Death at a Funeral Information

Death at a Funeral is a 2010 American dark comedy film directed by Neil LaBute and starring an ensemble cast. The film is an American remake of the 2007 British film of the same name.

Plot

The film revolves around the funeral ceremony for the father of Aaron (Chris Rock) and Ryan (Martin Lawrence). Aaron, the older son, lives with his wife Michelle (Regina Hall) at his parents' home. Aaron and Michelle have been trying to buy their own home and have children but have been unsuccessful. Aaron envies Ryan because Ryan is a successful writer, while he has not had his novel published, and resents his brother because he would rather spend money on two first class tickets (for himself) from New York to L.A. than help him pay for the funeral expenses.

Aaron and Ryan's cousin Elaine (Zoe Saldana) and her fiancé Oscar (James Marsden) are on their way to pick up her brother Jeff (Columbus Short) before heading to the funeral. To ease Oscar's nerves, she gives him a pill from a bottle labeled as Valium. Jeff later reveals to Elaine that it is actually a powerful hallucinogenic drug he has concocted for a friend. Chaos ensues when Oscar hallucinates that the coffin is moving; he knocks it over, and the body falls out of the coffin.

Aaron is approached by an unknown guest, a dwarf named Frank (Peter Dinklage, reprising his role from the original film), who reveals himself to be the secret lover of his deceased father. Frank shows Aaron photos as proof and threatens to reveal them to Aaron's mother unless he is paid $30,000. Aaron tells Ryan, who suggest Aaron pay the money because Ryan claims he is buried in debt. While Aaron and Ryan meet with him to pay him, Frank starts to deride Aaron's ability as writer and Aaron refuses to pay.

Frank begins to turn violent and puts his hand in his pocket (hinting he may have a gun) and tries to leave the room; Ryan attacks Frank and both Aaron and Ryan tie Frank up to prevent him from leaving. Norman (Tracy Morgan) comes in and sees what happened. He gives Frank several doses of what he also believes is Valium to try to calm him down, before Jeff tells them it is actually the same hallucinogen Oscar took earlier.

While Jeff and Norman, who are supposed to be watching Frank, get distracted by Uncle Russell (Danny Glover), Frank frees himself from his bonds, jumps off the couch, and hits his head on the coffee table. With Aaron, Ryan, Jeff and Norman believing Frank is dead, they plan to put him in the coffin. While everyone is outside watching Oscar, who is now naked on the roof, threatening to jump because he saw Elaine's ex-boyfriend Derek (Luke Wilson) kissing her, Aaron and Ryan put Frank in the coffin.

Elaine tells Oscar that Derek forced himself on her and calms him down by revealing she is pregnant. With everyone back inside, they continue the eulogy. While Aaron awkwardly tries to give his speech, Frank starts banging on the coffin and suddenly emerges from it. The pictures fall out of his pocket and Cynthia, who is Aaron and Ryan's mother and the widow, sees the pictures, screams at Frank, and starts to attack him. Aaron yells for everyone's attention as he delivers a moving, impromptu eulogy saying that his father was a good man with flaws like everyone else.

The film ends with Aaron and Ryan saying goodbye while Ryan gets a ride to the airport by Martina (Regine Nehy), who he has been trying to seduce all day. Aaron and Michelle are finally alone and going to try to have a baby. Aaron asks where Uncle Russell is and Michelle tells him that she gave him what she believes is Valium to calm him down. In the final scene Uncle Russell is on the roof naked like Oscar had been complaining about how "everything is just so fucking green".

Cast

• Loretta Devine as Cynthia Barnes
• Peter Dinklage as Frank Lovett
• Danny Glover as Russell "Uncle Russell" Barnes
• Regina Hall as Michelle Barnes
• Martin Lawrence as Ryan Barnes
• James Marsden as Oscar
• Tracy Morgan as Norman
• Chris Rock as Aaron Barnes
• Zoe Saldana as Elaine Barnes
• Columbus Short as Jeff Barnes
• Luke Wilson as Derek
• Keith David as Reverend Davis
• Ron Glass as Dr. Duncan Barnes
• Kevin Hart as Brian
• Regine Nehy as Martina
• Robert Lee Minor as Edward Barnes

Reception

Critical reception to the film was generally negative to mixed with review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reporting that 41% of critics have given the film a positive review, based on 119 reviews, with the consensus "It's amusing and it assembles a talented cast, but Neil LaBute's surprisingly faithful remake of the 2007 Frank Oz dramedy ultimately falls short of the original." Another review aggregator, Metacritic, gave the film an average score of 51 based on 22 reviews.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3½ out of 4 stars, saying "Here's the best comedy since The Hangover," and that "a lot of Death at a Funeral is in very bad taste. That's when I laughed the most."