It may be hard to imagine a comedy movie that is set at a funeral, but that is exactly what this movie is, and it succeeds at being funny.

A funeral is being held in a private house in the English countryside for the father of Daniel, a would-be writer and his brother Robert, a writer based in New York. The other attendees include the dead man's drug manufacturing nephew Troy, his niece Martha, her boyfriend Simon, and a dwarf whom no one recognises.

The film begins with Daniel realising that the man in the casket is in fact not his late father; the proceedings continue downhill from here. Daniel prepares his eulogy in the face of everyone openly informing him that Robert would have been a better choice. En route to the funeral Simon takes some of Troy's hallucinogenic tablets thinking they are Valium. Then the mysterious dwarf creates further problems claiming to be the dead man's gay lover, and threatening to show explicit photos if he doesn't get �his share� of the will.

The film is full of incidents that would be embarrassing in any situation, let alone a funeral. If you are easily offended then this movie might not be for you. However, if you like a good dark comedy with all sorts of twists and turns, then this is a movie you cannot afford to miss.

District Attorney Adam Bonner (Tracy) prosecutes a young woman, Doris Attinger (Holliday), on a charge of attempted murder for shooting at her philandering husband (Ewell). Her defence attorney is Amanda (Hepburn) who is married to the prosecuting D.

A. Amanda is determined to prove that the prosecution's case is only a reflection of society's double standards towards women. Adam takes a by-the-book attitude towards the law insisting that the accused must do time for her crime. Naturally, their professional differences spill over into their private lives, not helped by the obstinacy of the two parties.

Between 1942 and 1967, Hepburn and Tracy made nine movies together. This one, their fifth film together, is their best, full of sparkling witty dialogue (thanks to the screenplay by the husband-and-wife writing team, Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon) and great performances. Judy Holliday is delightfully ditzy as Doris (she was later to have an Oscar winning role in Born Yesterday playing another ditzy blonde). The movie successfully tackles gender and legal issues without losing its sense of humour.