Hidden Movie Gem: “Weekend at Bernie’s”
Today’s Hidden Gem Movie post comes from David Proenza.
Movie Title: Weekend at Bernie’s
Year: 1989
Writer: Robert Klane
Starring: Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Terry Kiser
Director: Ted Kotcheff
Plot Summary: A pair of losers try to pretend that their murdered employer is really alive, but the murderer is out to “finish him off.”
Why I Think This Movie Is A Hidden Gem: Weekend at Bernie’s is a hidden gem because it took something so morbid and dark and turned it into comedic gold. The idea of two friends (played to perfection by McCarthy and Silverman), corporate drones for an insurance company who discover someone trying to cheat the company, finding their boss dead and then proceeding to spend the weekend acting as if he’s alive — at first to reap the benefits and enjoy the holiday weekend at his palatial digs on the beach and then later to stay alive from his killer — could’ve easily veered into cheesy, even borderline offensive. But credit is due to everyone involved, taking an absurd premise and running with it.
Lots of people know about the premise to the movie but I find few have actually watched it. What they’d find is a story of friendship above all else. Larry and Richard clearly care for each other, each one needing the other. Larry, the uninhibited slacker, needs Richard, the uptight do-gooder, and vice versa. It’s that dynamic that carries the movie, that makes you believe that a couple of guys in the right place at the wrong time could conceivably dupe everyone into thinking Bernie Lomax was still alive…
My Favorite Moment: When Larry reveals Bernie to Gwen (the girl whom Richard has been pining after) by dragging him down the stairs. Her reaction and Richard then trying to keep things calm (despite Larry trying to “help”) is hilarious, as she’s the first person in the movie to actually freak out at a dead body.
My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie:
There are several great quotes in the movie, but two of my favorite exchanges are:
Richard: This is the note. Listen. “Richard Parker and I stole this money from the company… to pay for my sex-change operation.”
Larry: What?
Richard: That’s what it says.
Larry grabs the note.
Larry: “Now he tells me he loves someone else. I can’t live with that, and neither will he.” It’s got my name written on it!
Richard: Oh God.
Larry: Son of a bitch. I mean, it’s not bad enough that he’s trying to kill me. Now he’s trying to turn me into a drag queen. Why couldn’t he have said you were going to have the operation?
Richard: It doesn’t matter, Larry, it doesn’t matter.
Larry: Oh, yes it does matter, Richard, it does matter. I have a reputation to protect here!
Richard: For Christ’s sake, Larry! No one is going to have a sex-change operation, huh?
Larry: Oh yeah.
And…
As they walk around Bernie’s house.
Richard: Now you see, Larry? All of this could be yours if you set your goals and work hard.
Larry: My old man worked hard. All they did was give him more work.
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie: The key things you should look out for when watching this movie is interaction between Larry and Richard, Richard’s awkward date with Gwen (complete with Richard’s father), Larry playing Monopoly against a very dead Bernie, and Paulie’s (the killer) decent into madness as he can’t understand how Bernie just refuses to die.
Thanks, David Proenza! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
Tomorrow: Another Hidden Movie Gem!
Note: At this point, we have 23 guest posts. We are shooting for 31. If you’d like to submit a post for one of your favorite Hidden Movie Gems, please use the above template and email to me.
Thanks, David, for your guest post.
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