"A peek behind the Pine Curtain....."
Bernie......A Hit at the Box Office Now
by: Bobby McDonald
If you're looking for that summer movie that you'll laugh your heart out......then, Bernie is that must-see movie for the summer of 2012. Set in our own "backdoor," in Carthage, Texas, and with much of it filmed in Gilmer, Texas, the movie chronicles the true story of popular town assistant funeral director, Bernie Tiede and the November 1996 murder of town millionaire, Marjorie Nugent, by Tiede. But, more importantly, you get a "peek behind the pine curtain of Northeast Texas," and discover your friends and neighbors, right on the screen!
"These are the folks that I was raised with in Jacksonville, Texas!" exclaims local dry cleaner's owner, Bob Weaver, following his viewing of the movie. "They are still alive and well in Carthage and a number of other towns right here in Northeast Texas."
"From the legal community, most of us know Scrappy Holmes, the defense attorney, and prosecuting attorney, Danny "Buck" Davidson," expressed local attorney, Chad Cable. "And, the characters do an outstanding job of portraying them in the movie!"
Tiede, expertly played by Jack Black, is the guy in town that everybody loves. He sings in the choir at First Methodist Church, volunteers to coach little league baseball, and is just a friend to everyone. So, when Marjorie Nugent (played by Shirlie MacLaine) comes the funeral home to bury her deceased husband and Tiede finds that she virtually has no friends or family to comfort her, it's only natural that he would befriend her. The chance meeting develops into a fast friendship, with Tiede and the 80 year old widow becoming constant companions. Nugent becomes obsessive and dominates Tiede's time as they travel around the world, he takes over her finances, and takes care of her every day needs.
Finally, in a fit of rage, Tiede "flies off the handle" and shoots her four times with the "armadillo gun," in her garage. Realizing what he has done, he doesn't know what to do with the body, so he puts it in a deep freeze, in the home and covers its up with her frozen meat and corn. He stages a "cover-up" for nine months, before his crime is detected!
Arrested for murder and prosecuted by Davidson (played by Matthew McConaughey a native East Texan), Tiede becomes the most popular criminal in the jailhouse, with most of the town coming to visit and him making gourmet meals for his fellow cell mates.
Tiede is represented by attorney "Scrappy" Holmes who realizes that his client "is in real trouble" when Davidson asks for a change of venue to nearby St. Augustine, knowing that the town of Carthage will more than likely acquit Tiede. Davidson gains the change of venue and as one of the Carthage citizens says, "They can't find a good jury in the whole county over there, those folks have got more tattoos than teeth!"
Tiede's trial unfolds and he is convicted of murder and to serve a life sentence, by the St. Augustine jury. He is currently in the TDC where he continues to be visited by his friends from Carthage, Texas.
Go to the theater to see a "slice of life" in Northeast Texas.....and you're "liable" to find one of your neighbors or someone just like them, staring back at you from the silver screen!
It's a great movie! Now showing in theaters in the Dallas area, so check your internet for show times and locations!
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