Never
say never is the old cry and I remember, after seeing “Shallow Hal” and
“Nacho Libre”, that I said I would never go again to see a movie that
Jack Black was the top star. This afternoon I went to see “Bernie”, in
which he plays the title role, and except for a few seconds here and
there he is Bernie, not Jack Black. I went to see Shirley MacLaine and
almost forgot very quickly that she was the co-star!

Who
is Bernie? At one point it is asked if he is gay and after a local says
he is ‘light in his loafers’ and the district attorney claims he knows
that Bernie has had sex with two closet cases in town and we are shown
him playing roles in, and directing,  school and local musical
projections like “The Music Man” plus singing, leading hymns in church
the question is forgotten and really immaterial to the story.

In
a story written by Richard Linklater, who also directed, and Skip
Hollandsworth, based on the latter’s true story in the magazine Texas
Monthly. It is a look at people who make up small towns and their
reaction when something goes wrong. Bernie is a mortician who becomes
beloved by most of the population of Carthage, Texas, who becomes very
close to widow Marjorie Nugent who is disliked as much as Bernie is
liked. He becomes her constant companion, traveling with her on trips to
New York, overseas, going to concerts, having lunch together every day
and moves in with her. While she thoroughly enjoys his attention and has
no qualms about spending her money on their adventures she is soon
becoming very demanding and wants him to be at her beck and call 24/7.
It isn’t long before he shoots Nugent and hides her body in a freezer
for 9 months. He confesses and then the picture becomes more of afight
by the citizens of Carthage arguing against his being punished.

The
cast is absolutely wonderful, none more so than the real people of the
town who become ‘talking heads’ giving their opinions on everyone and
everything. Is it a drama or a comedy? Will you feel guilty laughing
when they have to move the trail to another county because they wouldn’t
be able to get a fair jury in Carthage since so many people love Bernie
and think Marjorie got what she deserved? You are going to laugh a lot
and, at the same time, feel guilty about laughing.

Jack
Black, as Bernie, gives a restrained performance that has you rooting
for him while Shirley MacLaine starts off like Ouiser, her character in
“Steel Magnolias” but shows her loneliness taking her over. At this
point I would say Jack Black may be in line for a slew of awards and
possibly an Oscar nomination as he is that good.Matthew McConaughey, as
the district attorney, goes over the top in a funny way but it is the
ordinary folks of Carthage who are so endearing they make it almost
impossible to tell them from the professional actors used.

Be
sure to stay for the end credits and meet everyone in Carthage, Texas
who has a say in “Bernie”. Once again a ‘small, independent’ film shows
the big guys how it is done!