This is one of those films that is played so straight you aren’t sure whether or not it’s a comedy. It’s also rather unique in the sense that, though it is a fictionalized version of a true story, it’s not only partially told as if it was a documentary, but it features interviews with numerous real people. It’s a daring approach, and it’s a testament to both the skill of Linklater and the performance of Jack Black that it works. (This may be the best performance of Black’s career.)
The story is a rather weird one, of the kind that’s too true to be believed. And though it is clear that Linklater sympathizes with Bernie – the depth of his sympathy is only evident if you do some digging online – that sympathy is important because what could come off as a rather vicious satire of a small town in East Texas instead comes off as somewhat gentle and endearing, because Linklater sympathizes with the characters – both those played by actors and those appearing as themselves – while he mocks them and the whole bizarre story.
It’s a balance that rarely works but in this case it does. The only criticism I have is that he is perhaps too much on the side of Bernie and the town – of course, if he wasn’t, the movie wouldn’t work as a black comedy and might have to be re-imagined as a drama or thriller or what have you, so it’s not much of a criticism.
8/10
- Directed by Richard Linklater
- Produced by Liz Glotzer, Richard Linklater, David McFadzean, Dete Meserve, Judd Payne, Celine Rattray, Martin Shafer, Ginger Sledge, Matt Williams
- Screenplay by Richard Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth, Based on Midnight in the Garden of East Texas by Skip Hollandsworth
- Starring:
- Matthew McConaughey as Danny Buck Davidson
- Jack Black as Bernie Tiede
- Shirley MacLaine as Marjorie “Margate Nugent
- Brady Coleman as Scrappy Holmes
- Richard Robichaux as Lloyd Hornbuckle
- Rick Dial as Don Leggett
- Brandon Smith as Sheriff Huckabee
- Larry Jack Dotson as the Rev. Woodard
- Merrilee McCommas as Molly
- Mathew Greer as Carl
- Gabriel Luna as Kevin
- Kay Epperson as Townsperson
- Sonny Carl Davis as Townsperson
- Music by Graham Reynolds
- Cinematography by Dick Pope
- Edited by Sandra Adair
- Production companies: Castle Rock Entertainment, Mandalay Vision, Wind Dancer Films, Detour Filmproduction, Collins House Productions, Horsethief Pictures
- Distributed by Millennium Entertainment
- Release date: June 16, 2011
- Running time: 99 minutes
- Country: United States
- Language: English
- Budget: $6 million
- Box office: $10.1 million