A chaotic funeral service descends into scandal, confession, and absurdity as mourners battle to define the legacy of beloved teacher George Spelvin — proving it’s impossible to be completely urn-est about the dead.
Review by Julic C. Sheppard:
O’Bitch-uary is an engaging and somewhat sardonic look at the commentary about a deceased person by those attending a funeral. The setting of a classic wooden pew church and brightly coloured religious stained-glass windows is suitable for the theme of the piece, as are the occasional organ refrains, and the brief bursts of classical choral music as various characters are introduced.
The screenplay taps into many moments of humour, such as the hilarious introduction by the funeral director who runs “Grave Undertakings Funeral Home”, and whose slogan is “We burn ’em, You urn ’em”. The turn of events is surprising as the descriptions of those attending the funeral are far from universal — for some, the deceased was endearing, helpful, appreciative or sensual and, for others, he was a calculating troublemaker.
Although the piece is obviously satirical in many respects, it does reveal a universal truth that not one of us is perfect, and descriptions of us by others can vary widely. The cast members skillfully depict such distinct emotional impressions about the deceased, from fondness, attraction and admiration to outright visceral disdain. The cinematography is clear and naturalistic throughout, save for some slow-motion work with the topsy-turvy urn. The unifying presence of ashes from the urn eventually serves to pull the funeral attenders together, despite their wide range of views.
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