Director Richard Linklater in NY Talks about Bernie. Photo Credit - Michelle Alexandria
Self-taught writer-director Richard Linklater was among the first and most successful talents to emerge during the American independent film renaissance of the 1990s. Typically setting each of his movies during one 24-hour period, Linklater’s work explored what he dubbed “the youth rebellion continuum,” focusing in fine detail on generational rites and mores with rare compassion and understanding while definitively capturing the 20-something culture of his era through a series of nuanced, illuminating ensemble pieces which introduced any number of talented young actors into the Hollywood firmament. (Note, bio from IMDB). Richard’s latest film is a comedy/drama based on a real life story. In Bernie, Jack Black plays a likable mortician in a small Texas town who kills his companion (Played by Shirley MacLaine). This movie features one of Jack Black’s best performances and is one of the weirdest (in a good way) movies about Small Town America in awhile. Matthew McConaughey is fantastic as the town’s DA who prosecutes Bernie. I sat down with Richard for the NY Press Day. It went a little something like this….
Part 1
Part 2