Weekend at Bernie's (1989) User Reviews

Silly and Funny

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 17 April 2019]

In New York, Larry Wilson (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard Parker (Jonathan Silverman) are ambitious employees of an insurance company. While implementing a computer system, they find a two-million dollar embezzlement and immediately report to their boss, the bon-vivant Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser). In return, Larry invites them to spend the weekend at his beach house in Hamptons Island. However, Bernie is the responsible for the theft and he asks his partner, the mobster Vito (Louis Giambalvo), to kill Larry and Richard. Vito assigns the hit man Paulie (Don Calfa) to kill Bernie instead since he is too greedy and is causing many troubles with the mafia and his girlfriend. Paulie kills Bernie with an overdose of heroin and when Larry and Richard arrive, they find their boss dead. But soon there is a party at his house and the guests do not notice that Bernie is dead. Among the guests, Jonathan sees his crush, the intern Gwen Saunders (Catherine Mary Stewart), and flirts with her. What will Larry and Jonathan do next?

"Weekend at Bernie's" is a silly but funny black comedy. The joke is always the same, the film is stupid but most of the situations are gross and hilarious and in the end the viewer will certainly laugh a lot. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Um Morto Muito Louco" ("A Very Crazy Dead")

silly fun

[mcfly-31 · 7/10 · 23 July 1999]

Lotta fun with McCarthy and Silverman as two guys who uncover a scam in the office. They present the info to their boss who's so grateful he invites them to his kick ass house for Labor Day weekend. When they show up they find him dead and decide it would benefit both of them to let the parties go on with everyone thinking Kiser is still kickin'. Contrary to what most say, the core of this film is not the dead body antics. The real attraction here is the rappor between McCarthy and Silverman, who play very well off each other because their characters are such opposites. And occasionally Kiser is thrown into the mix and the three make one of the more odder comdey teams. When they do drag him along, its pretty good stuff, with them trying to fake everyone out that hes walking or waving. And then the battering of the body, which is hard to not laugh at. When Bernies being dragged or bounced or dropped its perfectly silly. Even before the main action starts, theres some good stuff in the beginning dealing with Silvermans love life and McCarthys constant annoyance of him about it. So at almost every point in the film theres usually something to laugh at.

very enjoyable semi-black comedy

[billybrown41 · 11 April 2002]

Maybe I'm just stupid, but I love this movie. I still remember when it came out and maybe it's just nostalgia because I watched it so many times when I was nine years old, but I still enjoy watching it. It does a pretty good job at catching the look and feel of the late 80s. All the hairstyles and clothing are pretty dated but to me, that's all part of the fun.

It all starts when our guys, Richard and Larry, discover a $2 million insurance fraud scam in their company. When they report it to their boss, Bernie (Terry Kiser) he seems grateful and invites them to his beach house for labor day weekend. As it turns out, Bernie is the one doing the scamming and has hired a mob hitman to take them out. Little does Bernie know, that the mob has decided that Bernie has been a little too careless and they have decided to take him out instead. So, by the time Richard and Larry reach the island, they discover that Bernie is dead from what looks like a drug-overdose. Instead of calling the cops, the less than bright Larry, decides it better to pretend that he didn't die. This will work since all of the island partyers are pretty self-absorbed and clueless. This is where it starts getting funny.

Since the hitman is still on the island, he keeps seeing Bernie, who he thought he killed and keeps re-killing him. It's hilarious, because the boys really don't have a clue that the hitman is even around. Watching them lug a dead corpse around, making him look alive, is one of the highlights. The fact that all of the islanders believe he's alive is even funnier. One of my favorite parts of the movie was Andrew McCarthy's performance as Larry. His slacker part killed me and he has some really funny lines. What ever happened to him? Jonathan Silverman also does a great job with an underwritten part. He plays the ulcer-bound Richard who SO tries to be the moral center of the situation. Terry Kiser is incredible, as always and he plays a dead guy VERY well. Some of the stuff that he has to do, I really can't see anyone else pulling off as well. My favorite scenes came when Bernie was alive. The guy is such an unbelievable jerk, he's actually fun to hate.

