Weekend at Bernie's (1989)

Two losers try to pretend that their murdered employer is really alive, leading the hitman to attempt to track him down to finish him off.

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writer:

Robert Klane

Stars:

Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Catherine Mary Stewart

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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)
Greg Salata	...	Marty, Vito's Assistant (as Gregory Salata)
Louis Giambalvo	...	Vito
Ted Kotcheff	...	Jack Parker, Richard's Dad
Margaret Hall	...	Lomax's Secretary
Tim Perez	...	Central Park Mugger (as Timothy Perez)
Mark Kenneth Smaltz	...	Harris, Security Oficer
Anthony Mannino	...	Superintendant
Polly Segal	...	Woman in Elevator

Storyline

Two young men are trying to make their way in a corporation. One on charm, the other on hard work. When they go to the president (Bernie) with a serious financial error on a printout, he pretends to be thrilled and invites them to his beach house for the weekend. He actually plans on having them killed. Bernie is also fooling around with the girlfriend of his mafia partner. When the partner has Bernie killed, the boys end up having to pretend Bernie is still alive as the frustrated hit man tries time and time again to complete the job.

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Plot Keywords:

character name in title | boss | weekend | beach | beach house | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

The house that was shown from the outside on the beach as Bernie's house was actually built at the south end of Ft. Fisher and was then demolished at the end of the movie.

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Goofs

When Tina walks down the stairs after being with Bernie, she sings, but her lips never move.

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Quotes

Gwen Saunders: Richard, just tell me what is going on!
Larry Wilson: [comes down the stairs, dragging Bernie's body by the leg] Look honey, Bernie's dead, they guys that killed 'em are now after us, can we hide out at your place or what?
[throws down Bernie's leg as he reaches the bottom of the staircase]
Larry Wilson: .
Gwen Saunders: [eyes as big as golf balls]
Larry Wilson: [sees Gwen's horrified expression, holds up Bernie's head] It's just Bernie!
[bangs Bernie's head against the stair support railing]
Gwen Saunders: [covers her mouth quietly screaming in a high pitched squeal] Aaaaah...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

The stapling of Bernie's toupee to the head was edited out of the German TV-version.

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Connections

Referenced in Holey Moley: The Greatest Show on Turf (2019)

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Soundtracks

Vissi D'Arte, Vissi D'Amore
by Giacomo Puccini
Éva Marton with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester (as Munich Radio Orchestra),
Giuseppe Patanè (as Giuseppe Patane), Director
From the Album "PUCCINI ARIAS" (IMT 42167)
Appears Courtesy of CBS MASTERWORKS, Under license from CBS SPECIAL PRODUCTS

User Reviews

Silly and Funny

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")

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 July 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Weekend at Bernie's

Filming Locations:

Figure Eight Island, Harnett, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,506,086, 9 July 1989

Gross USA:

$30,218,387

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$30,218,387

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gladden Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1