Accessibility Links
Skip to Main Content
Skip to Main Navigation
Skip to Footer
Magazine subscription offer
Holidays
Money
Newsletters
RT shop
RT Puzzles
Sign In
Register
Sign In
Register
Settings
Sign out
My account
On TV
On TV
Now
On TV
Tonight
Search
On TV
On TV
Now
On TV
Tonight
TV Guide
News
News
View all News
Drama
Entertainment
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
Sport
Documentary
Film
On Demand
On Demand
View all On Demand
Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
Soaps
Soaps
View all Soaps
Coronation Street
EastEnders
Emmerdale
Hollyoaks
Streaming
Streaming
View all Streaming
Disney+
Apple TV+
UKTV Play
Britbox
Netflix
Amazon
NOW TV
Sky Box Sets
Film
Film
View all Film
Film news
Film picks
Sport
Radio
Mag Offer
Magazine subscription offer
Holidays
Money
Newsletters
RT shop
RT Puzzles
Bernie
Richard Linklater
(2011)
95min
12 Certificate
ADVERTISEMENT
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Pinterest
Share on Reddit
Email to a friend
Review
Our Score
by
Andrew Collins
A true curio from principled indie stalwart Richard Linklater (
Slacker
), this is the blackly comedic true story of the 39-year-old mortician's assistant who in 1996 shot his 81-year-old companion, but was so well-regarded in the small east Texas town of Carthage that the authorities felt he could not be guaranteed a fair trial there. Jack Black, star of Linklater's breakout mainstream hit
School of Rock
, gives a touching, lower-key performance as Bernie Tiede, a generous, fastidious, God-fearing man with the pipes of an angel who regards chaste friendships with elderly widows as part of the service. Shirley MacLaine has less chance to shine as the wealthy heiress whose possessive, thin-lipped nagging finally drives mild-mannered Bernie to first-degree murder. Dangerously blurring fact and fiction, Linklater interviews countless local people, whose down-home on-screen testimony - often unintentionally amusing - drives the story. But these constant talking heads also slow it down, leaving us with a string of well-acted vignettes and little chance to get under the skin of the characters.
Summary
An amiable mortician befriends a bad-tempered wealthy widow and starts managing her financial affairs. He murders her, then continues spending her money and maintaining the illusion she is still alive. When the truth comes to light, his reputation for kindness makes a trial by jury a difficult proposition. Fact-based drama, starring Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey.
Cast & Crew
Bernie Tiede
Jack Black
Marjorie Nugent
Shirley MacLaine
Danny Buck
Matthew McConaughey
Scrappy Holmes
Brady Coleman
Lloyd Hornbuckle
Richard Robichaux
Don Leggett
Rick Dial
Sheriff Huckabee
Brandon Smith
Rev Woodard
Larry Jack Dotson
Director
Richard Linklater
see more
Other Information
Language:
English
Colour
Theatrical distributor:
The Works
Guidance:
Swearing.
Available on:
DVD
Released on:
26 Apr 2013
Drama
Full Episode Guide
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest News
What channel is Brentford v Leicester FA Cup match on? Kick off time, live stream and latest team news
1h ago
What channel is Southampton v Arsenal FA Cup match on? Kick off time, live stream and latest team news
1h ago
What channel is Chelsea v Luton FA Cup match on? Kick off time, live stream and latest team news
1h ago
Has WandaVision already introduced Doctor Strange 2’s villain?
2h ago