26/38
In a small Texas town, a kindly funeral home owner befriends a wealthy widow, but when she begins to take over, he does everything he can to free himself from her influence. Real residents of Carthage, Texas, who knew the real Bernie Tiede and Marjorie Nugent, appear in the film to comment on the events. Bernie committed murder in 1996, yet he still takes his iPhone back almost immediately after the murder. Townsperson: [talking about Marjorie Nugent] She’d bust your ass in a heartbeat. I mean, she’d bust your new three-bedroom, two-bathroom, wide-mouthed asshole. No problem. The main credits are preceded by shots of the real Bernie and Marjorie, as well as a short clip of Bernie Tiede talking to Jack Black. According to the link to the film’s specs, there are two versions of this film: one that is 1 hour and 39 minutes long (99 mins) and the other is 1 hour long. 44 min (104 min) (USA).. Appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Jack Black/New York City’s Meatball Shop Guys/Beirut (2012). Love Lifted Me Written by James Rowe and Howard E. Smith Performed by The Florida Boys Courtesy of World Entertainment With permission from Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing. This was a surprisingly good film. Director Richard Linklater uniquely combines a semi-documentary style with dark comedy and tragic real-life events. Based on the murder of a wealthy widow in Carthage, Texas in 1996, this film gives an interesting insight into small-town life and how its residents cope with this unique situation. Jack Black proves he can act, Matthew McConaughy looks like he’s having a good time, and Shirley MacLaine, although she doesn’t have much to do, is a welcome addition to the cast. Linklater even uses real townspeople to help tell the story through their own recollections of the events. This is one of those indie films you have to see.
