Directed by:
Richard LinklaterCinematography:
Dick PopeComposer:
Graham ReynoldsCast:
Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, Shirley MacLaine, Gary Teague, Larry Jack Dotson, Ben Bachelder, Christian Stokes, Brandon Smith, Juli Erickson (more)Plots(1)
A story so unbelievable it must be true, an assistant funeral director's relationship with an elderly widow leads to tragic consequences in this black comedy directed by Richard Linklater. Based on real events in the small Texan town of Carthage in the 1990s, the film tells the story of well-liked local mortician Bernie Tiede (Jack Black), who befriends sour-faced widow Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine), whose wealth is only matched by how much she's reviled by the townsfolk. As their relationship deepens, the pair quickly become inseparable. But as Marjorie begins to become increasingly dependent on Bernie, he soon finds his kindness repaid by her constant possessiveness and abusive behaviour. With Bernie stretched to breaking point, Marjorie's prolonged and unexplained absence from public view quickly leads to tongue's wagging, and the suspicions of local district attorney Danny Buck (Matthew McConaughey). (The Works UK Distribution)
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Richard Linklater always manages to captivate me with his specific approach that he gives to his films. This time it is a combination of fiction and documentary, where you probably won't even realize the presence of real documentary elements until the final credits roll. Until then, you might think it's all part of a game. And it is, but it's cleverer than one would expect. Oh, and I have to highlight Jack Black!
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In my opinion, these authors just didn’t know how low they should go to make the weirdest possible movie based on real-life events. At the beginning, I’d been informed that I would be introduced to the real characters at the end. And when I saw them, I really believed that all of that has truly happened. Jack Black played his part perfectly. The whole thing isn’t really that funny, it’s just a ton of weird things going on. And the strangest thing is Bernie himself. All those references to Texans were really funny – but the bastardized English and the triumph of rednecks over humanity? Not so much.
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