Weekend at Bernie's (1989)

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writer (WGA):

Robert Klane (written by)

Release Date:

5 July 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

A lively comedy about a guy who isn't. [USA Theatrical]

Plot:

A pair of losers try to pretend that their murdered employer is really alive, but the murderer is out to "finish him off."

Plot Keywords:

Boss | Weekend | Beach | Beach House | Party

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Andrew McCarthy	...	Larry Wilson
Jonathan Silverman	...	Richard Parker
Catherine Mary Stewart	...	Gwen Saunders
Terry Kiser	...	Bernie Lomax
Don Calfa	...	Paulie, Vito's Hit Man
Catherine Parks	...	Tina, Vito's Girl
Eloise DeJoria	...	Tawny (as Eloise Broady)
Gregory Salata	...	Marty, Vito's Assistant
Louis Giambalvo	...	Vito
Ted Kotcheff	...	Jack Parker, Richard's Dad
Margaret Hall	...	Lomax's Secretary
Timothy Perez	...	Central Park Mugger
Mark Kenneth Smaltz	...	Harris, Security Oficer
Anthony Mannino	...	Superintendant
Polly Segal	...	Woman in Elevator
Robert L. Horen	...	Maitre' D (as Bob Horen)
Bruce Paul Barbour	...	Beach Bum (as Bruce Barbour)
Jason Woliner	...	Bratty Kid
Dan Cox	...	Handsome Guy
Steve Howard	...	Plastic Surgeon
Lorri Lindberg	...	Authoress
Jack Hallett	...	Tennis Pro buying Bernie's Car
John Bennes	...	Harvey
Augustina Berlings	...	Larry's Pick-Up
Mert Hatfield	...	Cop
Jack Canon	...	Murray Rose
Nello Tare	...	Party Man
Joyce Leigh Bowden	...	Fashion Designer (as Joyce Bowden)
Stefanos Miltsakakis	...	Klaus the Body Builder
Dan Preston	...	Exercise Trainer
Jean Liles	...	Girl on Dock
Lisa Sherrill Gannon	...	1st Beach Girl
Rachel Lewis	...	2nd Beach Girl
Dan Wargo	...	Party Guest
Patricia Roseman	...	Female Model
David Arey	...	Male Model
Ronald C. Ross	...	Man at Table (as Ronald Ross)
George Cheung	...	Lomax's Garener
Lou Criscuolo	...	First Islander
Edward Little Dean	...	East Bay Water Taxi Driver
Stephen Fischer	...	Man on Elevator
Cindy Foster Jones	...	Girl at Ambulance
Richard W. Boucher	...	2nd Handsome Man
Leslie Sternchak	...	Girl at Party
Tina Diane King	...	2nd Girl at Party
Scooby Vincent	...	Michelle, Girl on Boat (as Michelle Vincent)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Phillip V. Caruso	...	Newspaper Photographer / Arrest Scene (uncredited)
Patt Noday	...	Party Guest #7 (uncredited)
Skeet Ulrich	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
Ted Kotcheff

Writing credits (WGA)
Robert Klane		(written by)

Produced by
Victor Drai	....	producer
Malcolm R. Harding	....	executive producer
Robert Klane	....	executive producer
Bruce McNall	....	executive producer
Bruce McNall	....	producer
Courtney Silberberg	....	producer: VP Production

