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)VOD (3)
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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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Reviews (3)
Richard Linklater always manages to get me with the specific form he gives his films. This time it's a fusion of fiction and documentary, where you probably won't even realize the presence of real documentary elements until the end credits arrive. Until then, you might think it's all part of the same game. And it is, but it's more sophisticated than one would think. Oh, and I have to give it up for 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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Of all the offered coffin models, the most expensive for him was the freezer in the garage. I don't think undertaker Bernie Tiede was driven by gerontophilia or calculation; he just wanted to live the high life closer to the Lord. The material is tailor-made for the Coen brothers, but since Texans know the most about Texas, Linklater took it on. Jack Black's numerous musical interludes are offset by the crazy aesthetics of office, diner, and living room decor, and the boldly chosen concept of combining mockumentary and dark comedy brings it to a finale where attitudes go hand in hand with influenced judgment. After all, I judge that Carthage must be destroyed.
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