Death at a Funeral

Yup - British "stiff upper lip" comedies are hilarious. They really are. Nobody can laugh at themselves like the Brits can. We Americans have not been humbled enough yet to laugh at our own foolishness (with the exception of redneck humour - but there you have it! humiliation breeds self-deprecating humour, because the point is "We may as well joke about ourselves before others do!")

The plot is basically simple: Dad dies, funeral for him, his gay dwarf lover tries to embezzle hush money out of the family - several people unknowingly injest mind-altering drugs, add a dash of cantankerous old man and enormous hilarity ensues.

This would also make a great play. It actually feels like a play in some aspects. It would probably actually do very well on the stage - the intimate setting of the theatre would really drive home some of the poignant, salient points.

But, truly, you could do much worse with an hour and a half. Give this one a watch, definitely.

and remember, if you ever see a bottle of Valium lying in a bush beside the shed where a funeral service is taking place in an English country home, don't sneak any of the pills - you don't know WHAT's really in 'em!

VG