The Invention of Lying (2009)

Directors:

Ricky Gervais
Matthew Robinson

Writers (WGA):

Ricky Gervais (written by) &
Matthew Robinson (written by)

Release Date:

2 October 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

In a world where everyone can only tell the truth... ...this guy can lie.

Plot:

A comedy set in a world where no one has ever lied, until a writer seizes the opportunity for personal gain.

Plot Keywords:

Truth | Writer | Hospital | Screenwriter | Deathbed

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ricky Gervais	...	Mark Bellison
Jennifer Garner	...	Anna McDoogles
Jonah Hill	...	Frank
Louis C.K.	...	Greg
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Anthony
Fionnula Flanagan	...	Martha Bellison
Rob Lowe	...	Brad Kessler
Tina Fey	...	Shelley
Donna Sorbello	...	Anna's Mother
Stephanie March	...	Blonde
Ruben Santiago-Hudson	...	Landlord
John Hodgman	...	Wedding Overseer
Nathan Corddry	...	News Reporter
Jimmi Simpson	...	Bob
Martin Starr	...	Waiter #1

Also Known As:

This Side of the Truth (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language including some sexual material and a drug reference.

Runtime:

99 min | Canada:99 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45305) | UK:12A | Ireland:15A | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Focus Features International (FFI)

Trivia:

Director, writer and actor Ricky Gervais sponsored a Photoshop contest in Worth1000 related to the movie theme by asking contestants to edit known movie posters as if those posters were usually lying to the audience.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the funeral parlor, Anna takes Mark's hand, and the position of her other hand changes between shots. Before, her free hand is beside her leg. After, her free hand is on top of her leg.

Quotes:

Anna's Mother: Man In The Sky forbid!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2010) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Mr Blue Sky

When The Lie Gets So Big...

I admit it...I had little idea what this film was about when I plunked down my hard earned $$$$$'s to see it. I knew of Ricky Gervais from his work on the British version of 'The Office',as well as other fare for British television (and let's not forget his work in feature films such as 'Night At The Museum',as well). Basically, as a half hour short film,this film would really work. Padded out to nearly 100 minutes,it kind of gets old fast. The story concerns an alternate universe,much like ours,except nobody is allowed to lie,so people basically go around in life telling the absolute truth (without a scant trace of tact, mouthing some pretty harsh stuff that anybody else would just ruminate in their minds). One character,Mark Bellison (Gervais)is a writer for a major motion picture studio,who is a dumping ground for everybody's taunts,insults,etc. One day,while trying to withdraw some money from his dwindling account at the bank,he gets the idea to lie about how much money he really has (or doesn't have),and the idea works. Problem is,the lies start to pile up,one after another,until Mark becomes some kind of prophet,offering just about any pie in the sky rhetoric (come on,did you really expect that there would not be some kind of moral issues here?). Besides starring as Mark Belison, Ricky Gervais co writes & co directs this film (along with Matthew Robinson who also co writes & co directs). The rest of the cast is rounded out with the likes of Jennifer Garner,as Anna McDoogles, Mark's (potential)love interest,Rob Lowe,as a truly obnoxious yuppie co worker,Brad Kessler,who doesn't seem to have a good word for Mark,British screen veteran, Fionnula Flannagan as Mark's mother,Martha,and keep your eyes open for a brief,but most welcome appearance by Tina Fey,as Shelley,among others. This is the kind of film that will probably enjoy a new life when it gets eventually released on DVD/Blue Ray disc (you can surely do worse). Rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some naughty language & sexual content (but nothing too graphic)