A sad, true story - surprising in that it stars Jack Black - about mortician Bernie Tiede, who marries a much older woman, the wife of a man Bernie recently prepared for burial.
The woman, Marjorie Nugent, a miserable, nagging, selfish - but wealthy - Shirley MacLaine, makes Bernie's life a constant challenge, but he bears through with patience, consideration and love, the same attitude he's spread around their small town in Texas for the past few years.
He bears through that is, until he snaps, and shoots her four times in the back with a rifle they keep in the garage to hunt the pesky armadillos that dig up their lawn. Bernie hides Marjorie in the freezer and carries on, pretending to everyone that she's had a stroke and is in hospital. The pretense lasts for 4 months, until Marjorie's stockbroker is just too suspicious and calls in the police.
Bernie is arrested and brought to trial, but the townspeople rally round and vouch for their ever-loving mortician.
The film's comedic thread - and for me it's only value - comes from the real-life people who play themselves in the film, offering observations on Bernie and Marjorie that come as light relief to the sugar coated Jack Black and the horrible life that living in small town Texas must be.
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