LIAR LIAR
A film review by Michael Yagnow
Copyright 1997 Michael Yagnow
The last time Jim Carrey popped up on the big screen was is THE CABLE GUY, a total waste of time. After THE MASK, DUNB & DUMBER, THE CABLE GUY, and the same Ace Ventura movie made twice, I (along with most of America over ten years old) was ready to give up on the goofy actor. I must say, though, LIAR, LIAR really surprised me. It actually had a point, a message! The movie is about Fletcher Reid, a lawyer, father, and pathological liar. After Fletcher (played by Carrey) misses his son, Max's, birthday party, Max makes a wish that his father can't tell a lie for one day. The next shot is of a clock: 8:15. The camera moves to Fletcher in bed with a woman to his left. When asked how his recent sexual experience was, he answers: "I've had better." So begins the plot: Fletcher Reid can't lie for twenty-four hours. So how can he win his case for bimbo/adultress Virginia Cole (Jennifer Tilly) when the only way to do it is to lie? How can he stop this curse before he goes to court? LIAR, LIAR unfolds into a series of comic and, suprisingly, heartwarming scenes with Fletcher, his son, his wife, his wife's boyfriend, and Virginia Cole. The movie makes us face the truth that we tell hundreds of little white lies every day. What if we couldn't? LIAR, LIAR is definitely Jim Carrey's best to date. Though it is not one of my favorite movies, it is definitely worth seeing.
Rating: *** out of a possible **** MPAA: PG-13 for profanity, sexual humor, and some mild violence
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