I know Bernie has been out since late April, but I don't think anyone has commented on it here.

Jack Black, generally known as a rumpled but sophomoric comedian, demonstrates that his range far exceeds what he's done before. I was not prepared for his Bernie character and initially thought I would dislike him for his prissy ways. Like the entire town before me, he persuaded me of his basic goodness.

This is an almost black comedy, but ends up as a sweet story of how things can go terribly awry--even in church. I'd guess it falls in the genre of "no good deed goes unpunished." In that regard, Bernie's wonderfully sweet personal traits somehow lead him to the wrong side of a murder. His victim is Shirley MacLaine who plays the wicked witch part extremely well. As she gets into her late seventies, her career has once again taken off. She's still capable of making an audience rise to her. Finally, Matthew McConaughey plays the small town prosecutor very realistically.

The movie is based on a true story, so its poignancy is very real. Yet, there is always something campy to feel throughout the film. At the film's end, Black's mincing walk through the prison amply demonstrates the point.

The main thing that Jack gets to do is to play Robin Hood to Shirley's nasty queen. Bernie has theatrical talent that comes out in an unexpected way which allows him to sing and dance his way through the movie. And believe me, the fat man can do both. I never knew he had it in him. He is simply delightful as he displays those talents. His voice is well-trained and he has pretty good vocal range in a wide variety of tunes--show, gospel, and rock.

It's a small film, but well worth seeing.