This week we travel all the way back to 1990 with the third of four Ernest P. Worrell films, Ernest Goes to Jail. I remember seeing this film in the theatres and liking it. I wonder if it holds up.
The Plot
Ernest P. Worrell is the nighttime janitor at the local bank. Though he has ambitions to be a bank clerk, Ernest is struggling for that long sought after promotion because he is a bumbling fool who often does more damage than cleaning. When called upon for jury duty, the patriotic Ernest sees this as a great chance to serve his community, but little does he know, jury duty is going to put him in prison.
While visiting the crime scene at the prison with the rest of the courtroom, Ernest is switched out for an arch criminal Felix Nash. Eerily looking alike, no one notices the switch and now Ernest must play along with Nash’s goons or else Charlotte, his colleague at the bank, could be hurt.
Not willing to stay locked in a cage, Ernest and Nash have a final confrontation at the bank that frees the hapless caretaker and imprisons violent criminals.
The Good
Jim Varney brings a sweet sentimentality to the role of Ernest, that is impossible to duplicate with anyone else. Ernest is a buffoon, but he’s lovable, and despite his numerous mistakes, the audience will root for his success.
The Bad and the Ugly
Unlike Ernest Goes to Camp and Ernest Saves Christmas, there is little fun in this film. Ernest Goes to Jail allows Jim Varney to show his acting chops as both the lovable Ernest and tough crook Nash, but the setting, supporting characters, and humor is not appealing.
The problem is that the setting is too adult, and doesn’t allow the magic and whimsy of Ernest to touch the lives of others. Ernest needs to be paired with kids, or a retiring Santa Clause, not hardened criminals.
Beyond the Film Facts
- The tagline for the film is “Guilty of Maximum Fun in the First Degree!”.
- Ernest Goes to Jail is the last Ernest movie where Gailard Sartain plays the role of Chuck.
- This is the shortest Ernest film, clocking in at eighty-one minutes.
- Jim Varney and the writers were eager to give Ernest a love interest, Disney executives reportedly vetoed the idea.
- A few prison scenes were shot at the recently closed Tennessee State Penitentiary. This was also the shooting location for The Green Mile.
- Ernest Goes to Jail was the last successful Ernest movie at the box office.
- Director John Cherry’s voice can be heard on the loudspeaker in the mess hall scene.
- At one time there were plans for an Ernest spoof film of E.T. and for Ernest to go to space.
- This is the first Ernest film with Rimshot the dog played by Barkley. Initially, Varney is reported to have been worried that Barkley would upstage him in the movie. This caused Varney to be nervous and it took some time before he was able to relax around the dog.
- A former manufacturing plant in Nashville was converted to hold most of the sets from the film.
- When the movie opened in April of 1990, it landed in 3rd place opening weekend, with a take home amount of just over six million dollars.
- The film is not well reviewed on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Streamy Award
{The following four categories are based on a Film Reel scale.
1 Reel-Bored and Killing Time, 2 Reels-When You Have Some Time, 3 Reels-Make Some Time, 4 Reels-Big Screen Event}
I do have fond memories of watching Ernest movies when I was a kid. Revisiting them has been a bit tough, because while I still enjoy the charm/sincerity of Ernest Goes to Camp and Ernest Saves Christmas, I just can’t embrace anything beyond them.
Ernest Goes to Jail is a knockoff of classic prison break movies, and while the lunacy of Ernest P. Worrell can be very funny, the supporting cast and story does not match up with the humor that Jim Varney brings to the character.
I would have much rather had seen Ernest get blasted into space and must work with astronauts to get home. At least then he would have been able to apply his charm and work ethic in a unique way, with the appropriate supporting cast. Nobody wants to see Ernest P. Worrell put in a real dangerous place like prison. No one.
I remember liking the movie when I saw it as a kid, but that was a long time ago, and like my hairline, the times have changed.
Cast and Crew
- Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell
- Gailard Sartain as Chuck
- Barbara Tyson as Charlotte Sparrow
Directed by John R. Cherry III
Produced by Touchstone Pictures / Silver Screen Partners IV
Release Date: April 6, 1990
Budget: $9 million
Box Office Gross
Domestic: $25,029,569
Coming Soon
Next week a look back at the high-flying Charlie Sheen action pic, Terminal Velocity.