(For Day 7 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a short poem that might go on a postcard, so I thought the two protagonists of this ‘80s classic might send a pic of their dearly departed boss.)

As you can see in this picture,
We’re all hanging out, having fun
In the sun.
We just took the ferry
And shared a high-five,
All happy and merry
And very alive.
I can’t understate how alive we all feel,
Especially Bernie; it’s almost surreal.
Wish you were here, but there’s really no need.
P.S. Don’t mind Bernie; he had a nosebleed.
________________________

MPA rating:  PG-13

The late ‘80s had its fair share of dumb little comedies that are hard to take seriously but also hard to hate, and I do have a soft spot for the likes of Mannequin and Weekend at Bernie’s, both of which starred Andrew McCarthy. For the latter, it’s a prime example of a one-joke film that somehow manages to keep that joke entertaining throughout, so well that the title is synonymous with a corpse or puppet being propped up by others.

McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman play Larry Wilson and Richard Parker, respectively, two insurance cogs who think they’ve found a financial discrepancy that will properly impress their boss Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser), who is on the outs with the mob. When the two are invited out to Bernie’s beach house, they are shocked to find him assassinated in his home, and to keep from becoming suspects in his death, they proceed to put sunglasses on him and fool any visitors into thinking he’s still very much alive. (On a side note, I chuckle whenever I see a character named Richard Parker, thanks to Life of Pi.)

I’m not usually a fan of dark comedy, but Weekend at Bernie’s is an exception. While the lack of rigor mortis in Bernie’s corpse is inherently unrealistic, the way his limp body is utilized for slapstick never fails to coax a giggle from me, especially the speedboat scene. McCarthy and Silverman make for likable everymen, and Don Calfa is hilarious as the gaslit assassin who keeps thinking Bernie is dead only to see him “alive” again. Poorly received upon release, the film does have a slight premise but wrings out all the laughs it can, so it’s nice that its reputation seems to have grown over the years.

Best line: (Larry) “What kind of a host invites you to his house for the weekend and dies on you?”

Rank:  List Runner-Up

© 2024 S.G. Liput
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