The 2002 ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' 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".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117919286?refcatid=31 |title=Plots With a View (U.K.) |first=Lisa |last=Nesselson |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=November 7, 2002 }}</ref> In 2005, ''The Los Angeles Times'' 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."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-undertaking11nov11,0,4863759.story |archiveurl=httphttps://web.archive.org/web/20060318040007/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-undertaking11nov11,0,4863759.story |archivedate=2006-03-18 |date=November 11, 2005 |title=''Undertaking Betty'' |first= Kevin |last=Crust |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> ''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."<ref>{{cite web|title=Undertaking Betty |first=Scott |last=Weinberg | date=March 29, 2006 |publisher=DVDTalk.com |url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/20888/undertaking-betty/ }}</ref> ''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."<ref>{{cite web|title=Buena Vista's March '06 Releases - Undertaking Betty (March 15/06) |publisher=ReelFilm.com| date=March 15, 2006 | url=http://www.reelfilm.com/bvmar06.htm#under}}</ref>
