Minutes before the lights were dimmed and the movie began, the Virginia Theatre buzzed with chatter about how special Ebertfest special guest Jack Black would not be in attendance due to a canceled flight.

Black is the star of “Bernie,” the true story of a beloved funeral director named Bernie Tiede from the east Texas town of Carthage. This dark comedy follows the story of Bernie’s relationship with the town’s wealthy and greatly disliked widow, Marjorie Nugent, played by Shirley MacLaine. Bernie, described by the townspeople of Carthage as being somewhat of a saint, befriends Marjorie Nugent and becomes her one and only friend in the small town. Before long, their relationship evolves into what Bernie later in the movie describes as being held as prisoner. Forced to spend all his time with the mentally abusive Marjorie Nugent, something inside of Bernie snaps and he shoots her four times in the back with a shotgun.

Shocked by his own actions and using his own knowledge as a funeral director, he preserves Marjorie’s body in the freezer in her own garage. Considering she was not very well liked by the people of the town, Marjorie is not missed by many, and Bernie is able to keep her death a secret for many months, claiming she is ill and had a series of strokes. But the police and her money-hungry granddaughter eventually find Marjorie in her cooler.

Bernie is then arrested. He confesses and is brought to trial, up against the district attorney Danny Buck Davidson, played by Matthew McConaugey. Davidson recognizes that if Bernie’s trial is held in Carthage, he might be let off due to the town’s love of Bernie and hatred of Marjorie. The trial is moved 50 miles out to San Augustine, Texas. Davidson is able to convince the jury of Bernie’s guilt, and he is convicted of first-degree murder and given a life sentence. As the movie ends, the audience sees Bernie in prison, visited by the townspeople who still seem to adore him despite his murder of Marjorie.

After the movie ended, the director Richard Linklater stepped onto the stage for a Q-and-A session. However, the audience was given a surprise when they heard the booming voice of Jack Black calling in over the speaker system to answer audience questions. Black went on to discuss the time he spent visiting the real life Bernie Tiede, learning his story and getting to know the man he would be playing. Black had to transcend his past characters in popular movies such as “School of Rock” or “Shallow Hal” to make the audience believe him in this role as a funeral director from east Texas. By the end of the movie, Black’s past characters are forgettable and the only role for Jack Black is that of Bernie Tiede.

The real life Bernie Tiede is still in prison today, and has yet to see the movie of his story, despite Black’s attempts to have him watch the movie in prison. During the Q-and-A, the film’s director discussed the issue of portraying this story, a story that Carthage has become known for. While filming, Linklater was told, “You’ll be fine in Carthage, but don’t let your car break down in San Augustine.” Despite this positive message, the cast and crew were still greeted by a sign outside the church stating, “Murder is dark, but it’s not comedy.”

Kelly is a senior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected].