''Plots with a View'', released internationally as ''Undertaking Betty'', is a 2002 British
romantic black comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the old ...
written by
Frederick Ponzlov, directed by
Nick Hurran
Nick Hurran (born 1959) is a British film and television director. His 1998 film ''Girls' Night'' was entered into the 48th Berlin International Film Festival.
Hurran is married to a television producer, Michele Buck, with whom he has two child ...
, starring
Brenda Blethyn,
Robert Pugh
Robert Pugh (born 11 October 1950) is a Welsh actor, known for his many television appearances, including the role of Craster in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''.
Life and career
Pugh was born in the Tynte, Mountain Ash and grew up in Cilf ...
,
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British-American actor known for his work on the stage and screen. He first rose to prominence in the West End, earning a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Pla ...
,
Naomi Watts
Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama '' For Love Alone'' (1986) and then appeared in three television series, '' Hey Dad..!'' (1990), '' ...
,
Lee Evans and
Christopher Walken. The film began filming in Caldicot, Monmouthshire, Wales in 2002, and was released in the U.S. on 12 November 2005, with a DVD release on 7 March 2006.
Plot
Boris Plots is director of Plots Funeral Home in the fictional Welsh village of Wrottin Powys. His rival Frank Featherbed, an American, is determined to revolutionise the undertaking business in Britain through the innovation of "themed funerals".
Boris dreamed of only two things as a young boy: dancing and Betty Rhys-Jones. Betty secretly loved Boris, but could not fight her father's wishes, so she was married off to a gold digger.
Giving up his dreams, Boris took over the family's undertaking business. When Betty's mother-in-law dies, they are thrust together again and as they discuss the funeral arrangements for Betty's mother-in-law, the old spark is rekindled.
Boris discovers that the only obstacle between their love for one another is her marriage to the adulterous Councilor Hugh Rhys-Jones. In a desperate bid for happiness Boris and Betty decide to stage her death and run away together.
At the same time, Hugh's mistress and secretary insists that they try to poison her. Before they can, Boris and Betty go through with their plan, but Frank rushes to the scene. He and Boris fight over the right to handle the funeral arrangements. After an argument and scuffle, the medical examiner said it was her dying wish to be handled by Plots.
In the church, both the mistress and Hugh talk about her, she about the affair, he gloating about inheriting all of her money. Then he insists watching while Boris seals the lid, making it impossible for Betty to sneak away.
With a lot of difficulty, Boris manages to free Betty with only Frank and his right-hand man discovering the secret. She and Boris enlist their help, after Boris and Frank agree to split the funeral business. Together they help Betty scare Hugh and the secretary (setting up the house with ghostly gadgets), who both flee.
Betty also appears as a ghost to neighbor boy Billy, whose mum passed before, telling him his mum says hi, and she loves him very much. We learn Betty leaves everything to young Billy, and an allowance to Hugh if he follows a long list of conditions. The girl goes on Jerry Springer as a haunted mistress; Betty and Boris go on the Princess cruise they were planning; their cats go too.
Cast
*
Brenda Blethyn as Betty Rhys-Jones
*
Robert Pugh
Robert Pugh (born 11 October 1950) is a Welsh actor, known for his many television appearances, including the role of Craster in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''.
Life and career
Pugh was born in the Tynte, Mountain Ash and grew up in Cilf ...
as Hugh Rhys-Jones
*
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British-American actor known for his work on the stage and screen. He first rose to prominence in the West End, earning a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Pla ...
as Boris Plots
*
Naomi Watts
Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama '' For Love Alone'' (1986) and then appeared in three television series, '' Hey Dad..!'' (1990), '' ...
as Meredith Mainwaring
*
Lee Evans as Delbert Butterfield
*
Christopher Walken as Frank Featherbed
Production
The movie was filmed on location in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
in
Monmouthshire,
South Glamorgan
, Government= South Glamorgan County Council
, Status= Non-metropolitan county (1974–1996) Preserved county (1996–)
, Start= 1974
, End= 1996
, Arms=
, HQ= ...
,
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol ...
,
Rhondda Cynon Taff, and
Denbighshire
Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...
.
The dance sequences were choreographed by
Peter Darling
Peter Darling (born 25 October 1963) is an English dancer and choreographer best known for his award-winning work in ''Billy Elliot the Musical''.
In 2010 he choreographed '' Matilda the Musical'' at the RSC's Courtyard Theatre, which has since t ...
and the costumes were designed by
Ffion Elinor.
Reception
The 2002 ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' review noted its "near-miraculous balance between the silly and the morbid" and referred to it as "enjoyable and entertainingly cast" even though it was "unlikely to bury the competition". In 2005, the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' described it as succeeding in sustaining its "deliberate silliness" though it might work better for home viewing than in theatres, and described its cast as "first rate." ''DVD Talk'' was less enthusiastic: "though kind of a mess, and not really all that funny, ''Undertaking Betty'' still feels barely recommendable, thanks to a colorful cast of true characters." ''Reel Film'' gave it 3 of 4 stars, and described it as "charming, low-key romantic comedy", and though there's "nothing especially groundbreaking or even memorable about ''Undertaking Betty,'' but the undeniably sweet vibe is ultimately quite difficult to resist."
Recognition
The film was nominated for a Golden Hitchcock at the 2002 Dinard British Film Festival, and won a Cymru Award at the 2003
BAFTA Award
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...
s, Wales.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{Nick Hurran
2002 romantic comedy films
2002 films
British black comedy films
Films directed by Nick Hurran
Films scored by Rupert Gregson-Williams
British romantic comedy films
2000s English-language films
2000s British films