Death at a Funeral (2007)

Chaos ensues when a man tries to expose a dark secret regarding a recently deceased patriarch of a dysfunctional British family.

Director:

Frank Oz

Writer:

Dean Craig

Stars:

Matthew Macfadyen, Peter Dinklage, Ewen Bremner

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew Macfadyen	...	Daniel (as Matthew MacFadyen)
Keeley Hawes	...	Jane
Andy Nyman	...	Howard
Ewen Bremner	...	Justin
Daisy Donovan	...	Martha
Alan Tudyk	...	Simon
Jane Asher	...	Sandra
Kris Marshall	...	Troy
Rupert Graves	...	Robert
Peter Vaughan	...	Uncle Alfie
Thomas Wheatley	...	The Reverend
Peter Egan	...	Victor
Peter Dinklage	...	Peter
Brendan O'Hea	...	Undertaker
Jeremy Booth	...	Mourner

Storyline

Daniel is a decent young man, married to Jane, still living at his father's home. When his father dies, it is up to him to organize his funeral. On this painful morning, the suitable grave expression on his face, Daniel is ready to welcome his father's friends and relatives. But preserving the dignity inherent in such circumstances will be a hard task. Particularly with an undertaker who botches his work, the return from the USA of his famous but selfish brother, his cousin's fiancé who has accidentally ingested drugs, the presence a moron who takes advantage of the sad event to win back the heart (or rather the body) of a woman who is about to marry another, of a handicapped old uncle who is also the most unbearable pain in the neck. To cap it all, Daniel notices the presence among the mourners of a mysterious dwarf nobody else seems to know...

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Plot Keywords:

funeral | gay | london england | uncle | secret | 

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Taglines:

Last rites... and wrongs.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and drug content

Details

Country:

USA Germany UK Netherlands

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 September 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Muerte en un funeral

Filming Locations:

Poynatts Manor, Skirmett, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

€15,223 (Netherlands), 22 July 2007, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,282,973, 19 August 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$8,579,684, 30 December 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment,Parabolic Pictures Inc.,Stable Way Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

DTS SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Keeley Hawes (Jane) was pregnant with her second child while filming.

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Goofs

If Uncle Alfie was confined to a wheelchair, how did he get onto the roof?

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Quotes

[first lines]
Daniel: [giving instructions to the pallbearers] Just, uh, straight through there and to the left, please.

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Crazy Credits

The closing credits give the name of each performer with a blooper shot of them cracking up during filming.

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Connections

Remade as Daddy Cool: Join the Fun (2009)

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Soundtracks

Love Our Time Today
Performed by Yamit Mamo
Written by Murray Gold

User Reviews

Nearly Died Laughing

I went to this screening expecting it to be a serious movie -- you don't expect to be laughing at a movie with both "Death" and "Funeral" in the title -- but this film was hilarious! It wasn't just me -- the theater was full of people screaming with laughter and clapping at various moments.

Alan Tudyk is hilarious every moment he is on screen. Finally this underrated actor has gotten a good-sized part where he can show off his comedy skills.

Most of the actors are British and I did not recognize them, but they were excellent.

One I recognized was Jane Asher (she was Paul McCartney's girlfriend in the 60s -- he shoulda married her -- she's still alive and she's not a gold-digger). She plays the very composed widow here. (Oddly she has fewer creases on her face than her middle-aged sons.)

This film reminded me a bit of "Four Weddings and a Funeral", but even more of those British madcap black comedies of the 60s with Alec Guinness or Peter Sellers.