Bernie (2011 film)
| Bernie | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| 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 |
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Production
company |
Castle Rock Entertainment
Mandalay Vision Wind Dancer Films Detour Filmproduction Collins House Productions Horsethief Pictures |
| Distributed by | Millennium Entertainment |
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Release date
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Running time
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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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