# Death At A Funeral **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 3, 2008, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683 "2008-08-03T05:58:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/1 "2008-08-03T05:58:21Z")
Anyone seen it? We watched it last night on DVD, mostly because my wife wanted proof that Wash wasn’t really dead, and while it got pretty good reviews and word-of-mouth, I was distinctly underwhelmed: overall it was mildly amusing with a couple of good laughs, but it wasn’t really barbed enough, and I hate that kind of comedy of embarrassment. Alan Tudyk was the standout as the uptight barrister on an inadvertant mescaline trip, with some great physical comedy {and he was naked for half the movie, which pleased the wife no end} and the best delivery, if not the best lines: “Join the others! Join the others!”. Overall too “American” for such a British cast, though: a lot of opportunities for some sharp wit wasted in favour of dumb farce {and I could really have lived without the scatology}, and the resolution, where everybody learned valuable life-lessons, was just cloying. It also seems that adultery is only permissible, nay, laudable in movies if you’re either female or secretly gay. Verdict? **Weekend At Bernies** for the faux-arthouse set. Anyone else have any thoughts on it? ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/2 "2008-08-03T06:02:21Z")
It was so predictable. The minute Dinklage showed up I knew what his identity was going to be. It was amusing in parts but nowhere near as good as it was hyped up to be. And the end was too “haven’t we all learned something?” -ish for my tastes. Hm. Maybe I should have just quoted the OP and written +1. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/3 "2008-08-03T06:07:49Z")
This movie gets me in trouble. Everybody loves it but me. Customers hold it up inquiringly, and I’m like, Well, it has a following . . . that doesn’t include me. It had funny moments, but it coulda been WAAAAAAY funnier. I mean, the funniest person in it, Peter Dinklage, spends what a third of the movie _in a box_. Bad move. ’ And I have rarely seen so blatant a case of wishful miscasting: You KNOW the lead was written with Hugh Grant in mind, and the other comic relief dude was totally a poor man’s Ricky Gervaise. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/4 "2008-08-03T06:34:33Z")
I agree with most things said: not bad but certainly not brilliant or totally memorable. I’ll add that the scene with the old man’s shit is one of the grossest “gross-out” gags I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/5 "2008-08-03T07:44:34Z")
I was told it was hysterically funny by people of good taste. I barely raised a chuckle. It wasn’t offensively bad it was just mildly amusing, terribly predicable and totally dependent on poo jokes and the accidental unknowing ingestion of mind altering substances. And Dinklage’s role was cringe inducing, a very poor script idea. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/6 "2008-08-03T10:46:26Z")
I rented it awhile ago after it was recommended highly by some friends. I only laughed out loud twice: When one of the sons says something like “You know, I think Dad would have wanted it this way,” when they’re putting Peter Dinklage’s body into Dad’s coffin. and When Rupert Graves feigns surprise about the guy in Dad’s coffin when he pops out of it at the funeral, not being dead after all. (Dinklage’s character, not Dad) About halfway through, I started fast-forwarding through a couple of the subplots that began to be too tedious or too disgusting for my tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/7 "2008-08-03T18:50:15Z")
I was looking forward to this movie. A British ensemble comedy with Matthew Macfadyen, Peter Dinklage and Alan Tudyk should have hit the spot for me, but I didn’t find it funny at all. I’m beginning to wonder if I’m losing my sense of humor. The only new comedy movie I’ve really liked in a long time is _Little Miss Sunshine_. For instance: I’m a fan of the Hugh Grant romantic comedy, but I hated _Music and Lyrics_. I loved _The 40-Yr-Old Virgin_, but I didn’t like _Knocked Up_ or _Superbad_. I loved the first Harold & Kumar movie, but I thought the second one stunk. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/8 "2008-08-03T18:55:41Z")
I loved Death at a Funeral. I thought it was very funny and I love Alan Tudyk and Peter Dinklage. I can see where not everyone would love it though. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/9 "2008-08-03T20:15:48Z")
I saw it in the theater shortly after it was released. I remember laughing throughout the film, along with the rest of the audience in the quite full theater but, as I post his about a year or so later, I actually remember very little about the film. Frank Oz has a pretty consistent track record of making “good” films. He’s one of those directors who, in his entire long career, has never hit one out of the ballpark- yet, he can very consistently be counted on to make a “good” movie. So, when he puts out a new one I always go see it- I’m never disappointed, yet I’m never amazed. Even with my lack of memory of this particular entry, I think it measures up to his other efforts. It is interesting, however, in that it is an ensemble British Comedy directed by an American director. Perhaps this is why it misses where it misses? Anyone else think of an ensemble British Comedy directed by an American director? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/10 "2008-08-03T22:58:01Z")
Arguably Frank Oz is British: > **[Frank Oz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Oz)** > > Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz; May 25, 1944) is an American actor, puppeteer, and filmmaker. He is best known for his involvement with Jim Henson and the Muppets, as well as his directorial work in feature films and theater, including Star Wars. > During his adolescence, Oz worked as an apprentice puppeteer in Oakland, California. Despite his interest in journalism, Oz continued his career as a puppeteer when he was hired by Jim Henson in 1963 to work for The Jim Henson Company where he... ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/11 "2008-08-04T08:12:54Z")
[QUOTE=Wendell Wagner] Arguably Frank Oz is British: > **[Frank Oz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Oz)** > > Frank Richard Oznowicz (born May 25, 1944), known professionally as Frank Oz, is an American puppeteer, filmmaker, and actor. He is best known for his involvement with Jim Henson and George Lucas through The Muppets, Sesame Street, and Star Wars, as well as his directorial work in feature films and theater. > The son of puppeteers, Oz worked as an apprentice puppeteer during his teenage years in Oakland, California. Despite his interest in journalism, he continued his career as a puppeteer when... [/QUOTE] Ooh! Neat, never knew that. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/12 "2008-08-04T15:37:50Z")
I liked it - saw it in the theatre, laughed out loud several times & generally enjoyed myself. ---
**Author:** ![Pollux\_Oil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/858c86/32.png) [@Pollux\_Oil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pollux_Oil)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/13 "2008-08-04T22:03:42Z")
I thought Alan Tudyk was the best part of the movie, I consistently laughed whenever he was on screen. (“Where’s my watch?!..OH!” gets me every time for some reason.) The rest of it was…okay, not nearly as funny. I agree that the shit crap (heh) wasn’t necessary and not really funny at all. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral/458683/14 "2008-08-05T18:00:06Z")
I had never heard of this movie, but a friend told me it was one of the funniest things he’d ever seen, and that one scene had him rolling uncontrollably on the couch, so i gave it a shot. I laughed a few times, but was distinctly underwhelmed. I didn’t hate it, exactly; it just fell so far below his recommendation that i was left wondering why he thought it was so great.