Synopsis
Ernest, a lovable loser who works as a summer camp handyman and dreams of becoming a guidance councilor, must find a way to inspire a group of juvenile delinquents as well as stop a shady strip mining company from closing the camp.
Scores
Overall Score
68.8
Popularity Percentile (Year)
69.5%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
75.1%
Review Aggregate
56.4
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is mixed, with 67% of 6 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize funny, family-friendly, character-driven. Common reservations focus on execution consistency, even when reviewers praise standout elements.
funnyfamily-friendlycharacter-drivenemotionalvisually strikingthought-provoking
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Varney | 1987 | $560,000 | $1,546,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score62.0
RT critic review count13
Rotten Tomatoes audience score51.0
RT audience rating count25,000
IMDb rating5.5
IMDb votes13,097
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 1987 | $23,509,382 | $64,919,834 |
| International | 1987 | N/A | N/A |
| Worldwide | 1987 | $23,509,382 | $64,919,834 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 1987 | $11,754,691 | $32,459,917 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 1987 | N/A | N/A |
| Digital Purchases ? | 1987 | N/A | N/A |
| Physical Rentals ? | 1987 | $24,668,000 | $68,119,292 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 1987 | $11,507,000 | $31,775,932 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 1987 | $5,877,346 | $16,229,958 |
| Total Revenues | 1987 | $53,807,036 | $148,585,100 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 1987 | $3,500,000 | $9,665,053 |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 1987 | $4,375,000 (est) | $12,081,316 (est) |
| Participations | 1987 | $4,305,000 | $11,888,015 |
| Residuals ? | 1987 | $2,950,000 | $8,146,259 |
| Interest & Overhead | 1987 | $700,000 | $1,933,011 |
| Total Expenses | 1987 | $15,830,000 | $43,713,653 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 1987 | $37,977,036 | $104,871,447 |
Similar Movies
| Poster | Movie | Year | Match | Overall | Est. Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Ernest Saves Christmas | 1988 | Shared franchise (1) | 71.2 | $43,642,582 |
 | Ernest Goes to Jail | 1990 | Shared franchise (1) | 63.8 | $50,338,177 |
 | Ernest Scared Stupid | 1991 | Shared franchise (1) | 63.1 | $32,888,027 |
 | Ernest Rides Again | 1993 | Shared franchise (1) | 23.3 | $8,163,026 |
 | Bean | 1997 | Shared genres: 3 | 85.3 | $116,091,866 |