Starring Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey

Starts Friday April 27 in NYC, LA, and Austin. Should be in more cities the first weekend in May.



It's a true story from my hometown of Carthage. I actually grew up in the church that Bernie was an active member of and was 11 when this whole thing went down.

If you don't know the story, here are a few links with some good info.

The '98 article written by the screewriter that really put it in the spotlight:
http://www.texasmonthly.com/1998-01-01/feature4.php

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-bernie-20120425,0,5590195.story

Actually this is the best article I've read on it.

HOW MY AUNT MARGE ENDED UP IN THE DEEP FREEZE...
http://nyti.ms/Ic6ntM

looks like it could be a good flick

Dang, this looks good.

Doug Moreland has a speaking scene with Jack Black that supposedly made the cut.

Wow, what a weird story. I hope this doesn't hurt the reputation of Texas...

I lived in ET at the time this went down before I moved to Dallas, and the newspaper was following this story like crazy. It was both fascinating and creepy.

I know they tried to get a lot of the minor support roles from the local area, especially the old people, to give it a real East Texas feel. They had auditions in Carthage. I don't think they shot much of it in East Texas though.

Matthew McConeghey is from Longview as well. Lot of east Texans in the film.

If you are in Houston and want to check it out in May, come to the river oaks theater and see this gem. It may be the only place in Houston you'll have the opportunity.

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB2hUl1KbFk

Wikipedia article (possible spoilers ahead?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_%282011_film%29

I grew up about 40 minutes from Carthage, and have never heard this story (or don't remember it). Although I was at A&M in 1996, and didn't come home much...so that might explain why.

This movie definitely looks to be promising for a dark comedy...will probably check it out just because of the ties to Carthage and East Texas.

read about it in the Houston Press yesterday...definitely looks interesting

I remember when this happened. I was away at A&M, but it was a huge deal in east Texas. My mom and my aunt knew Bernie, and they couldn't believe it when the story broke. They had always joked about him being a big con artist, but they never expected something like that from him.

My mother-in-law is in the movie. She plays one of the old ladies in town who thinks Bernie can do no wrong. She has 3 or 4 lines. My wife and her brother are extras during the trial scene and in a scene outside of the courthouse.

They filmed the court scene in Bastrop. Jack Black would come back the hotel where all the "bit part" actors and extras were staying. He would hang out in the lobby for hours talking to everybody and entertaining them. They said he was very nice and down to earth, and just as entertaining in real life as he is in the movies.

Rip Torn was supposed to be in the movie, but they replaced him for being drunk all the time.

Gonna go see it on Tuesday. Had no idea about the background of this story until this thread. Already a big Linklater fan, so this just makes it even more interesting.

I am from Carthage as well, graduated and left for A&M in 1994, so this happened a little after I left.

We went to FUMC, and my mom was in the choir, so we knew Bernie pretty well. From the previews and clips I've seen, Jack Black has him down. It's spooky, really.

I told my sister we should go see it in Carthage at the Twin Cinema if they play it there. They probably won't.

I'm in a scene (if I made it through editing). Small cafe in Paris (shot at Lost Pines in Bastrop) sitting behind Black and Mclaine.

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Wow, what a weird story. I hope this doesn't hurt the reputation of Texas...

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Rip Torn was supposed to be in the movie, but they replaced him for being drunk all the time.

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Looking good so far.

http://www.indiewire.com/article/specialty-box-office-bernie-has-biggest-limited-debut-of-2012

So I emailed my best friend from high school today, who is an actor and went to school at Panola in Carthage for 2 years around this time...asked him "so I assume you know the story about Bernie, and will be seeing the movie?"

He emails me back with several stories of acting in community shows with Bernie, meeting Margie, and finding out the news when it broke the year after he left town to finish school at OU.

Then he emailed me this photo he took at an event:

Richard Linklater does a great job of getting the right "Texas" vibe in movies.

That's pretty interesting, ABK. There are some interesting pictures floating around the church still. One is of Bernie dressed as Santa Claus with kids on his lap.

Grew up in Rusk County. Bernie is an amazing movie. Funny without being over-the-top, and it absolutely nails one segment of East Texas culture. It gets the accent right, and it gets the vibe right.

Must see if you're from the area or if you grew up in a small town in Texas.

I just saw it. I knew it was going to be funny, but I had no idea I would laugh as hard as I did as often as I did. I went into it expecting to like it mostly because I knew some people in it, but it exceeded my expections in just about every way. Jack Black nailed this role. It's a much more subdued part for him compared to things like Nacho Libre, but I can't imagine anyone else playing it as well as he did.

Just saw it. Very well done. Jack Black did an excellent job.

The two weakest parts of the movies were Matthew M. and Shirley M.

Yeah Jack Black was incredible (though I thought I heard the accent slip a time or two). The description of the regions of Texas at the beginning was spot-on MONEY. It definitely exceed my expectations because I thought it would exaggerate the townspeople too much but honestly, it didn't. Danny Buck (Matthew Mc) was the only real embellishment.

I'll see it again next week at River Oaks in Houston. It should be spreading to more theaters soon though. It's still not even on East Texas yet.

Any idea when/if a full nationwide release (DENVER) is gonna happen?

Surely it'll at least get to The Mayan there soon. It's a Landmark owned theater like River Oaks (proud to say I've been to both).

Finally saw BERNIE. I too was surprised at how much I laughed. If anyone else sees it, I'm sitting at a table sipping coffee when Bernie walks out to get her pills in the cafe. I'm wearing a jacket and scarf. It was supposed to be in Paris.

The wife and I saw it this weekend and thought it was great. That old coot from Carthage talking smack about those toothless rednecks down in San Augustine was hilarious.

Bernie will be opening in more theaters starting Friday including the College Station Cinemark.

Just saw a "city confidential" episode on the story yesterday

That City Confidential is about 10 years old. I guess it was a good time to rerun it.

Saw it again Sunday night. Solid extra work in there, Vic. Just solid. At first I was looking at the hot lady with the scarf behind them thinking "wow Vic is a really hot chick". Then he walked out and I was let down when I saw you (no offense, still great work. I've only played Americans in my work as an extra so you've gotten to show a lot more range than me.) The part where the local redneck describes the regions of Texas just about brings me tears from laughter and pride.

Carl Hedges looks like a G at the end of that table in ABK's picture. I can only imagine how awesome my church's Christmas cantatas would be if we still had Bernie around to team up with Crazy Carl for a solid one-two punch.

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Looks like Waiting for Guffman 2

It's opening at the Cinemark in College Station this weekend. Definitely looking forward to it.

Bernie opens in East Texas on June 1. I wonder if they will show it in Carthage.

The East Texas debut will be in Kilgore on May 31. Linklater will be there along with a few cast members (not Jack Black).

And a link to a long jailhouse interview with Tiede:
http://www.kltv.com/story/18524948/bernie-tiede-opens-up-about-his-jailhouse-visits-with-jack-black