Weekend at Bernie's
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Irreverent dead-body comedy has plenty of iffy stuff.

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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Weekend at Bernie's
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Based on 5 parent reviews
Funny but sexual crude inuendos
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What's the Story?
Bernie (Terry Kiser) is an unscrupulous insurance mogul who learns that his minor executives, Larry (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard (Jonathan Silverman), have stumbled upon his embezzlement scheme. Bernie invites them for a weekend at his posh beach house, where he has arranged for them to be killed. But the hit man kills Bernie instead, and when the witless executives discover his body, they postpone notifying the authorities in favor of enjoying their weekend at the beach undisturbed by a murder investigation. The house fills with partygoers, and the duo endeavors to keep Bernie "alive" by propping him up and carrying him around. Dead-body shtick ensues as Kiser, in sunglasses and a smirk, portrays the erstwhile Bernie dragging behind a speedboat, hosting a party, and bouncing off inanimate objects with "deadly" grace and wit. Eventually the guys unravel Bernie's plot and figure they're next on the hit list. Adding to the comic mix, Richard pursues romance between puppeteering Bernie and evading peril.
Is It Any Good?
When physical comedies work, as this one often does, you can forgive lapses in plot and credibility. Tweens and teens might enjoy watching Silverman and McCarthy mugging like silent movie actors in the effort to keep up with the stiff who's stealing every scene. And the stunts are cartoonish enough to assuage the ick factor that a more realistic approach would elicit.
Kiser and company are undeniably funny, which helps set a tone that undercuts any anxiety that bad guys with guns can sometimes engender. Plus, the killer here is probably too caricatured to pose any true menace. Funny -- very funny -- may trump worry here.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why, if it's usually sad when people die, we end up laughing so much at Bernie, who's dead? Are there any subjects that can't be made funny?
Do the filmmakers want you to believe that the events of the film are true or could happen? At whom do you think the movie is aimed?
As partygoers accept the dead Bernie as alive, does it seem as if the filmmakers are commenting on how much drinking can impair judgment?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 5, 1989
- On DVD or streaming: October 10, 2011
- Cast: Terry Kiser, Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman
- Director: Ted Kotcheff
- Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 97 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- Last updated: May 22, 2023
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