The Importance of Being Ernest

In honor of this weekend's London Ontario International Film Festival of Canadian Movies, Sonny Drysdale Productions presents a tribute to Jim Varney, best known as 'Ernest P. Worrell' a.k.a. that 'Hey, Vern' guy.

Varney was not a Canadian. However, he did have a big effect on the new generation of Canadian film-makers who have come along since his death a mere seven years ago. Not only a comic genius, he was also a cinematic visionary.

Audiences got their first exposure to Varney - not as 'Ernest' - but on television as truck-driver/part-time country & western singer 'Virgil Sims' on Martin Mull's talk-show parody, Fernwood 2-Nite back in the late 1970s. He was a regular guest and would often sing his country classic, If I'da Know'd You'da Wanna Go Wit Me, I'da See'd That Ya Got Git Go.

Shortly afterwards, he created 'Ernest P. Worrell' and appeared in hundreds of low-budget regional TV commercials, talking to the never-seen 'Vern,' and selling everything from used cars to eggs - capping off each pitch with his catch-phrase, "Know what I mean?" The character became so popular that it led to a film career of close to 20 Ernest movies.

As an actor, he has been unfairly seen as a one-trick pony. But his talent was indisputable. Just check out his thousands of line-readings for "Hey, Vern." With just those two short monosyllables, he captures the imbicilic spirit in a way that hadn't been seen since Curly Howard. His influence as an actor can be seen on television shows on everything from Patrick French on 3rd Rock From the Sun to that 'Urkel' guy on Family Matters to Andy Richter on every sitcom he's done.

However, it is Varney's work as a cinematic wunderkind for which he is remembered. Just like all great auteurs - Orson Welles, Martin Scorcese, John Hughes - Varney liked to work with his own repertory company of actors - his dog Rimshot and that duo of weirdos - the fat bossy guy and that creepy silent toothless skinny old man.

Like most auteur, who prefer to work with the same trusted cinematographer, Varney went one step better by hiring the same director, John Cherry, in order to keep the Ernest vision intact.

Like the Duke, Clint Eastwood and Bogie, he wore the same outfit in every movie - baseball cap, tool-belt, a denim vest over a white T-shirt and jeans. He is instantly recognizable and thus becomes an incarnation of the "Everyman."

The recurring central theme which runs throughout his movies is that incompetence will always triumph and that being a self-deluded Know-it-all is our best defence for surviving in this post-atomic age. Surprisingly, it is delivered as a message of hope and optimism.

The result of all this myth-making is a truly impressive body of work. Noteworthy are Ernest Saves Christmas (1988) and Ernest Scared Stupid (1991.) However, it could be argued that Varney reached his artistic nadir in 1990 with Ernest Goes to Jail - probably the most brilliant comic masterpiece since Jerry Lewis' The Nutty Professor.

In Ernest Goes to Jail, Varney plays dual roles as Ernest and his evil-twin - a death-row gangster. Anyone who has seen the original Nutty Professor or Mike Myers as 'Austin' and 'Dr. Evil' or Norbit or the old Patty Duke Show, will know that this is no easy feat for an actor. Although his last projects were straight-to-video, since he was only 50 when he died, who knows what else the future may have held.

But to understand Jim Varney - philosopher and comic-guru - we must first look at his alter-ego and creation, Ernest P. Worrell. Ernest follows in the tradition of all great galoots. Varney tackles his role with the same wide-eyed enthusiasm as George 'Goober' Lindsey or Max 'Jethro' Baer. He's named 'Ernest' because just like those two, he earnestly believes that he is God's gift to civilization - but sadly, no one else has realized that yet.

Even sadder tho is that even today there are some who have not yet realized how important Varney is to the world of film. True, on the surface, his films appear to be stupid - but no more so than anything made by Adam Sandler or David Cronenberg. Better yet, there's nothing overtly pretentious about them. They don't pretend to be anything but shamelessly moronic entertainment.

But that perception has been changing as the public and film industry being to appraise Varney in a new light. At the Sundance Film Festival this year, young independent film-makers were openly citing Varney as a major influence. Hollywood mavericks like Zack '300' Snyder and Frank 'Sin City' Miller and Sofia Coppola have been quoted in the press to having "copped an Ernest," in their most recent films. The University of Beverly Hills offers a film-studies course in 'Ernestism.' Needless to say, he's adored in France.

And it is all in recognition of his greatest contribution to modern cinema - for pioneering that in-your-face style of film-making/acting. Because by shoving his face right into the camera lens, it is as if he's peering right out of the screen into our very souls. At us.

We are him. He is us. And we are all together.

Know what I mean?