Ernest Goes to Jail
1990 · Movie · PG · 81 min · ★ 5.0 · 27% critics
A well-meaning bank janitor gets called for jury duty and ends up caught in a bizarre case of mistaken identity when a dangerous look-alike takes his place. Trapped behind bars, he scrambles to survive, clear his name, and break out in time to prove the mix-up before his life is turned upside down.
Also known as Ernest 3 - Goes to Jail · Ernest en prison
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Details
- Years
- 1990
- Release date
- 1990-04-06
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
- Runtime
- 81 min
- Critic score
- 27/100
- TMDB rating
- 5.0/10 (174 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a silly, family-friendly comedy packed with broad slapstick and a simple mistaken-identity setup, in the same playful lane as Baby's Day Out or The Pink Panther; Not for you if you need grounded realism or subtle humor.
Pros: nonstop slapstick gags; cartoonish, kid-friendly fun; memorable goofy moments | Cons: low-brow humor; thin logic at times; predictable story beats
Themes
- prison
- tennessee
- janitor
- electric chair
- bank robbery
- impersonation
- doppelgänger
- prison break
- magnetism
- irreverent
- lighthearted
- absurd
- +8 more
Cast & crew
Jim Varney
as Ernest P. Worrell
Gailard Sartain
as Chuck
Bill Byrge
as Bobby
Barbara Tyson
as Charlotte Sparrow
- BS
Barry Scott
as Rubin Bartlett
Randall 'Tex' Cobb
as Lyle
- DL
Dan Leegant
as Oscar Pendlesmythe
Charles Napier
as Warden
Jackie Welch
as Judge
- CL
Charlie Lamb
as Another Con
Directed by John Cherry