Unconditional Love (2002)

Occasionally it is brought home to me that I don't know as much about movies as I think I do, since I frankly had never even heard of this film, despite a cast boasting among others Kathy Bates, Rupert Everett, Jonathan Pryce, Dan Aykroyd, Lynn Redgrave, Julie Andrews, Barry Manilow, and a rather attractive female dwarf!  Perhaps it is because it never had a cinema release, eventually debuted on US Cable TV, and made its first UK appearance in a late night television slot.  But it was a hoot...   It is the sort of quirky film that would probably alienate many viewers, but the sort of high-flown nonsense that really amuses me.  Bates is a frumpy housewife whose husband leaves her to seek a more adventurous way of life, but it is she who has a number of adventures after she decides to travel to England for the funeral of her favourite (murdered) singer (Pryce).  There she meets his not-so secret gay lover (Everett) who returns with her to Chicago to hunt down "the crossbow murderer".  Assisted by her dwarf daughter-in-law, donning the red oilskin of the pyschotic killer from "Don't Look Now", their misadventures are hilarious.  Julie Andrews, playing herself, has two of the best bits of business in demonstrating how best to overcome a crisis (get everyone singing).  It probably is far from a great film given its cinematic failure, but it is certainly one to tickle the funnybone.