Crime & Punishment
I don’t usually watch new movies because they tend to be so ridiculously bad…in my opinion, anyway! But I made an exception recently and watched “Bernie” starring Jack Black and Shirley MacLaine in the true story of money and murder in East Texas.
It was very interesting…the subject was fascinating and the actors did a great job of channeling the real life people their characters were based on.
I must warn you there are spoilers ahead! If you’re the kind of person who likes to watch movies without knowing anything about ‘em, stop reading right now!
But I want to discuss the movie because it opened up so many questions about the nature of crime and punishment and what makes us human.
The character played by Jack Black is Bernie Tiede. Bernie moved to the small Bible Belt town of Carthage in East Texas in 1985. He became the assistant director at a local funeral home and swiftly endeared himself to everyone in town. Bernie was friendly and genuinely cared about folks. And people simply just loved him back.
The movie version of this story plays out almost like a documentary…it adheres to the true details of the story.
And, amazingly, the director has filled the movie with clips of many actual real life Carthage residents who make appearances throughout the movie to voice their opinions about what the heck happened!
Seriously, it was worth watching to see and hear these real , actual local citizens put forth their two cents worth alone!
Anyway. In 1990 Bernie met Marjorie Nugent when her husband died and Bernie’s funeral parlor handled the services. The husband had made a fortune in oil and Marjorie was left a very wealthy widow. She was also universally regarded as the meanest and most miserable woman in town.
Marjorie was so bitter she was estranged from all of her own family, but Bernie, for whatever reason, decided to try to befriend her.
I get the feeling it was because he sincerely wanted to see if he could make a difference in this lonely and angry woman’s life. Whatever his motivation, Marjorie eventually thawed towards Bernie and they became extremely close.
Not that way, though! Bernie was gay, and Marjorie was in her late 70’s, twice Bernie’s age. But they ultimately became constant companions and Marjorie made Bernie her business manager. She cut her family out of her will and was planning to leave her 10 million dollar fortune to Bernie.
Bernie and Marjorie made many trips together traveled all around the world. However, as time passed she became more and more controlling and just flat nasty to Bernie. She was very possessive. Bernie ended up being her personal servant, clipping her toenails and being at her beck and call 24/7 and so on.
One day, on their way to lunch, Bernie snapped. He picked up the armadillo rifle (armadillos dig up yards looking for bugs & roots so many folks shoot them as varmints) and plugged Marjorie four times.
If we believe Bernie, he was horrified by what he had done. But instead of coming clean about his moment of madness he wrapped Marjorie in a sheet and stuck her in the chest freezer with the pot pies and TV dinners. Where she stayed for 9 months.
Bernie told folks Marjorie had some health problems and was in a rest home, while he proceeded to continue to spend her money. But he didn’t just spend it on himself, he used her money to improve the lives of the people of the town of Carthage.
He made business loans, helped people get started out in business, he began scholarships for students at the local college and supported charities and youth groups.
When Marjorie’s family finally convinced the sheriff that something fishy was going on Bernie tearfully confessed all.
Here’s where it gets really pretty interesting. The town so loved Bernie, and so despised Marjorie, that they wanted to let him off!
The prosecuting DA had to move the trial two counties over in order to find a jury that wouldn’t automatically let Bernie off, as every potential juror in Carthage had said they’d do.
In fact, all the locals interviewed in the movie continue to say this.
Unfortunately for Bernie, the jury two counties over convicted him of first degree murder and sentenced him to life in prison.
The good folks of Carthage are still carping over the raw deal Bernie got.
Sure, he killed Marjorie, they say, but Bernie was provoked and Marjorie was so mean she had it coming anyway!
Local resident Kay Baby opined , in her raspy Texas drawl, that she knew a hundred people that would have gladly plugged ol’ Marjorie for 5 bucks!
If you watched this flick, what do you think? Do you think Bernie deserved life in prison?
Stephanie Kelley
