i don’t say Ernest Scared Stupid is one of the best movies of the 90s or something, but the classic Halloween comedy has been one of my favorites since I first saw it as a kid. Recently, after many years and countless attempts, I finally convinced my family to watch Ernest P. Worrell fight a group of evil trolls in one of the most entertaining Halloween moviesand it had quite an impact, especially on my wife.

As crazy as it sounds, my wife of 12 years, who knows me better than anyone on the planet, now has a better understanding of me, my personality, and my love for all things Ernest. It’s not like we’re strangers—we’ve been married for almost a decade, we have three kids, two dogs, two cats, and five chickens (the ducks have flown)—but watching this admittedly silly movie opened her eyes and I feel it more than ever.

This was the first time my wife actually watched a movie with Ernest