Weekend at Psychopath’s

Bernie Lomax would be the perfect host except for one small thing… He’s Dead. His two psychopathic employees try to still have a party once they find his dead body.

Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed watching Weekend at Bernie’s. It’s funny, it’s goofy, it’s charming, it’s a late 80’s early 90’s classic. The thing is though, it’s not quite right.

If you haven’t seen Weekend at Bernie’s I would suggest doing so, it is a pretty funny movie and as weird as it is you will definitely get a laugh. That said, if you have no intention of seeing the movie and would rather read my plot synopsis and critique then be my guest.

The plot is essentially this:

1. Two accountants find a 2 million dollar inconsistency in the ledger.
2. They take it up to their boss, who is the reason for this inconsistency (unknown to them)
3. Their boss, Bernie Lomax, invites them to his beach house to kill them
4. The mobsters that Bernie works for decides to kill Bernie instead (don’t worry, there are reasons, not particularly great reasons, but reasons)
5. The two employees show up and find their boss dead
6. Instead of reporting it to the police, they decide to relax at his beach house for a weekend and slap some shades on Bernie so nobody thinks he is dead.
7. A bunch of scenes where the mob is confused about Bernie still being alive
8. A dead body defeats the mob

Now here is where it gets weird. Who in their right minds would see a dead body and go, “Oh, let’s hang out with that dead body and keep throwing parties and have a great weekend.”? Psychopaths, that’s who.

What does the movie do to justify this behavior? Glad you asked. It defines the two characters by two different things. One of them is just trying to have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend at a beach house and is defined by his erratic behavior the entire movie. The other character seems completely normal, hard working, middle-class American male, who would be very likely (as in actually attempts) to report a dead body when he sees one.

So when it finally comes time and the scene happens where they see the dead body, the erratic one immediately sees the body as a ticket to having chilling in a beach house and throwing parties all weekend, AKA complete detachment from death. The other protagonist acts accordingly, kind of.

The normal(ish) protagonist tries to hold up an argument of morality by suggesting (as he should) that they shouldn’t defile a dead body for a weekend of fun at a dead man’s beach house. What this protagonist learns though is that the girl of his dreams just happens to also be at that beach and quickly changes his position to that of his friend.

The whole movie plays it off as a lighthearted comedy. As they continue to fling around the dead body they can’t stop making dead person jokes, which although in any other context would be tasteless, actually appears pretty funny. All in all, the movie does a good job about hiding the morbid fact that it is about two psychopaths who would stop at nothing to have a fun weekend.

Just remember if you watch it, take a step back and think. Do you know of anyone who would fake a dead body being alive to hang out at a beachfront house and party for a weekend? If so here is my wise words of advice, DO NOT DIE AROUND THEM.