The Batman Director Made His Debut With A Forgotten Rom-Com Featuring A Friends Star

In 2022, Matt Reeves introduced us to "The Batman," another take on the titular hero that saw Robert Pattinson in the lead role. Battinson operated within a noirish, "Seven"-adjacent industrial decay-ridden Gotham, representing a much younger version of the character in a movie that successfully reinvented the Dark Knight for modern movie goers following Christopher Nolan's seminal Dark Knight trilogy. Reeves was given significant creative freedom to bring his vision to life, something he'll apparently retain with the long delayed "The Batman: Part 2," if it ever sees the light of day.

"The Batman" was big for Reeves. He'd broken through with 2008's "Cloverfield," capturing the spirit of a bygone world in chaos, before proving he was more than capable of handling the sci-fi action genre with 2014's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" and 2017's "War for the Planet of the Apes." But "The Batman" seemed to firmly establish the director as a first-class blockbuster filmmaker. Essentially, then, he started with "Cloverfield" and naturally built his career from there with more sci-fi action before eventually being handed the reins to one of Warner Bros.' biggest superhero properties.

But that's really an abridged version of the man's career. Reeves didn't actually get his start with "Cloverfield." He'd been directing since the mid-90s, making his directorial debut with, of all things, a rom-com led by a "Friends" star.

Like Matt Reeves, the "Friends" cast didn't just launch their career with that beloved sitcom. Many of them had been hustling in the industry for some time, enduring some truly abject roles in the process. Before "Friends" Matthew Perry starred in multiple sitcoms that lasted only one season (one of which is nearly impossible to watch today) while Ross actor David Schwimmer appeared in his share of ill-fated sitcoms, including one where he starred opposite "Happy Days" actor Henry Winkler as a cranky right-wing TV presenter (it also only lasted one season). Of course, once "Friends" did come along, the entire ensemble quickly became some of the most famous people in the world and started receiving multiple offers.

Several of the cast had appeared in films before, but 1996 was a big year for them all. It was the year Jennifer Aniston starred in "She's the One" and "Dream for an Insomniac," while Courteney Cox made her debut as Gale Weathers in "Scream." Matt LeBlanc fronted sports comedy "Ed" and David Schwimmer co-starred with Gwyneth Paltrow in rom-com "The Pallbearer." The director? Matt Reeves.

Reeves had technically made his directorial debut by overseeing a segment of the horror anthology film "Future Shock" back in 1994 but "The Pallbearer" was his first major studio movie, with Miramax handing the young filmmaker $8 million to tell the story of an architect who finally gets together with his longtime crush. While Courteney Cox was busy portraying one of her most successful movie characters, then, Schwimmer was doing his best to prop up what proved to be a bit of a critical and commercial disappointment.

Before "The Pallbearer" David Schwimmer's only film roles were small parts in short films and characters such as "cop" in 1994's "Wolf." The 1996 rom-com "The Pallbearer" was his first starring role in a major studio production, which put he and Reeves very much on a level footing. Gwyneth Paltrow was arguably a bigger movie actor than Schwimmer, having appeared in multiple projects by 1996, including playing Brad Pitt's wife in "Seven," the film that would provide such inspiration for Reeves' "The Batman" 25 years later. But this was to be the "Friends" star's chance to prove he was every bit as capable as his more established co-star.

In "The Pallbearer," Schwimmer played aspiring architect Tom Thompson who's asked to be a pallbearer for the funeral of a former classmate. Tom accepts the offer despite the fact he doesn't remember this particular classmate, even agreeing to deliver the eulogy. Thankfully, this disastrous setup allows Tom to become reacquainted with Paltrow's Julie DeMarco, his school crush. Rom and plenty of com thereby ensues. At least, that was the idea.

Critics weren't too charmed by Schwimmer's first big movie, which currently bears just 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, among top critics, the film actually managed a much more respectable 83% score. Roger Ebert was certainly impressed, writing, "Matt Reeves, has a master plan, and it's amazing how a movie with so many detours can arrive so convincingly at its destination." Alison Macor of the Austin Chronicle also praised "The Pallbearer," and was particularly taken with Paltrow "playing Julie as awkwardly as Schwimmer does Tom, and just as endearingly." Still, the movie made just $5.6 million on an $8 million budget, which is a commercial failure by any measure.

Today, "The Pallbearer" has plenty of 90s charm which probably makes it a much more endearing watch than it was at the time. Meanwhile, Schwimmer has managed to establish himself outside of "Friends" much more successfully. Likewise, Reeves has proved his real talents lie outside the rom-com genre, though based on the "Batman Part 2" delays, speedy scriptwriting isn't one of them.