Bernie - B

Rated PG-13, 104 minutes

Black the best thing about the dark comedy "Bernie"

"Bernie" is the new dark comedy from Richard Linklater ("School of Rock") and is based on true events surrounding Bernard Tiede of Carthage, Texas, a funeral home director who befriends a crusty, wealthy widow then later kills her and attempts to cover up her death. Well-acted and somewhat amusing, "Bernie" is an interesting mix of amusing anecdotes and caricatures, but its uneven tone and flawed script leave it a little one-sided. Jack Black played Bernie Tiede, a seemingly kind, good-hearted Carthage, Texas man in his later 30s with little interest in women his own age. A funeral director and well-liked citizen, Tiede has varied interests and befriends widows at many funerals. He befriends Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine), a wealthy, crusty widow with few close friends or family. They become companions but Bernie, growing weary of Marjorie's incessant nagging and put-downs, snaps and kills her by shooting her in the back four times. He then hides her body and covers up her death for months until a local district attorney (Matthew McConaughey) investigates and eventually convicts Bernie of the crime. "Bernie" is a mildly entertaining, well-acted dramedy from Texan Linklater, seemingly an inspired choice given his Texas roots, though in fact he probably isn't the best fit for the movie. Linklater's script, co-written with Skip Hollandsworth, who wrote the Texas Monthly piece upon which the movie is based, falters in grasping a solid tone and telling a complete story with better insight into Teide's motivations (also left out is the fact that in reality, the town was actually divided over Tiede's fate). Filled with supposed Carthage residents telling the story, it's initially amusing but generally self-mocking considering the circumstances. The best part of "Bernie" is Black, toned down and playing against type as the gentle, slightly effeminate Tiede; he captures much of what the script leaves out, which is a kind man who simply snapped over time. Black's beautiful renditions of many hymns in the film is a chief reason to see the film, not to mention his memorable chemistry with MacLaine, who makes the best of an underwritten role that largely leaves out Nugent's side of the story. "Bernie," shot on location in Carthage and surrounding areas, would've likely benefited from a director who had better grasp of the material, but the intriguing story and Black's superb performance make it worth a look.