Awful character kills all the humor
Though there are brief flashes of wit in its early scenes, “Funeral Day” is the result of a screenplay that always feels like a screenplay — and a bad one. This dreadful indie comedy rarely replicates life, instead offering dialogue that someone thought was funny said by awful characters in the midst of inorganic situations.
Scott (director-producer Jon Weinberg) wakes up on the morning of his friend’s funeral, panicking over the state of his own life when he discovers what he thinks might be a tumor.
Instead of attending the service, he makes a list of to-dos to reinvent himself, beginning immediately. After donning a suit and Converse sneakers, he runs across Los Angeles, never sweating but trying to make things right — or at least different.
It’s some consolation that almost nothing in “Funeral Day” feels real because Scott’s selfishness reaches appalling levels, from refusing to attend his close friend’s funeral (after abandoning him in the hospital with cancer) to asking a hook-up for unprotected sex.
Weinberg, as star and director, and screenwriter Kris Elgstrand never seem to fully comprehend how reprehensible (and worse, unpleasant to watch) the monster they’ve created actually is. There’s some redemption for him in the end, but it feels neither earned by the movie nor deserved by the character. At its conclusion, the only consolation is that the film was short — and that it’s over. “Funeral Day.” Not rated. Running time: 1 hour, 19 minutes. Playing: Arena Cinelounge Sunset, Hollywood.