Ignore the other comments on here, and go get this one. It's great for some laughs and I STILL get a lot out of it everytime I watch it. A great semi-black comedy. Go pick it up and look for the sequel. I enjoyed it as well, although not quite as much.

Silly fun.

[pmtelefon · 7/10 · 30 September 2019]

"Weekend at Bernie's" is a fun movie. It has quite a few big laughs. It has a whole bunch of good will going for it as well. It has some very good performances including a terrific one by Terry Kiser. Kiser's performance should be studied in acting class. He's amazing to watch. The way that Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman interact with a Kiser is great work as well. Those three together are a joy to watch. "Weekend at Bernie's" always hits the spot.

Not an Oscar contender but hilarious none the less...

[pessimistic_girl · 7/10 · 4 August 2002]

Weekend at Bernie's may not be an intellectual masterpiece, or even remotely educating, but that doesn't matter! What does matter is that this movie is an absolute scream!

Larry (superbly played by Andrew McCarthy) is my fave but Richard (Jonathan Silverman) also manages to amuse me with his inability to make up his mind. And I have to salute Terry Kiser, the best "dead" body I've ever seen!

Ok it's already been pointed out that it isn't exactly the most realistic plot in the world. I mean, you usually would know if you were sitting next to a rotting, ice-cold corpse. But even so, it's a movie (!), and you don't really question sci-fi flics for being unrealistic do you? So why criticize this one for it.

The movie had a good build-up and showed an impressive flow of interesting characters, i.e. the party goers were a hoot. Also Larry and Richard show an amazing ability to work under pressure and come up with various clever solutions how to keep Bernie on the move.

What you essentially need to see Weekend at Bernie's is an open mind and a very strong sense of humour. Because of all the gags about dead bodies it may be offensive to some, especially those who get hung up on the need for realism. I however am not such a person therefor I continue to watch it and laugh my a$$ off.

My rating: 9½ / 10

Under rated comedy blast.

[actingeric · 8/10 · 8 August 2000]

Weekend at Bernies! Sure it is dumb. But the comedy is so smartly done that it makes it hilarious. I for one laugh my butt off every time I watch this movie. It is one of those movies that cheers you up if you are having a bad day. The duo of McCarthy and Silverman is almost flawless. They are wonderful to watch. Together they almost remind me of classic pairs like Laurel & Hardy or Abbot & Costello. If you just sit back and relax this movie can really tickle your funny bone. It even might make you `drop dead from laughing'. Oh.was that to corny.sorry. But honestly, this is a good film. Give it a try someday when you have nothing else to do or are having a party. (But beware just rent this one. The second one, although it has its moments, doesn't meet up to the original)

THIS necessitated a sequel???

[thesar-2 · 3/10 · 28 July 2019]

30th Anniversary: 1989 - the Best Year in Cinema Marathon Film #50/100: "Weekend at Bernie's" (3/10 Stars, Released: 7/7/89, 1st Viewing.) Oh, wow. Sitcom movie 101. Admittedly, I found a few scenes funny, especially from the comedic talents from the actor playing Bernie. Cannot believe this necessitated a sequel, but 80s.

Hilarious

[Rose-35 · 10/10 · 30 December 2001]

This is one of the funniest films ever made. Sure, it's stupid, and it could never really happen, but it is hilarious. The 3 main actors are great, esp. Terry Kiser (Bernie). The boat scene is the best. Anyone with a sense of humor will love this movie.

Bernie's the life(and death)of the party!!

[KUAlum26 · 6/10 · 14 June 2008]

The plot of this ersatz classic is almost universally understood,so I won't bother with recapping this little adventure epic where two working stiffs(JOnathan Silverman and Andrew McCarthy)find themselves propping up their stiff boss(Terry Kiser,who may've had the best performance of the film!)after he's found dead in his swank beach front home. Instead,I'll say that this movie is clearly a "guilty pleasure" of mine. I saw this back in Summer 1989 when it was first released,and I enjoyed it profusely then. I was also seventeen then,so I've sometimes wondered if I'd care for this much now(I'm not sure,but it seems I'd seen this intermittently in the years since,but I don't recall sitting through this in at least a decade). My answer is:yes,but only in the sense that it's great,seemingly brain-dead(pun unintended)slapstick that can cleanse the palate,particularly after watching dark,disturbing material or if one is need of a pick-me-up.

