suite to the mountain cabin so that she could be with Preston and fish with his essence the rest of her life.
When Preston and Paul, his brother, both victims of a small plane crash while returning from another treasured fishing spot, were buried on the Montana hillside, Stacy was asked by the mortician if she wanted to say anything. She told him she had nothing to say, nor had Preston’s two adult daughters. The mortician then took it upon himself to give a short talk, mentioning heaven, the Lord, and faith. Stacy reacted to his words with a very angry and hostile expression. She and her daughters were products of modern hedonism and didn’t appreciate such religious folly.
Interestingly, Stacy did not opt for cremation, but invested in the most expensive caskets for both Preston and Paul. The older daughter, Abigail, walked up to Paul’s casket and cursed him, as he was the pilot of the small plane that crashed and took her father’s life. Before the plane crash, Paul had a discussion with Preston about religion, commenting that God does not exist because no god would have permitted his wife to be run down and killed in a crosswalk. He adamantly wanted nothing to do with religious talk.
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