This is an interesting true story, and I think that's the main attraction. There's also Jack Black giving a pretty good performance (and singing every chance he gets in the movie), and Matthew McConaughey in some ugly glasses. Some of the best lines, however, are delivered by real people familiar with the events of the movie, which mixes the dramatic scenes with "interviews" with locals from Carthage, Texas. (I say "interviews" because I'm not sure whether the lines were actually scripted or not.)
In the end, though, Bernie is just a bit boring. I'd heard a radio story about the movie earlier, which described the real-life events that inspired the movie. I don't think that knowing what happens really spoils the movie---there really isn't any suspense, except perhaps for the sentencing part at the end. But events unfold onscreen in a very matter-of-fact way, and if it weren't for the colorful local interviews and the occasional funny scene, this movie would be unwatchable. As it is, it's an enjoyable movie that raises some thoughtworthy questions about crime, punishment, and popularity.