For some odd reason,the producers decided(And were able to get the stars to reunite)to make a sequel which was released in 1993. I have yet to feel much desire to catch it,since I felt,even nineteen years ago,that this wacky,breezy comedy had only one life left in it for real.

Go to your local video store or CD/movie exchange place and there's a good chance you'll run across a REALLY cheap copy of this. Feel free to indulge your daffier,undignified self and buy it... if you dare!

Slow and ultra predictable. Doesn't make you laugh.

[felixtherat · 1/10 · 28 December 2015]

This movie has a weird effect on your perception of time. Everything happens 10 seconds after you already know it's going to happen - but then is not quite as funny as you imagined it.

Apparently written/directed/edited by people who've never done comedy before, unless was simply a pacing problem due to lack of script - like a half hour episode that was padded out to be much longer. Every shot seems to have the pre- and post-roll frames kept in, like they didn't have any choice in editing due to a lack of material.

The two leads are untrained, unseasoned and unbearable, and the writer doesn't seem to have been allowed time to finish or given a script editor. Style doesn't even redeem itself for its age, as there are plenty of contemporaneous black comedies/dumb comedies from its period that are paced and have enough jokes to fill a movie - you know, comedy movies written by experienced comedy writers, performed by skilled comedy players - those guys you have to pay fees to.

A quick note on the baffling following this movie has - what's intolerable is not that some say they enjoyed it (each to their own, I've no problem with that), it's the hyperbole people use, praising it to the extent they give the impression they believe the memorability of the film was deliberate, as if the movie makers might count themselves amongst those who find the movie funny. Seriously, this movie paid mortgages, guys, it didn't make people proud (or laugh). The 2 leads barely worked again, and neither did the writer. Why? Because they suck. Obviously. Get a grip!

Bottom line - were you stoned (or 10) when you watched this? Then try watching it again - especially before coming here and telling people it's good.

I've laughed more at a funeral. Seriously. I'd tell a court that under oath.

Inane... but a classic nonetheless

[soundscene · 27 March 2003]

Using the word "classic" for this movie may be stretching things a little, but the fact that everybody I know has seen this movie -- and enjoyed it to some extent, is saying something. The concept is ridiculous. Larry (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard (Jonathan Silverman) are invited to their boss, Bernie Lomax's (Terry Kiser), house for the weekend. Bernie winds up getting killed before they get there. The rest of the movie involves the hijinks that occur when Richard and Larry decide to pretend Bernie is still alive so they can enjoy their weekend in paradise. Much of the gags include Bernie's lifeless body being dragged about and posed. What's surprising is that much of the gags actually work. It's a one-joke movie that manages to sustain through the one and a half hours. Pay special attention to the boat scene -- on first viewing my sisters and I were roaring with laughter. Avoid the sequel "Weekend at Bernie's II" like the plague. Rather than inane and funny, the movie is just inane.

Who knew that being dead could be so much fun?

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 6/10 · 25 May 2014]

I remember seeing TV spots for this movie in Florida in 1989 and thinking that it made for a great concept. When I eventually rented the VHS tape a few months later it really appealed to my dark sense of humor and I ended up watching it a zillion times. In the 25 years since its release it has become very dated. It's not dated BADLY, but it has aged more than other films of the period.

Corporate slackers Richard and Larry (Ted Mosby prototype Jonathan Silverman and 80s person Andrew McCarthy) discover a $4,000,000 fraud hidden away in the cooked books. Their attempt to impress their boss Bernie Lomax (a lovably smug Terry Kiser) with their find leads to an invitation to his Hampton Island home for a summer weekend of babes, booze, and boats. The duo don't realize that they've stumbled on Bernie's embezzlement scam and that he intends to have them quietly killed by the Mob (the organized crime connections are never fully detailed or understood). Mob Boss Vito instead arranges for Bernie to be killed, thus washing his hands of him.

Upon arriving at Bernie's lavish home Richard and Larry discover that he ain't quite breathing and most definitely has ceased living. For a variety of reasons they plot to create the illusion that Bernie is still alive, which proves to be easier done than said as his vacuous, drunken neighbors are more interested in drinking his champagne and mooching parties from him than actually being friends.

