Liar Liar (1997)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Tom Shadyac

Writers (WGA):

Paul Guay (written by) &
Stephen Mazur (written by)

Release Date:

21 March 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy

Tagline:

Trust Me

Plot:

A fast track lawyer can't lie for 24 hours due to his son's birthday wish after the lawyer turns his son down for the last time.

Plot Keywords:

Wish | Lie | Lawyer | Birthday | Lying

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jim Carrey	...	Fletcher Reede
Maura Tierney	...	Audrey Reede
Justin Cooper	...	Max Reede
Cary Elwes	...	Jerry
Anne Haney	...	Greta
Jennifer Tilly	...	Samantha Cole
Amanda Donohoe	...	Miranda
Jason Bernard	...	Judge Marshall Stevens
Swoosie Kurtz	...	Dana Appleton
Mitch Ryan	...	Mr. Allan (as Mitchell Ryan)
Christopher Mayer	...	Kenneth Falk (as Chip Mayer)
Eric Pierpoint	...	Richard Cole
Randall 'Tex' Cobb	...	Skull
Cheri Oteri	...	Jane
SW Fisher	...	Pete

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sex related humor and language.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #35145) | USA:TV-PG (cut version) | Philippines:PG-13 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | UK:12 | Singapore:PG | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

City Hall - 200 N. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Imagine Entertainment

Trivia:

Max's teacher is reading to her class a story from Dr. Seuss "Green Eggs and Ham". Jim Carrey has played the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), and Horton in Horton Hears a Who! (2008), both Dr. Seuss stories.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Fletcher is chasing the airplane down the taxi way the aircraft shown is a Boeing 747, which in coach has 3-4-3 seating across each row. However, the interior shots in the plane show just a 3-3 configuration, which would indicate the plane is of some more common domestic variety (Boeing 757, 737, Airbus A320, etc). 747s are almost never used in US domestic flights, only international.

Quotes:

Greta: Mr. Reede, several years ago a friend of mine had a burglar on her roof, a burglar. He fell through the kitchen skylight, landed on a cutting board, on a butcher's knife, cutting his leg. The burglar sued my friend, he sued my friend. And because of guys like you *he won*. My friend had to pay the burglar $6,000. Is that justice?
Fletcher: No!
[Greta looks pleased, but then Fletcher continues]
Fletcher: I'd have got him ten.
[Greta stalks off, appalled]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Frasier: Liar! Liar! (#4.10)" (1997)

Better than "Honest"...

Do you know what the first movie I ever bought on video with my money was, when I was about 13? It was "The Mask", that most animated of superheroes played to perfection by Jim Carrey. Indeed, it is nigh-on impossible to imagine anyone else playing the part. Carrey's combination of manic behaviour and superior face-pulling was seen as a highly successful money-spinner in the Nineties, culminating in "Liar Liar". At least, until "Me, Myself And Irene".

"Liar Liar" has such a simple premise that it is difficult to believe it hasn't been done before. Carrey plays Fletcher, your typical sleazeball lawyer who spins so many lies that he constantly lets down his son and his mother (ER's Maura Tierney). When his son wishes his father couldn't tell a lie for a single day as he blows out his birthday cake candles, Fletcher is forced to tell nothing but the truth during an important case. Essentially, the movie is a tailor-made vehicle for Carrey as he thrashes about the movie like a fish out of water and gurns as though his life depended on it.

How much enjoyment you'll get from this comedy depends on how much you like Carrey in maniac-mode. He is the picture, dominating every scene he's in. It can get a bit too much at times and you do sometimes wish he'd just shut up for a minute or stops throwing his body about like a puppet without strings. But when he's not there, the movie sags badly and when he returns, he lights the screen up again until you get bored of the routine. When he's on form, Carrey is a master of slapstick and "Liar Liar" provides plenty of opportunity for comic set-pieces. The premise is explored to the full with every opportunity for a gag taken. Not all of them hit the mark but a good ratio do tickle the funny bone.

The other problem, besides Carrey chomping through the screen, is the sugary feel to the thing. If some of the humour were toned down (such as Carrey passing judgment on sleeping with Amanda Donohoe - something I'd like to do, quite frankly) then you'd get the impression that this would be a kiddie's film. To be honest, the only other actor who appears to be trying is Justin Cooper (Max, Carrey's son) and he has a horrible haircut in this, poor blighter. But like I said, this is Carrey's film as most of his back catalogue are. Even when he's in serious actor-mode like "The Truman Show" or "Man On The Moon", the movie seems to revolve around him. Like or loathe him, I can think of few other actors that can hold an audience's attention better than Carrey.

"Liar Liar" is a perfectly good comedy with feel-good moments in the right places and a rubber-faced star in the centre of all the action. Yes, it does feel glossy and engineered to do all the right things at the right time. It does very little to take comedy forward, besides tell an entertaining and original story. And yes, Carrey is screaming in your face as much as possible. But don't let that put you off - I still enjoyed "Liar Liar" at the second time of watching so it must do something right. Except The Claw, which is just wrong...