Despite the generic title and a plot that mirrors a Christopher Guest satire a bit too closely, “Two Weeks” is surprisingly adept at handling the intersection of humor and mourning in the face of a loved one’s death.

Catherine O’Hara created a disturbing picture of an aging actress desperate for recognition in Mr. Guest’s “For Your Consideration,” which skewered the Hollywood awards race. Like “Home for Purim,” the fake film at the center of Mr. Guest’s spoof, “Two Weeks” depicts the last days of a woman dying of cancer as her children return to pay their last respects, learn important life lessons, and struggle with their Judaism.

Despite some stock characters and a lead character designed to bait tears from the audience and applause from awards judges, “Two Weeks” paints a poignant portrait of a family dealing with tragedy as it happens.

Sally Field plays Anita Bergman, the matriarch of this morose tale. Ms. Field, who recently returned to television in ABC’s “Brothers and Sisters,” brings the same low-key charm to this film and mostly avoids the melodramatic pitfalls of momentous cinematic death scenes. Her presence is often a muted background for the squabbles of Anita’s children, and though the film seesaws unsteadily between humor and drama, it does convey a sense of aimlessness that rings true.

With only a few days left in Anita’s struggle with ovarian cancer, her four children have come to say goodbye but find her holding on for longer than expected. Instead of a few days, Keith (Ben Chaplin), Barry (Thomas Cavanagh), Emily (Julianne Nicholson), and Matthew (Glenn Howerton) end up spending two weeks in their old house with their mom and her new husband.

The film is clearly autobiographical for the writer and director, Steve Stockman. Keith, a filmmaker who makes a tape of his mother for posterity, is the lovingly drawn central character. He has a dark wit and talks about his “Zen” approach to death, which his sister Emily refers to as “denial.” Ms. Nicholson paints Emily as overprotected, guarded, and loyal. She seems to have an obsessive-compulsive interest in books about dying, a gag that manages to be both predictable and amusing. Mr. Cavanagh, once known to TV fans as “Ed,” has trouble adjusting his sitcom pacing to film as the workaholic Barry, whose attempts at avoidance are often irritatingly obvious. Mr. Howerton’s Matthew doesn’t get a lot of screen time, but his defensive youngest-child neuroses manage to convey the frustration of being caught between his wife and family.

Although some of his attempts fail, Mr. Stockman proves his familiarity with the material and has managed to capture the tragicomic awkwardness in handling the protracted illness of a loved one. Prepared for the death of their mother, the adult Bergman children must adjust to her lasting longer than they thought, and interact with one another. The film deftly follows events that are meant to be sad but turn comical, as well as moments of pure levity that slip through the cracks. Snippets of Anita addressing the camera in better health are interspersed throughout the final days of her life as the siblings struggle to cope with copious tuna casseroles, play poker with painkillers as chips, and bring a poor attempt at a rabbi into the house for Anita’s final moments.

“Two Weeks” shows plenty of unpleasant and gray moments, but the awkward moments of light are what bring a refreshing candor to the subject matter. The film also manages to show how unprepared for death most people are, and how confusing the events surrounding mortality can be.

There are some moments of emotional blackmail here — especially at the graveyard — but for the most part, Mr. Stockman’s script and direction adeptly maneuver the intricate material. Few films delve into the complex emotions that accompany an expected tragedy, and though they might not all work, many moments will be familiar to anyone who has lost a family member.

mkeane@nysun.com