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Funeral doesn't take itself all that seriously, and as such, its serious moments feel a little bit undermined or perhaps forced. After all, how serious can you get in a film that includes scatological humor (taken all the way to the toilet—literally), ubiquitous hallucinogenic craziness, and the token gay prison joke?

Andy Nyman as Howard and Peter Vaughan as Uncle Alfie

Even so, there is some heart to this film, mostly due to MacFadyen as Daniel, the straight-laced emotional centerpiece. The tall and stately MacFadyen brings the tender dignity of his most famous role (Mr. Darcy in 2005's Pride & Prejudice) to his character in Funeral, reminding us that as bizarre and uncouth as the funeral for his father turned out to be, everyone is still there for a funeral—to honor an exceptional man's memory.

When Daniel finally gets around to delivering the eulogy, it turns out to be a bit of poetry that evokes some Shakespearian soliloquy. "We do our best in a world of chaos," Daniel says with heavy eyes, looking down at the casket of his father—who has very recently (thanks to the dwarf) been revealed to be a different man than anyone thought. "We live in a world where there are more questions than answers."

Unfortunately, the Reverend (Thomas Wheatley) presiding over the funeral has no answers and is no consolation to the family; he seems most concerned that the whole ordeal be over by 3 p.m., when he must go to his next "appointment." Certainly the portrayal of clergy—as well as the largely irreverent treatment of God and religion—belies the "spiritual" sentiment of the film, which seems to be characterized by the "life is chaos; we do our best" theme of Daniel's eulogy. In the end, the movie seems to say, we only have each other to get us through the craziness of life.

Funeral is very funny and entertaining, a sometimes-dark comedy somewhere between Four Weddings and a Funeral and Meet the Parents. In the end it is a rather slight film, however, raising big issues and questions but leaving them largely unexplored. But its main point is to make us laugh, and on this count it succeeds, winningly.

Talk About It

1. What, if anything, does the portrayal of the preacher say about the place of the church in the eyes of culture today?
2. If a secret was posthumously revealed about your loved one that was as scandalous as the one revealed in this film, do you think you would want to know about it?
3. What lessons do the characters learn as a result of the events of the funeral? And which character do you think grows the most during the course of the film?

The Family Corner

Death at a Funeral is rated R mainly for language, including a lot of casual use of the f-word. There is also a running gag concerning hallucinogenic drugs, which are consumed by at least three characters (by accident). Other topics that make this a very adult-oriented film include allusions to an extra-marital homosexual affair, one-night stands, and casual drug use. There is no sex in the actual film, but there is an extended scene of rear male nudity (comedic). It's definitely not for kids.

Photos © Copyright MGM

© Brett McCracken subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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