Despite the dark subject matter Weekend at Bernie's plays it safe for the most part, never pushing past its PG-13 boundaries. The physicality of Kiser's performance is impressive as well as funny. You really do believe he is dead and he's brilliant at keeping a straight face (or a smirking one as he dies during a brief moment of pleasure) while being tossed and thrown around. You wouldn't think that playing a dead body would be hard but Kiser's comic timing and skill really pay off.

The production design and flat photography are what date this film so much. Although Ted Kotcheff had Wake in Fright and First Blood on his resume by this point he brings very little visual flair to the film and it looks very TV-ish. The poor score by Andy Summers never seems to work with any scene (I have a feeling that his friend Stewart Copeland would have done a better job) and some of the soundtrack choices grate on the ears.

What amazes me the most is that about 90% of the dialogue is (bad) ADR. I assume that the sound guy forgot to switch on the mic or something. I can accept it when it comes to dubbing over several F-bombs to keep the movie family-friendly but you'll be surprised at how often the words simply do not match the lips.

Skip the sequel. Enjoy this movie for what it is, though it could have been better if it were a few shades darker. And lookout for a hilarious cameo from the director as Richard's dad/butler.

A delight for necro fans and non-necro fans alike.

[Bio&Swede · 7/10 · 7 September 2000]

The plot of this film could be taken from the pages of any regular newspaper in the world. Dead man seems to be alive, but isn't. Infact the film is based on a real story that happened to two French men while vacationing in Hawaii. That is where the movie really shines.

This film should have been nominated for an Oscar, honestly.

A delight from start to finish. Non necrophiles will get a kick out of this too.

7/10

A memorable one joke film with humour that unlike Bernie......... is not dead!!!

[kooleshwar · 6/10 · 28 June 2006]

Let me be frank the only reason I rented this film was nostalgia and I must say I didn't really have many expectations from this film coming out of my experience with another film I rented for nostalgic value, The Pink Panther (I felt the humour had outlived its time).

The movie starts out promisingly enough with the stereotypical bumbling nerd and his wacky carefree friend lost in the big bad world of corporate America.

The encounter with the female temp and the meeting with Bernie provide a few memorable moments earlier in the film. In fact the opening sequence with the trip to beach itself sets the initial expectations high.

Catherine Mary Stewart provides the eye candy throughout the movie, 80s style, and also serves up a decent performance. hehe

The movie in fact follows through with one funny scene after the other taking a swipe at corporate America, the mafia, the glitterati etc.

Then Bernie dies,....... and the movie gets even funnier as one after the other we are subjected to people interacting with Bernie as if he were actually alive.

Hell I would like to go as far as saying that Bernie did better when he was dead then when he was alive.

The movie peaks when Bernie meets his mistress and gives one of the best performance of his lives. That scene will clearly be one of the most memorable scenes in comedy movie history.

However we do have a few memorable sequences such as the drunk bargaining, the parents house etc.

Unfortunately it all goes downhill from there, with the abusive, bratty kid providing the only relief, when we are subjected to scene after scene of the same variety (oxymoron).

This movie does the cardinal sin of the one joke movie and doesn't realise when to quit. Had this movie been 25 mins shorter it would have easily figured itself in the most memorable comedies of all time.

The movie is crude, stupid and slapstick but lovable, the actors give good performances given the limited premise of the movie. As expected the dead Bernie clearly steals the show.

I don't know but I felt an undercurrent of darkness in the comedy of this movie especially relating to Bernie's acts after his death and the way he was treated by others.

In all a good movie with great nostalgic value and worth renting when you can think of nothing else.

-'s one joke movie, doesn't know when to quit, pg-13 rating (i still cant figure out why if you are showing a sexual act but with no exposure it is OK to show to the kids), some characters caricaturish, second part far below expectations.

+\-'s undercurrents of dark humour, slapstick.

+'s single joke but bloody funny one, a host of memorable scenes specially in the earlier half, a few great one liners,decent performances, good eye candy, absolutely hilarious first hour.

Uproariously funny black comedy.

