Actors: Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine
Director: Richard Linklater
Hollywood's portrayal of small-town folks has often been a concern for this blog. Despite seeming to be the exact sort of person that would enjoy it, I abhor condescension on screen, and I don't like the way rural areas of the United States are typically depicted: either full of eccentrics, bumpkins, or both. Now while Bernie's full of both eccentrics and bumpkins, there isn't anyone there to try to teach them to be better or different.
Jack Black's portrayal of a Southern churchgoing (assistant) funeral director is excellent - he too stops from playing the character with a wink to the audience. The personality is naturally a ham, so there is no need to add more. A complicated film - at bottom, it seems to be about what social obligations mean in a town where everyone knows everyone.
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