I'm on the fence with this movie. I picked this up in a $5 4-movie pack; so I wasn't expecting much, and for that I can't fault it. The film paints a nice image of 1960s (err...1950s) Texas, which both serves as a great setting and the film's main problem. The gritty farm where most of the film takes place in the midst of nighttime gives off the sense of death (the Funeral the title is referencing), yet there are many instances of this deathly tone being directly contradicted. Without giving anything away, this film has numerous over-the-top scenarios (exotic animals and weird fetishes) that it overuses to the point of intentional farce, yet it takes them extremely seriously. You wonder if it is purposely humorous for most of the way through as there are so many laughs to be had but no indication of comedic recognition. The final thing is the cast. All of them do their jobs, with Martin Sheen obviously having the best bits; the only problem is that they all represent a polarized 50s stereotype (yes, 50s. Even though its supposedly set in the late 60s it REALLY feels the decade before). There's no characters to relate with, except for the little boy, played by Quinton Jones. Even he though seems a little off for most of the film, with unnecessary quirks of every character rampant throughout. It's not a terrible film and you'll get some entertainment out of it, but probably not how the filmmakers intended. It certainly isn't worth any money by itself.
Review of A Texas Funeral
