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- 2012
- PG-13
- Millennium Entertainment
- 1 h 39 m
- 2012
- PG-13
- Millennium Entertainment
- 1 h 39 m
Summary In the tiny, rural town of Carthage, TX, assistant funeral director Bernie Tiede was one of the town’s most beloved residents. He taught Sunday school, sang in the church choir and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Everyone loved and appreciated Bernie, so it came as no surprise when he befriended Marjorie Nugent, an affluent w...
Directed By: Richard Linklater
Written By: Skip Hollandsworth
- 2012
- PG-13
- Millennium Entertainment
- 1 h 39 m
- 2012
- PG-13
- Millennium Entertainment
- 1 h 39 m
Bernie
75
7.2
Where to Watch
Summary In the tiny, rural town of Carthage, TX, assistant funeral director Bernie Tiede was one of the town’s most beloved residents. He taught Sunday school, sang in the church choir and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Everyone loved and appreciated Bernie, so it came as no surprise when he befriended Marjorie Nugent, an affluent w...
Directed By: Richard Linklater
Written By: Skip Hollandsworth
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 35 Critic Reviews
75
77% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
20% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 35 Critic Reviews
75
77% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
20% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
You should have the opportunity to experience the movie the way I did, in complete ignorance, enjoying its every weird turn.
Bernie could easily have gone horribly wrong. But Black and Linklater finesse this tricky material with as much virtuosity as Bernie brings to that broccoli.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 168 User Ratings
7.2
73% Positive
123 Ratings
123 Ratings
20% Mixed
33 Ratings
33 Ratings
7% Negative
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 168 User Ratings
7.2
73% Positive
123 Ratings
123 Ratings
20% Mixed
33 Ratings
33 Ratings
7% Negative
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
This is a great film. This is a great film. This is a great film. This is a great film.
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The wonder of Black's performance here is its empathy and balance: inasmuch as he can disappear into any role, he dissolves into this one with no hint of mocking remove. It's a beautiful thing to see.
The question of why the law must always be upheld, regardless of consequences, gives this light, amiable movie a surprising heft and weight. You don't want to see Bernie sent to prison - the world is a better place without that mean old shrew - but murder is murder, right?
Where the movie is at its best is in the comically laconic, straight-to-the-camera remarks offered by Carthage's residents. (They're played by a mix of local actors and real townspeople doing partially scripted versions of themselves.)
Jack Black adds new depths to his slippery comic persona in Bernie, a movie that may not ultimately add up to much, but which is filled with wonderfully odd details of weird Americana.
A surprisingly shapeless true-crime farce which never creates a convincing context for the odd relationship between a pious East Texas mortician and his sugar mama.
Having seen another Jack Black and Richard Linklater film - School of Rock - that I loved so much, I had high hopes for Bernie. This one is kind of fiction and kind of talking-heads documentary, but ultimately ends up being a weird and strange hybrid of the two. I'm still a massive fan of Jack Black, and he did a great job here, but as a whole, this based-on-true-events flick drags its feet in super heavy mud, and I found myself getting bored with an hour still left of the film. Yawn!
Watch it if you enjoy Jack Black. Avoid it if you want to see a really good film.
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Bernie is a film that lives and dies on Jack Black's blade. Those who want Black to be no more than a bumbling fat man, will find no enjoyment in this film for this is Black's attempt to be a little something more and kudos on his effort it is enjoyable to watch him. Linklater continues to push his attempts at being different and I happy to see him trying to work around the system as best he can. As for McConaughey this is the performance that brought a man's career back from the dead and it is always a pleasure to see an actor prove you wrong.
What makes the film entertaining is sadly what also hurts it cinematically and this is the interviews and cuts with the locals.
The film if one is into dark comedies should warrant an entertainment value of a 7.5, but on the Poe Scale it is a 6.5.
Acting: 1/2
Cinematography: 1/2
Editing: 1.5/2
Effects and Design 1/2
Writing: 2/2
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Very boring movie. Some amusing scenes but overall, very slow-paced and uninteresting. Jack Black does do a great job portraying a character out of his usual routine but the movie offers very little to hold your attention and keep from dozing off.
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Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Village Voice Film Poll
• 3 Nominations
Critics Choice Awards
• 3 Nominations
