I’m not saying Ernest Scared Stupid is one of the best ‘90s movies or anything like that, but the classic Halloween comedy has been one of my favorites since I first watched it as a kid. Recently, after many years and countless attempts, I finally convinced my family to watch Ernest P. Worrell battle a group of evil trolls in one of the best fun Halloween movies, and it had quite an impact, especially on my wife.
As crazy as it seems, my wife, who I have been with for 12 years and who knows me better than just about anyone on the planet, now has a better understanding of me, my personality, and my love of all things Ernest. It’s not like we’re strangers – we’ve been married for close to a decade, have three kids, two dogs, two cats, and five chickens (the ducks flew away) – but watching this admittedly silly movie opened her eyes, and I feel like she gets me more than ever.
This Was The First Time My Wife Had Really Watched An Ernest Movie
Here’s something I’ve found out over the years: not everyone grew up obsessed with the Ernest movies or any of those classic commercials and videos featuring Jim Varney’s iconic lunkheaded character. My wife falls into that camp. She didn’t grow up learning that milk kills trolls in Ernest Scared Stupid, or what happens when you have an evil twin in Ernest Goes to Jail, or how to prevent a beloved summer camp from being destroyed in Ernest Goes to Camp, one of the best summer camp movies ever made.
As a kid of the ‘80s, she knew the character, but just never watched the movies. As she put it, “I grew up with all sisters,” meaning, she didn’t watch those old VHS tapes so much that they became warped and sounded all weird. I guess she had better things to do with all her free time besides wasting away with that beloved doofus who was a major part of my childhood (and that of my brother, who was equally obsessed with Mr. Worrell).
Ernest Scared Stupid, as I found out, was her first honest experience with Ernest P. Worrell and all his hilarious split personalities. And it was quite an experience for her.
At First, She Didn’t Get Ernest P. Worrell Or Why I Was So Obsessed With Him
Considering my wife had only a cursory knowledge of the Ernest cinematic universe, she never “got” Ernest P. Worrell or why her 36-year-old husband turned into a kid whenever he was brought up. If anything, she thought he looked like a skinny John Cena (try to unsee the similarities) who was prone to getting hit in the head, making some exaggerated facial expressions, or being the butt of a joke.
And while those are all true, especially the fact that the late Jim Varney looked like the great wrestler-turned-actor, Ernest, at least in my view, was always more than that. Yeah, he is goofy, but he has heart. Sure, he is clumsy, but he’d do anything for those he cares about (even those who laugh at him or take advantage of him). And I’ll admit, he is annoying at times, but can’t that be said about all of us?
My wife may not have understood Ernest or my undying devotion to him before we pressed play, but it was a different story by the time the credits rolled 80-plus minutes later.
But After Finishing The Movie, She Was Like ‘Oh, This Makes Sense’
I’m not saying Ernest Scared Stupid is some profound, life-changing film, or anything like that, but after watching the movie I feel like my wife understands my sense of humor, my little quirks, and oftentimes annoying mannerisms better than ever. After finishing the movie (again, her first Ernest experience), she had an attitude of “Oh, this makes sense,” in regards to me being the way I am.
By watching the movie, my wife got into the mind of her husband and learned that those ridiculous Ernest movies shaped him in his formative years, why he says so many terrible and nonsensical jokes, why he thinks milk is a good weapon against trolls, and why he never let that piece of his childhood go. It sounds silly and preposterous, I know, but I feel like my wife gets my very essence after this experience.
It’s Not Like We Were Strangers, But I Had Never Exposed My Wife (Or Kids) To This Side Of Me Before
My wife and I have been together for 12 years, so it’s not like we were strangers going into this Ernest Scared Stupid experience. It’s just that I had never exposed my wife (or kids) to this side of me before, though I’ve tried and failed to spread the gospel of Ernest up until this point.
I don’t want to compare the two movies, but it was similar to when I watched Little Women with my wife years ago, and in the process gained a better understanding of her and her experiences having three sisters. I saw a part of her in Jo March, and my wife’s sisters in each of the March girls, which left me with not only a greater appreciation of the classic book adaptation but my wife and her experiences.
Rewatching Ernest Scared Stupid Also Helped Me Realize How Much These Movies Shaped My Childhood
Revisiting Ernest Scared Stupid as an adult helped me realize how much these movies shaped my childhood and created lifelong memories and shared experiences with my brothers. I don’t get to see my brothers all that often these days since we live 700 miles apart, but watching Ernest bang his head, get into a desperate situation, or scare himself stupid takes me back to the days of sitting in the living room with our old VHS tapes.
And unlike some of those other ‘90s movies that didn’t stand the test of time, Ernest Scared Stupid is almost better today than it was more than 30 years ago. And you know, it might be these rose-tinted glasses of mine, but it has been fun taking a stroll down memory lane with my wife and kids to remember something that meant so much to me way back when. This is especially true after remembering how much I loved the film’s opening credits sequence.
Overall, I feel like my wife, for better or worse, understands why I’m the way I am thanks to Ernest P. Worrell, which I know sounds absurd. With the end of the year right around the corner, maybe I’ll have to sneak Ernest Saves Christmas onto the old list of classic holiday movies I have to revisit every year.