Original Music by
Andy Summers

Cinematography by
François Protat

Film Editing by
Joan E. Chapman

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
Peter Jamison

Art Direction by
Michael Novotny

Set Decoration by
Jerie Kelter

Costume Design by
Nancy Butz

Makeup Department
Jennifer Browning	....	additional makeup artist
Victor DeNicola	....	hair stylist: New York
Rudolph Eavy III	....	additional makeup artist
Michelle Johnson	....	additional hair stylist
Susan Lewis	....	additional hair stylist
Davida Simon	....	additional makeup artist
Gunnar Swanson	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Cleve Landsberg	....	production manager
Peter R. McIntosh	....	production manager: New York
Tom Razzano	....	unit manager: New York
Tom Razzano	....	unit production manager: New York Segments
Norman Wallerstein	....	post-production supervisor (as Norm Wallerstein)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephanie Fowler Adams	....	second second assistant director (as Stephanie F. Adams)
Jim Behnke	....	first assistant director: second unit
Henry Bronchtein	....	first assistant director
Wendy Ikeguchi	....	second second assistant director
Douglas S. Ornstein	....	second second assistant director: New York
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	second unit director (as Conrad Palmisano)
Stephen Wertimer	....	key second assistant director (as Steve Wertimer)

Art Department
Dimitri Apletchef	....	property master: New York
Barbara Benz	....	property master: New York
Keith Brian Burns	....	set designer
R.W. Carpenter	....	set decorator: New York
Gabriel C. Ell	....	construction coordinator
Thomas Richard Lambeth	....	storyboard artist
Bill Lehne	....	construction coordinator: New York
Rourke Lowe	....	art department coordinator
Robert Lucas	....	lead man
Vic Petrotta Jr.	....	property master
Genessa Goldsmith Proctor	....	head scenic artist
John Michael Reefer	....	assistant property master
Thomas Hudson Reeve	....	set dresser: New York
Chuck Roseberry	....	assistant property master
Dawn Serody	....	set designer
Dean Taucher	....	art director: New York
Michael Zansky	....	head scenic artist: New York
Jeffrey Rollins	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mark Berger	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Sara Bolder	....	dialogue editor
Patricia Brolsma	....	boom operator: New York
Melissa Dietz	....	adr editor
W.A. Grieve-Smith	....	sound mixer: New York
William Grigg	....	boom operator
Walter Hoylman	....	sound mixer (as Walter S. Hoylman)
John Nutt	....	dialogue editor
David Parker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Diana Pellegrini	....	foley editor
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist
Robert Shoup	....	sound effects editor
Alan Splet	....	supervising sound editor
John Verbeck	....	sound effects editor
Glenn Young	....	cable person

Special Effects by
Phil Cory	....	special effects coordinator
William Dawson	....	special effects technician (as William Dawson Jr.)
Joe Digaetano	....	special effects coordinator
Dan Kirshoff	....	special effects coordinator: New York
Hans Metz	....	assistant special effects
Kevin Pike	....	special makeup effects

Stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunts
Peter Bucossi	....	stunts
Roger Creed	....	stunts
Kerrie Cullen	....	stunts
Diamond Farnsworth	....	stunts (as Richard Diamond Farnsworth)
Dick Hancock	....	stunts
Loren Janes	....	stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt coordinator (as Conrad Palmisano)
Thomas Rosales Jr.	....	stunts
Bobby Sargent	....	stunts
Rick Seaman	....	stunts
Greg Walker	....	stunts
Rock A. Walker	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Rick Bota	....	camera operator
Phillip V. Caruso	....	still photographer
Rusty Edmonson	....	lamp operator
Bill Finger	....	second assistant camera (as William Wells Finger)
Paul D. Fischer	....	best boy grip
Samuel Buddy Fries	....	first assistant camera
Brian Gunter	....	gaffer: second unit
Tony Hardmon	....	grip
Douglas S. Holgate	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Frank M. Holgate	....	director of photography: second unit
Steve Holgate	....	second assistant camera: second unit (as Steve McNeal Holgate)
Carl Johnson	....	best boy
Terry D. Long	....	electrician
Gary Molyneux	....	grip
Jeff Moore	....	camera operator: second unit
Edward Morey III	....	camera operator
Nick Nelson	....	gaffer
Alan Pickelsimer	....	electrician
Michael Pizzuto	....	best boy grip: second unit
Jan Sears	....	second assistant camera
Darrell B. Sheldon	....	key grip: second unit
Michael Trim	....	gaffer: New York (as Mike Trim)
Wayne Trimble	....	second assistant camera
Kevin Wadowski	....	key grip
Lynne Warberg	....	still photographer: New York
Kevin Whitlow	....	dolly grip
Tony Whitman	....	key grip: New York

