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Bernie (2011 film)

Bernie
Bernie film poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Richard Linklater
Produced by Celine Rattray
Martin Shafer
Liz Glotzer
Matt Williams
David McFadzean
Judd Payne
Dete Meserve
Ginger Sledge
Richard Linklater
Screenplay by Richard Linklater
Skip Hollandsworth
Based on Midnight in the Garden of East Texas
by Skip Hollandsworth
Starring Jack Black
Shirley MacLaine
Matthew McConaughey
Music by Graham Reynolds
Cinematography Dick Pope
Edited by Sandra Adair
Production
company
Castle Rock Entertainment
Mandalay Vision
Wind Dancer Films
Detour Filmproduction
Collins House Productions
Horsethief Pictures
Distributed by Millennium Entertainment
Release date
  • June 16, 2011 (2011-06-16) (LAFF)
  • April 27, 2012 (2012-04-27) (United States)
Running time
99 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $6 million
Box office $10.1 million

Bernie is a 2011 American black comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, and written by Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth. The film stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey. It is based on a 1998 Texas Monthly magazine article by Hollandsworth, "Midnight in the Garden of East Texas," that chronicles the 1996 murder of 80-year-old millionaire Marjorie Nugent in Carthage, Texas by her 39-year-old companion,Bernhardt "Bernie" Tiede. Tiede proved so highly regarded in Carthage that, in spite of having confessed to the police, the district attorney was eventually forced to request a rare prosecutorial change of venue in order to secure a fair trial.

The film went on to receive critical acclaim for its direction, accuracy to the real-life event, "Town Gossips" element, and particular praise for Jack Black's portrayal of Tiede, with many calling it his best performance to date.

In small-town Carthage, Texas, local assistant mortician Bernie Tiede, a beloved member of the community, becomes the only friend of the wealthy, recently widowed Marjorie Nugent, who is widely considered cold and unpleasant by the other townsfolk. Tiede, in his late 30s, and the elderly Nugent quickly become inseparable, frequently traveling and lunching together, though Tiede's social life becomes hindered by Nugent's constant and sometimes abusive need for his attention.

Tiede murders Nugent after growing weary of the emotional toll of her possessiveness, persistent nagging, and non-stop putdowns. For nine months, Tiede takes advantage of her poor reputation to excuse her absence with few questions while using her money to support local businesses and neighbors. Finally, Nugent's stockbroker uses Tiede's neglect of previously agreed upon payments to enlist the help of her estranged family. This results in an authorized police search of her house that concludes with the discovery of Nugent's corpse in a freezer chest.


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