Undertaking Betty (2002)

Academy Award(R) winner Christopher Walken (Best Supporting Actor THE DEER HUNTER 1978; WEDDING CRASHERS) stars with Oscar(R) nominees Naomi Watts (Best Actress 21 GRAMS 2003; KING KONG) and Brenda Blethyn (Best Supporting Actress LITTLE VOICE 1998; BEHOND THE SEA) in this devilish offbeat comedy that follows the crowd-pleasing tradition of WAKING NED DEVINE. Stuck in a marriage that's killing her Betty (Blethyn) thinks the only way to break from her two-timing scoundrel of a husband is to fake her own death! With the help of her rekindled old flame the local undertaker (Alfred Molina -- CHOCOLAT FRIDA) a quiet funeral is planned down to the smallest detail. But nothing goes as planned when a flamboyant competing funeral director (Walken) jumps in determined to give Betty a send-off no one will ever forget!System Requirements:Running Time 89 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 786936700985 Manufacturer No: 05022600 Product Description

Hilarious

I play this DVD for my guests for a good laugh. I never get tired of it. It's hilarious. August 30, 2008

With the plot and the cast (and Walken!), it should have been better

In what could have been a hilarious movie, Undertaking Betty fails to take advantage of a great idea with tons of possibilities, a well-rounded cast, and the always superb Christopher Walken. Instead, what's left is a few great lines and scenes with Walken shoved in between yawn-inducing drama and an uninspired love story.

In the small town of Wrottin Powys, there are two morticians: Boris Plots, the conventional, boring, and traditional option; and Frank Featherbed (Walken), a man with a vision. Featherbed wants 2-for-1 deals on funerals, casket of the month specials, super discount coupons in the papers, and all sorts of specialized burials. He wants theme funerals of Star Trek and Vegas showgirls; he wants the catwalk caskets, funerals nobody will ever forget.

When the opportunity presents itself for Boris to gain the love of his life, he devises a plan. Since his love interest, Betty, is married to a counselor (although she seems more like a servant) with a penchant for philandering with his gorgeous secretary (Naomi Watts), the only way Boris knows how to win her heart is to pretend it stopped beating - he must stage her death.

The rest of the movie is nothing but sight gags loosely borrowed from Beetlejuice and Weekend At Bernies. The two rivals must come together to teach bad people lessons and to ensure those who are pure and just get their rewards in life.

As Featherbed says, "The root word of funeral is fun", it's just too bad that the poor attempt at a sappy plotline ruined what should have been nothing but fun. April 10, 2008

Movie-Betty

Funny, fun, silly exciting! And what can I say....My brother (TCC)produced it. I loved it!!

Big stars doing funny things. It's worth your time. November 25, 2007

FUN SMALL-TOWN 'DEATH BECOMES HER'

I wish Amazon allowed me to give 4.5 stars, because removing 1 star for a featureless DVD is a bit harsh to this charming caper comedy with a good-natured "plot", the kind you expect from pretty much anything that Brenda Blethyn decides to be a part of. An enterprising American funeral parlor owner wants to revolutionize the business by introducing theme parties, for instance, a Star Trek funeral for an old woman, replete with Dr. Spock ears. Some quirky competitive activity ensues. Funny twists of Cupid rear their head. The idyllic countryside is only a plus. Blethyn is a comic genius, in her own natural way, and even throws in an immaculate dance sequence in lacy chiffon. The surprise however comes from Christopher Walken, who sketches his slimeball businessman with insouciant timing. Naomi Watts is a pre-Hollywood one I suppose as her role is hardly worthy of a leading actress, but she, um, "fits" in well. One ruefully wonders whether this could have been a more popular film had things not gone so thick towards the end, but it's an entirely worthy rental if you're not looking for Hollywood histrionics and have been known to savor Steve Martin's romantic comedies, only set in the English countryside. November 5, 2007

undertaking betty

Ir is very funny. I enjoyed watching it. was told by a friend how good it was. September 28, 2007

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