[manxman-1 · 9/10 · 28 June 2003]

Hilarious, totally off the wall black comedy about two buddies (Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman) whose boss, Bernie, has been bumped off by gangsters but whose death goes unrecognized the entire weekend by his self-centered beach friends. Utterly tasteless, goofy, ridiculous, wonderfully funny movie with loads of quirky characters. Andrew McCarthy at his most charmingly loopy and Jonathan Silverman terrific as his straight arrow buddy. Great turn by Terry Kiser as Bernie, who will not go away or play dead. Ridiculous situations that are just plain fun to watch. A movie to remember with delight and to enjoy at a repeat viewing.

Stupid, Simple Fun,

[lesleyharris30 · 7/10 · 12 May 2019]

Weekend at Bernie's is a good movie with a reasonably well written plot, and a talented comedic cast. It is certainly nothing spectacular, but it is a consistently fun, enjoyable movie that plays with its ridiculous concept in a manner that leads to hilarious, absurd slapstick comedy.

The film does suffer due to only really having one major joke for the whole thing, that Bernie is dead but no one apart from the two leads know. While still funny, it gets very stale as the joke is that people are talking to him and making no realization that he is not responding, it can get tiring when it's a whole hour and a half long.

Jonathan Silverman and Andrew McCarthy save the film with their chemistry that is palpable throughout, even when the plot starts to wear off, their energy and clear sense that they are having fun makes us.

Nothing perfect, but consistently enjoyable. While Weekend at Bernie's is forgettable and not very stimulating, it is a good laugh.

Two co-workers must work together to hide the fact they may have killed their boss.

Best Performance: Jonathan Silverman

Spend a Weekend with Bernie

[Zac_La_Porte · 7/10 · 23 March 2022]

Weekend at Bernie's is a very funny movie and definitely a very 80s movie, but it wouldn't be as much fun without the eventful aspect. This comedy is easily the kind of film you could describe as having a morbid sense of humour, obviously since most of it revolves around slapstick actions and events with a corpse. This movie is really only about two buddies carrying their boss's dead body around pretending he's still alive and walking.

Again, this movie would be so much less likeable if it didn't have it's sense of adventure. The entire plot is not set in just one house, it floats on the water and walks around in public, with the corpse. Sometimes the areas where the witty characters fool around in fall a bit bland, but that's usually when it begins moving around again. The concept is underrated and is undoubtedly worth checking out by those who appeal to it.

And if it weren't obvious from the start, this is a slapstick comedy. However, it's a fairly more violent slapstick comedy with verbal and visual jokes that actually work. The characters are quirky and fun, McCarthy and Silverman being in the spotlight, but the clueless hitman who runs around throughout the plot is stupidly hysterical. It's also hard to see how Weekend at Bernie's could craft a decent sequel, which happened not too long afterwards.

If you liked this review, check out the full review and other reviews at aussieboyreviews.

Too long for my liking

[CharltonBoy · 5/10 · 26 March 2000]

Weekend at Bernies is an average American comedy,short on laughs and lacking any subtle humour.It is about to workers who discover that their firm is being ripped off and are rewarded by their boss"Bernie" to a weekend at his beach house , while they are there Bernie is murdered . The rest of the film is about how the boys try to hide that he is dead. The people at the resort must be completly stupid as they believe that he still alive .The film carries on with this one joke for a long time and after the first 5 minutes it gets really boring. 5 out of 10

A Funny Film With a Really Great Idea

[tfrizzell · 1 August 2000]

"Weekend at Bernie's" is a hilarious film about two losers (Jonathan Silverman and Andrew McCarthy) who stumble onto a plan by some unknown person in their company to steal from the corporation. They tell the boss, Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser), and it turns out that he is the culprit. Now he wants the two of them killed, but his wandering eyes make him the target of the assassin. Bernie invites the two losers out to his beach-house in the hopes of them being eliminated. However, he is killed instead and when Silverman and McCarthy discover his body they pretend like he is still alive so they can get the great weekend that their late boss promised them. A truly original idea carries this film which is sick in one sense, but amazingly funny in another. Silverman and McCarthy make a surprisingly effective comedy team. However it is Terry Kiser, in one of the most under-rated roles ever seen during the history of the cinema, that makes the film work as well as it can. His uncanny ability to play a stiff corpse for nearly the whole film is truly revolutionary. If there was ever a performance that was overlooked by the Academy, it may be Kiser's role here (do not laugh). Overall the film over-achieves and is well-worth watching at least once. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Funny for sure

[safenoe · 6/10 · 11 February 2022]

Terry Kiser should have been nominated for an Oscar in this role, but sadly the Academy is somewhat conversative in these matters.

