Bernie was
kind of a hit little movie in the Bay Area in early Summer this year, and
perhaps in L.A as well. Apparently not so much elsewhere, as its total box
office just topped 9 million dollars, barely covering production costs. Now
that it’s been released on DVD, my guess is that it will be discovered by a
wider audience and do reasonably well. It’s not a great flick, but it certainly
has its charms.
Bernie stars
Jack Black as the title character, an ambitious (in a good way) undertaker in
the small East Texas town of Carthage (population ~ 7000), a place where
everyone knows everybody. Bernie comforts the widows, mentors students, helps
his neighbors, sings at funerals, in church and community theater, and
generally exemplifies good citizenship and good
old fashioned Christian charity and values. Everybody loves Bernie –
even though his manner seems a little swishy and his sexual orientation is a subject of gossipy debate. He even wins over the wealthy sourpuss widow,
Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine), whom most everyone else in town (including
her family) considers a mean old bitch. But Bernie becomes her friend, then her
companion, then her personal manager, and eventually, when her bitch spirit
reasserts itself and becomes over-possessive and disrespectful of Bernie, he
kills her. If you thought such a deed would defuse the townfolk’s high regard
for this guy, you’d be mistaken.
Did I
mention this is a true story? Well, more
or less, although its treatment of the events of Bernie Tiede’s story is
comedic, rather than dramatic.
My little
plot summary is not really a spoiler. Bernie is neither a thriller nor a
whodunit. It’s a lighthearted, playful movie archly exploring the various
characters in Carthage and their reactions to Bernie before and after his dark,
desperate deed. Black does a terrific job playing against type as Bernie, a
fellow who is pretty much the antithesis of the brash, vulgar cool-guy dude he
usually portrays. MacLaine is excellent, as usual, playing Mrs Nugent very believable as a haughty southern rich lady. MatthewMcConaughey,born and bred in Texas, is convincing (and funny) as Danny Buck, the D.A. who – to the amazement of his
constituency - actually wants to prosecute poor Bernie for his crime.
The story, written and directed by the estimable Richard Linklater, unfolds in quasi documentary style, and its greatest pleasures derive from the
interview-style commentary of the Carthaginians, most of whom are unknown
actors – if they are actors at all.
Bernie will
not change your life, but it just might provide a pleasant evening’s amusement.
It is rated PG-13, and is suitable for the whole family (although probably of
no interest for kids under 11 or 12).
Available on DVD and Blueray from NetFlix and
streaming via Amazon Instant Video.
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