Bernie

4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (492 customer reviews)
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 widow.
  • Starring: Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine
  • Directed by: Richard Linklater
  • Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Release year: 2012
  • Studio: Millennium Entertainment
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Product Details
Synopsis: 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 widow.
Starring: Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine
Supporting actors: Matthew McConaughey
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes
Captions and Subtitles: Details
Release year: 2012
Studio: Millennium Entertainment
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for some violent images and brief strong language
ASIN: B008PF8Q8U (Rental) and B008NU9H26 (Purchase)
Rights & Requirements
Rental rights: 3 day viewing period Details
Purchase rights: Stream instantly and download to 2 locations. Details
Format: Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download)

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Theatrical Release Information
  • US Theatrical Release Date: April 27, 2012
  • MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some violent images and brief strong language
  • Production Company: Mandalay Vision, Wind Dancer Productions, Detour Filmproduction, Castle Rock Entertainment, Collins House Productions
  • Filming Locations: Lockhart, Texas, USA | Austin, Texas, USA | Bastrop, Texas, USA | Carthage, Texas, USA | Georgetown, Texas, USA

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Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars
(492)
4.0 out of 5 stars
See all 492 customer reviews
“ This is just a funny movie and very well done. ” Steve Wise  |  95 reviewers made a similar statement
“ Jack Black did a great job with this role. ” Madrone  |  57 reviewers made a similar statement
“ Based on a true story so even more interesting. ” Maria Runyon  |  28 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
86 of 91 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected but quite good May 31, 2012
By Paul Allaer TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
Let me state upfront that I knew literally next to nothing about the movie's plot when I went to see it recently at my indie-movie theatre here in Cincinnati. I had heard good things about it, and that was good enough for me to check it out. Well, I was in for quite a surprise.

"Bernie" (95 min.) brings the story of Bernie Tiede (played by Jack Black) as a funeral director (excuse me, "assistant" funeral director) in Carthage, TX. Bernie is the most likeable guy you'll ever meet. He is involved in the community like no-one else before, and the small town just things the world of him. At one of the funerals, Bernie meets widow Marjorie Nugent (played by Shirley McLaine), and they strike a friendship. Marjorie is viewed by everyone as a b*tch, but the two of them get along just great. Things take a turn for the worse as Marjorie becomes more and more possesive of Bernie, and it all builds up to a confrontation between the two, and Bernie shoots her. I won't tell more of the plot, so that you can experience for yourself what happens after that. Several comments: I didn't realize until the credits rolled that (i) this is based on true mid-90s events in Carthage, and (ii) the movie intersects with interviews from people from Carthage, which it turned out are not actors but the actual folks from Chartage who witnessed the whole thing.

I must mention the excellent work from Jack Black as Bernie (has he ever been better than in this movie?), but even more so the eye-popping performance by Shirley McLaine as Marjorie, which really blew me away. Matthew McConaughey certainly deserves an honorable mention in his role as the local District Attorney, MILES away from his usual stuff. In all, I cannot emphasize enough how pleasantly surprised I was by this movie, it just flashed by in no time, and kept my interest throughout. "Bernie" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the greatest film on small-town America in this decade July 5, 2012
By Bobby Hami
Format:DVD
Bernie is the new masterpiece by Richard Linklater. The fact that he could turn such a difficult premise to such a successful black comedy/drama is remarkable. This may be one of the greatest works on small-town America in this decade. Though Bernie may not have the breadth of a work like Fargo, it does magic in how it tells its story.

Really, the most fascinating thing about Bernie is the way the story is told. Rather than give us a linear story, Bernie story is mostly retold by the residents of Carthage, TX who were witnessed to the gruesome events that occurred in this innocent town. This style can backfire gloriously if these characters are too animated, but Linklater strikes the right tone. With a Texan accent and some Southern innocence, these characters all suit the benefits the main story line. He seamlessly alternates between the world of the main characters and residents. This is very competent screenwriting as Linklater only uses his main characters when they are necessary, and allows the residents of Carthage to do the main storytelling. This is a welcome retreat from heavy-set narration of many Hollywood movies, especially some master filmmakers like Woody Allen.

The movie is amazing because it centers on a murder that is hard to condemn like a CSI episode and the intent not dissimilar to Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. What makes the crime difficult to assess is that most of what the audience knows from Bernie is from the residents of Carthage, TX. We do not know Bernie as well as they do, and have to assume that their judgments are sound and not simplistic or based on a façade generated by Bernie himself. The film has been the subject of controversy by the way it portrays the murder, but if it were completely accurate to the conditions of the crime, the audience would not have such ambiguous feelings about the crime committed. In that case, Bernie would become another lunatic who murdered an innocent. What Linklater does is much more than that.
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38 of 42 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars I know the real Bernie!! June 1, 2012
By Joni K. Glaze
Format:DVD
This is a great movie! We (people who know Bernie and or lived in Carthage) thought that there was no way that a movie could be made about a murder and be funny....But with the cast and the bizarre "this can't be true" storyline, it blew me away. I am going to see it in Carthage on Sunday with my mom and her sister, my aunt, who is in the movie. If you are a Jack Black fan...then this is a "must see".
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars bernie
excellent movie and actors and I love the locals. I have seen it many times and will do so again.
Published 13 hours ago by Linda E. Lynn
3.0 out of 5 stars Bernie is A Fictional Character, But I Believe That This Story Could...
I have seen documentaries About Texas justice which are stranger than this story. It appears that anything is possible in Texas.
Published 2 days ago by Zarathustra
4.0 out of 5 stars great move for anyone from a small town (but don't read what it's...
Loved this movie! I've always been a big fan of Linklater, ever since "Dazed and Confused." But I didn't know much about it before I watched it-- and I'm so glad I didn't! Read more
Published 2 days ago by Mdwstrnr1
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE this movie
I went into this movie completely blind, not knowing what it was about at all. I watched it with my hubby who is from Texas, and he was cracking up the entire time at the adorable... Read more
Published 7 days ago by Victoria Frey
1.0 out of 5 stars Quality of delivery very poor - and the plot does not exist
Did not even get all the way through this one. Thought Jack Black would make it funny, but it was far from it... Yuck!
Published 10 days ago by Constance W
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this movie!
This is a great movie. Jack Black is great in this role and Shirley MacLaine is always phenomenal. I am surprised this movie wasn't advertised more aggressively. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Tammy Harrison
4.0 out of 5 stars Bernie
Great acting and local witnesses accounts make for a very funny, but tragic true event. I would recommend this film.
Published 12 days ago by Gary Cummins
3.0 out of 5 stars We love Shirley!
The movie was drawn out but worth every minute of our wonderful Shirley! We are big fans and can't get enough of her.
Published 15 days ago by Anita M. Reinpold
5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved Bernie But You Might Not
SPOILER ALERT

Smart, blackly funny, and good-hearted to the core, "Bernie" is exactly the sort of wonderful movie that always gets overlooked at awards season. Read more
Published 21 days ago by MarlowesMom
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Movie, You will not regret watching it
Was a bit skeptical at first, but this is actually a very funny quirky, and interesting movie. It's such a crazy story that you would never believe it's true! But it is!! Read more
Published 21 days ago by hhb
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