Andrew McCarthy has gone on to be a top-rate travel writer, but he left an indelible legacy with his role in this 80s movie that is still a pop culture reference to this day.

A rather funny tale about two buddies and a corpse.

[Aaron1375 · 7/10 · 14 February 2010]

This film had its moments and at times was very humorous. The story has to losers who are looking for a break and think they have found it when they uncover some expenses that are being siphoned out of the company they work for. Well it turns out their boss who they report this to is the one doing the removal of the money. He acts like their buddy and that they did a great job and proceeds to invite them to his beach house where he intends to have them both killed. However, the one who ends up whacked is the boss himself. Well the guys find there boss in the dead state and the goofball one proceeds to play like the boss is still alive just to enjoy the beach house a bit more. However, they soon discover that the boss intended to kill them and they think that as long as they keep the boss around and make it out that he is alive the would be assassin will not try to kill them. Many jokes in this film involve just battering the hell out of the two guys' former boss' corpse. However, the movie takes a bit to get to this point and at times the premise is stretched a bit to thin, but for the most part the film stays funny. The cast is rather good in this one as Andrew McCarthy is rather good in his role as the more slacker friend. Johnathon Silverman is his usual self too. No one else of real note stars in this movie, however the guy who did Bernie was rather good when he was alive and dead.

Even dead Bernie still lives!!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 22 December 2017]

One the most creative black comedy of the entire eights, supported by a clever screenplay this picture has great moments really, both leading roles has a good chemistry, but the highlight is no doubt own Bernie, a pure spirit of the madness, even death he brights over the movie, a fantastic performance on live or death, when you think the subject already drained, there's coming Bernie again dead, my favorite scene is about Bernie making sex, unbelievably funny!!!

Resume:

First watch: 1993 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.25

Workable 80's comedy

[chvylvr80 · 6/10 · 17 September 2003]

Weekend at Bernie's is a dumb little movie that somehow still manages to entertain. Bernie is the funniest character, and that's certainly saying something about Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman's acting talents. It isn't a movie that you have to think about, simply sit back and have fun. The film lags in parts and there isn't much in the way of plot, character development, or even a decent soundtrack. Weekend at Bernie's just one of those dumb 80's comedies that you watch when nothing better is on TV. Bottom Line: It IS better than the sequel. If you haven't seen Weekend at Bernie's you should have a few laughs over it.

A great "black humour" comedy

[knstam · 9/10 · 4 September 2004]

This is a great "black humour" comedy - I gave it 9 out of 10. Judging by the low rating most of the people here are giving it - they "can't handle the truth". Maybe that's because most of the people are constantly brained washed by Hollywood type comedies - sweet and romantic or alternatively rude and full of body parts /smells/sounds/etc. But wait - those comedies also have to "educate" us, always at the end of the movie, with a "deeper message" - the meaning of life, love, god, peace and happiness to all the world, blah, blah, blah... So for those of you that have to have a deeper meaning - did you noticed how many real friends, one that will noticed that he is dead, for instance, Bernie had? Maybe life in the fast lane is not as glamorous as it seems...

one joke movie, stupid but cute enough to watch once

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 24 September 2013]

Larry Wilson (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard Parker (Jonathan Silverman) are best friends working under Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser). They discover a serious discrepancy in payouts to life insurance by the company. They don't realize that it's Bernie who's been committing the fraud. Bernie asks the mob to kill the two clueless friends but he is killed instead. When Larry and Richard find Bernie dead in his beach house, they decide to keep the illusion of him being alive to keep the party going.

It's a one joke movie, and it's not that funny of a joke. Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman have some fun carrying Bernie around. They work well together. They've got good chemistry. There are some chuckles but the joke wears thin.