Weekend at Bernie's
Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey & East Texas come to theatersin Bernie this April
Texas native director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused) is bringing east Texas to the big screen this April with his new film, Bernie.
Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey star in this dark comedy based on the 1996 small town murder of elderly millionaire widow Marjorie Nugent. Black stars as Bernie Tiede, one of the town’s most beloved residents, who shocks the community of Carthage when he is charged for the murder. McConaughey plays the district attorney determined to convict Bernie of the crime.
Bernie first debuted at the Lost Angeles Film Fest in 2011 to mostly positive reviews, commending the performances of all three leads in the film, but some critics weren’t too keen on Linklater’s narrative choices, citing the docudrama approach as slightly off putting.
Still, the film should be a treat to Texas residents and SXSW-goers can catch an early screening as well as a live behind-the-scenes interview with stars Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey and director Richard Linklater on Wednesday, March 14.
The film, set in the East Texas town of Carthage, was filmed in and around Austin, Bastrop, Georgetown, Smithville and Lockhart in 2010 and is set to be in theaters on April 27.