Two best friends, Larry (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard (Jonathan Silverman), work at an insurance company and are doing everything possible to receive a promotion. Each day, they dream of earning more money and living a life of luxury, even more so when they see their boss’s, Bernie (Terry Kiser), luxurious lifestyle. One day, while working, Richard makes a huge discovery about a heap of insurance policies issued after people have died. Richard and Larry report their findings to Bernie, hoping to finally prove their worth in the company and receive the riches that may come their way. Bernie is shocked by Richard and Larry’s findings and invites them both to join him at his home by the beach. For Richard and Larry, this is the opportunity they have always dreamed of. However, there’s just one problem: Bernie is the one who has been secretly stealing money and making false claims. For Bernie to tie up loose ends, he requests help from his associates. However, due to his sloppiness, they decide to kill him instead.
When Larry and Richard arrive at the beach house and find Bernie dead, they realise their dream weekend is about to come to an end unless they treat Bernie’s dead body like a human puppet and try to convince everyone that he is, in fact, still alive and well. But more problems arise. The man responsible for Bernie’s death is not pleased to hear that his murder didn’t succeed, so he returns to the beach to finish business. This time, he’s going to make sure that Bernie stays dead!
Weekend at Bernie’s is a comedy directed by Ted Kotcheff, best known for a range of hit films, including Rambo, Wake in Fright, and Uncommon Valor. As a director, Ted has always been known for making films in various genres, from comedy to action and war. Here, the comedy aspects appear in two different ways. There is plenty of random banter and silliness coming from Richard and Larry, as well as physical comedy as Bernie’s body is manipulated to convince everyone that he’s still alive. The film also introduces a minor romance and love interest for Richard. Sadly, no matter how often I watch this film, this romance subplot never works for me. It lacks laughs, and we constantly see Richard panicking and lying about who he is. This bogs the film’s runtime, dragging on it slightly.
[mailerlite_form form_id=1]As for actor Terry Kiser playing Bernie or, should I say, dead Bernie, it is easy to appreciate his work here, given how hard it must have been to play dead while actors interacted with him, moving him around and rearranging him. In the end, as a comedy, there’s never been a film quite like Weekend at Bernie’s.
Overall, Weekend at Bernie’s is highly brainless, with many moments that are so ridiculous that you can’t help but chuckle. Watching a pair of good friends try and convince everyone around them that a dead body is, in fact, still alive and using him like a puppet was something new, clever, and creative for its time. Sure, not every gag earns a laugh, particularly throughout the forced love interest and subplot. Still, I can’t deny the leads, played by Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman, work wonderfully together, and the well-timed dialogue and banter are witty and fabulous. Weekend at Bernie’s is a good reminder that you can still be the life of the party even if you’re feeling a little dead.
6.3/10
18th February 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
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