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Weekend at Bernie's

Weekend at Bernie's is a 1989 American black comedy film directed by Ted Kotcheff and written by Robert Klane.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Weekend at Bernie's is a 1989 American black comedy film directed by Ted Kotcheff and written by Robert Klane. It stars Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Catherine Mary Stewart, and Terry Kiser, and follows two insurance-company employees who try to pass off their dead boss as alive during a weekend at his beach house.

Plot

Larry Wilson and Richard Parker uncover evidence of embezzlement at their insurance company and report it to their boss, Bernie Lomax. When they arrive at Bernie's beach house, they find that Bernie has been killed, and they spend the weekend trying to make him appear alive.

Production

Weekend at Bernie's was directed by Ted Kotcheff from a screenplay by Robert Klane. It was released by 20th Century Fox, and multiple sources identify the film as a 1989 American black comedy.

Reception and legacy

The film became known for its premise of keeping a dead man appearing alive, and it later inspired a sequel. Contemporary and later reviews often describe it as a broad dark farce or irreverent comedy.

Filming locations

Although the story is set in the Hamptons, part of the film was shot in North Carolina, including Bald Head Island and the Old Baldy Lighthouse. A custom beach house set was built for filming at Fort Fisher Recreation Area.

Key facts

  • The film centres on two co-workers who discover their boss Bernie is dead and attempt to conceal it.
  • Bernie Lomax is played by Terry Kiser.
  • The film was directed by Ted Kotcheff and written by Robert Klane.
  • It was released in the United States on July 5, 1989.
  • The story is set around a weekend at a beach house in the Hamptons.
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Canadian context

The film is part of widely distributed North American popular culture and is familiar to Canadian viewers through television, home video, and streaming availability; no specifically Canadian production connection is indicated in the provided sources.

Frequently asked questions

What is Weekend at Bernie's about?
It follows two insurance-company employees who discover their boss is dead and try to conceal the death while pretending he is still alive.
Who directed Weekend at Bernie's?
The film was directed by Ted Kotcheff.
Who wrote Weekend at Bernie's?
The screenplay was written by Robert Klane.
When was Weekend at Bernie's released?
It was released in the United States on July 5, 1989.
Was there a sequel?
Yes. Weekend at Bernie's II was released after the original film.

References

  1. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098627/
    Supports: Release date, cast, plot synopsis, title
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weekend_at_Bernie's
    Supports: 1989 American black comedy classification, director, writer, plot, cast
  3. French Wikipedia — https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Week-end_chez_Bernie
    Supports: 1989 film, sequel mention, plot outline
  4. Time Out — https://www.timeout.com/movies/weekend-at-bernies
    Supports: Runtime, director, writer, cast, plot description
  5. Common Sense Media — https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/weekend-at-bernies
    Supports: Runtime, MPAA rating, studio, release date, director, cast
  6. Movie-Locations.com — https://movie-locations.com/movies/w/Weekend-At-Bernies.php
    Supports: Filming locations in North Carolina, Bald Head Island, Old Baldy Lighthouse, set construction