Casting Department
Craig Fincannon	....	local casting
Mark Fincannon	....	local casting
Todd M. Thaler	....	extras casting: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Richard Butz	....	costume supervisor
Lucy W. Corrigan	....	assistant costume designer
Roseann Milano	....	wardrobe supervisor: New York
Joe I. Tompkins	....	costume consultant

Editorial Department
Clarinda Wong	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Brigitte Daloin	....	first assistant music editor
Robert Randles	....	music editor
Dick Rudolph	....	music supervisor
Dennis Smith	....	music technician

Transportation Department
Cary Kelley	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Jerry Adams	....	location manager
Frans J. Afman	....	motion picture banking
Randy Lee Aldridge	....	stand-in
Bruce Bahrenburg	....	unit publicist
Spencer Clarke	....	production associate (as Spencer M. Clarke Jr.)
Ken Coombs	....	production associate: second unit
Gregory Lee Cooper	....	stand-in
Libby Featherston	....	accounting assistant
Mark S. Gardiner	....	helicopter pilot: second unit (as Mark Gardiner)
Susan Gee	....	production financing
Beth Hickman	....	production coordinator
Sheri Lynch	....	assistant: Mr. Kotcheff (as Cheryl Gramaglia)
Willy McCormick	....	boat coordinator
Stan Mendoza	....	location manager: New York
Grant Mitchell	....	boat coordinator
Ruth Mullen	....	production coordinator: New York
Julie Neff	....	stand-in
Connie Papineau	....	script supervisor
Thom Rainey	....	script supervisor: second unit
Anne M. Simonet	....	assistant production coordinator
Danny Spine	....	stand-in
Brad Stephens	....	publicist
Sam Tedesco	....	location manager (as Samuel P. Tedesco)
Bruk Vandeweghe	....	production associate
James L. Wiggins	....	production associate

Production Companies

• Gladden Entertainment

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Network (1992) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• 20th Century Fox (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• Filmax Home Video (2006) (Spain) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Albert G. Ruben and Company  insurance
• Completion Bond Company  completion bond
• Culinary Connection  caterer: New York unit
• DDA Public Relations (DDA)  publicity
• Filmtrucks  grip and lighting equipment
• Fincannon & Associates  local casting
• Mario's Catering  catering
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Rogers & Cowan  publicity
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG-13 (No. 29403) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:12 (re-rating) (2006) | UK:15 (original rating) | Iceland:L | New Zealand:M | Portugal:M/6

Filming Locations:

Bald Head Island, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Gladden Entertainment

Trivia:

After Richard knocks out the man that Bernie fired, he informs Larry "You can come out now Rambo." First Blood (1982), the first Rambo movie, was also directed by Ted Kotcheff. The gardener in the film (George Kee Cheung) wears a costume similar to the one in Rambo: First Blood Part II; he was the film's villain.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: As Larry and Richard are walking past one of the guards in the beginning of the movie, the guard asks if its hot enough and Larry replies. You don't see either one's lips move.

Quotes:

Larry Wilson:You're gonna need my apartment.
Richard Parker:Oh no, I couldn't do that to you.
Larry Wilson:Rich, if she finds out you live with your parents you're gonna embarras yourself.
Richard Parker:Yeah I know. But still, I just... couldn't.
Larry Wilson:It's the coackroaches isn't it?
Richard Parker:Well...
Larry Wilson:They scatter when the light goes on.

Movie Connections:

References From Here to Eternity (1953)

Soundtrack:

NIGHT ON BALD MOUNTAIN

very enjoyable semi-black comedy

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.