5.8/10
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Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)

PG | | Comedy, Family, Fantasy | 11 October 1991 (USA)
Ernest Scared Stupid Poster
Ernest accidentally unleashes an ugly troll that plots to transform children into wooden dolls in the town of Briarville, Missouri.

Director:

John R. Cherry III (as John Cherry)

Writers:

John R. Cherry III (story) (as John Cherry), Coke Sams (story) | 2 more credits »

Stars:

Jim Varney, Eartha Kitt, Austin Nagler | See full cast & crew »
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Ernest Goes to Jail (1990)
Comedy | Crime | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.4/10 X  

Bumbling Ernest P. Worrell is assigned to jury duty, where a crooked lawyer notices a resemblance with crime boss Mr. Nash, and arranges a switch. Nash assumes Ernest's job as a bank ... See full summary »

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Gailard Sartain, Bill Byrge
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Ernest Goes to Camp (1987)
Comedy | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.5/10 X  

Ernest, a lovable loser who works as a summer camp handyman and dreams of becoming a guidance councilor, must find a way to inspire a group of juvenile delinquents as well as stop a shady strip mining company from closing the camp.

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Victoria Racimo, John Vernon
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Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)
Comedy | Family | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.6/10 X  

Ernest helps Santa Claus as he searches for his successor.

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Douglas Seale, Oliver Clark
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Ernest Goes to School (1994)
Comedy | Family | Sport
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.8/10 X  

Jim Varney's recurring dim-bulb character Ernest P. Worrell returns in this film as a school maintenance man seeking to obtain a high school diploma.

Director: Coke Sams
Stars: Jim Varney, Linda Kash, Bill Byrge
Next »
Ernest Rides Again (1993)
Family | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.1/10 X  

Buffoonish Ernest and his dimwitted pal Abner unearth a huge cannon reputed to contain the crown jewels of England.

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Ron James, Tom Butler
Next »
Slam Dunk Ernest (Video 1995)
Comedy | Family | Sport
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.8/10 X  

Ernest P. Worrell becomes a basketball star after an angel bearing an uncanny resemblance to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gives him a pair of magic sneakers.

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Cylk Cozart, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Ernest Goes to Africa (Video 1997)
Comedy | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.8/10 X  

The title says it all. There's a mix up involving stolen diamonds which Ernest has (naturally) made into a yo-yo and given to his would be girlfriend, Rene. But Rene wants a man of action, ... See full summary »

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Linda Kash, Jamie Bartlett
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Ernest in the Army (1998)
Family | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.8/10 X  

Ernest joins the Army reserves so he can drive the bigrigs, but ends up being sent into combat!

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Hayley Tyson, David Müller
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Hey, Vern, It's Ernest! (TV Series 1988)
Comedy | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

Hey, Vern. Ernest is on Saturday morning. The series follows Ernest, and several other colorful characters having all sorts of wacky fun.

Stars: Bruce Arntson, Mac Bennett, Daniel Butler
Next »
Ernest's Greatest Hits Volume 2 (Video 1992)
Comedy | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

Hey Vern! Your ol' buddy Ernest is back in a new video that features Commercials, Bloopers, Behind-the-Scenes looks, and special surprises! Ernest sells things like ice cream, soft drinks, ... See full summary »

Stars: Jim Varney
Next »
The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)
Comedy | Family
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A feature adaptation of the classic television show, when nice guy redneck Jed Clampett strikes it rich when he finds black oil, and moves him and his kin to posh Beverly Hills.

Director: Penelope Spheeris
Stars: Diedrich Bader, Erika Eleniak, Jim Varney
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jim Varney ... Ernest / Phineas Worrell
Eartha Kitt ... Old Lady Hackmore
Austin Nagler Austin Nagler ... Kenny
Shay Astar ... Elizabeth
Jonas Moscartolo ... Trantor
John Cadenhead John Cadenhead ... Tom Tulip
Bill Byrge Bill Byrge ... Bobby Tulip
Richard Woolf Richard Woolf ... Matt
Nick Victory Nick Victory ... Mike
Alec Klapper Alec Klapper ... Joey
Steven Moriyon Steven Moriyon ... Gregg
Daniel Butler Daniel Butler ... Cliff
Esther Huston Esther Huston ... Amanda
Larry Black Larry Black ... Mayor Murdock
Denice Hicks Denice Hicks ... Elizabeth's Mother
See full cast »
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Storyline

Life could be pretty if there wasn't someone like Ernest P. Worrell on this planet. In this movie he helps to escape an evil troll out of his grave. That's the start of the end for the world. But... Ernest wouldn't be Ernest if he wasn't planning on saving all the people. This action doesn't make it any better. It's getting worse. Written by Evert Poppen

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

treehouse | troll | evil | missouri | briarville missouri | See All (73) »

Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 October 1991 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Ernest Scared Stiff See more »

Filming Locations:

Shelby Park, Nashville, Tennessee, USA See more »
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Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,453,132, 14 October 1991, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$14,143,280
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Touchwood Pacific Partners 1 See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The pizzas seen being thrown at the bullies who try to attack the kids' tree house are re-used props from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)". See more »

Goofs

When Ernest leaves there are several bikes outside of the school, yet when Old Lady Hackmore leaves, there is only one bike (the one she takes). See more »

Quotes

Ernest P. Worrell: I never knew when to quit. Just ask my fourth grade teacher.
See more »

Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Dumbest Decisions in Fantasy Movies (2017) See more »

Soundtracks

Hallelujah Chorus
from "The Messiah"
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Arranged by Louis Knatchbull
Courtesy of Associated Production Music
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: who is the random guy who shows up at 0:01:08?
Q: What film is the castle clip seen during the intro from?
See more »

User Reviews

 
pure ernest
13 March 2002 | by antimarcc – See all my reviews

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that the Ernest films aren't exactly Oscar-caliber movies... okay, they aren't even good movies by most peoples standards. BUT, the Ernest P. Worrell movies sure are fun, something that you can just let go and laugh at.

Ernest Scared Stupid is my favorite of these movies. It may be just because I used to watch it all the time when I was like 12 years old, but either way, I still like it. Right from the credits you can tell it is going to be hilarious. The troll makeup and costumes are very well done for an Ernest movie, and it keeps you entertained all the way through. I'm 20 years old and I can still watch this one until the very end. The real question is, when is somebody going to get off of their ass and put the late, great Jim Varney's entire Ernest collection out on DVD?

We're waiting... I know I'm not alone here... right?
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