You don’t watch an Ernest movie for the plot. You watch it to see Jim Varney. Sad thing is, Jim was a genius, and Shakespearian actor, who somehow ended up known for being a buffoon.
This was about the last flick in the series with some real effort/budget, before things really devolved into straight-to-home-video-or-TV. Not that you’d know it from his performance; even with some major health issues near the end, you won’t catch him half assing anything.
Director John Cherry once stated there was no preparation; after absorbing a script with his photographic memory, the day of shooting, he’d jump right into action. If you’re interested in looking deeper, here’s a short documentary I found: Jim Varney: The Original Viral Star.
Love him or not, on Movie Night we’ll be streaming this seasonal installment of Ernest, or as my girlfriend calls him: Madea for white people. Join us in the live chat, Saturday 9PM Eastern at this link. And to be warned when the stream is live, be sure to set up notifications. See you there.
