TELLING LIES IN AMERICA
A Film Review by James Berardinelli
RATING: **1/2 OUT OF ****
United States, 1997 U.S. Release Date: 10/24/97 (limited) Running Length: 1:41 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Profanity, mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Brad Renfro, Kevin Bacon, Calista Flockhart, Maximilian Schell,
Paul Dooley
Director: Guy Ferland
Producers: Ben Myron, Fran Kuzui
Screenplay: Joe Eszterhas
Cinematography: Reynaldo Villalobos
Music: Nicholas Pike
U.S. Distributor: Banner Entertainment
It's said that every author, no matter how gory, grotesque, or sensationalistic their chosen genre, has a personal story to tell. In the case of Joe Eszterhas, one of Hollywood's highest-paid script writers (his credits include JAGGED EDGE, BASIC INSTINCT, and SHOWGIRLS), that tale is TELLING LIES IN AMERICA, a semi- autobiographical account of growing up as an immigrant in Cleveland during the early years of rock and roll. Eszterhas drafted the original screenplay for TELLING LIES about 15 years ago, and it looked like it would remain unproduced until his wife, Naomi, fell in love with the subject matter and pushed for Eszterhas to do a rewrite in order to get it into theaters. The result is director Guy Ferland's second feature (his first was THE BABYSITTER, which starred Alicia Silverstone) -- a movie that's vastly different from anything the writer has previously been involved with. TELLING LIES is simple, low-key, and, sadly, banal.
It's 1961 in Cleveland, and radio station WHK has a new rock and roll DJ. His name is Billy Magic (Kevin Bacon), and the teens love him. Billy has something of a checkered past -- he has been in four cities in the last five years -- but he always gets good ratings, so station managers are willing to take a chance on him. Inevitably, Billy starts looking for ways to supplement his income, and one of the most lucrative methods is to accept under-the-table payments from record producers in return for giving one of their songs extra play time.
Karchy Jonas (Brad Renfro), a Hungarian-born teenager living in the U.S., is one of Billy's biggest fans. In fact, in order to have his name read over the air as an entry into WHK's High School Hall of Fame, he forges dozens of his classmates' signatures on post cards he sends to the station. Eventually, Karchy gets a chance to meet Billy, and the two strike up a friendship. Billy, sensing a kindred spirit in his new pal, offers Karchy a job that includes changing records at the studio, helping out at sock hops, delivering money-filled envelopes, and lying to anyone who asks probing questions -- including the police.
While the main story focuses on the relationship between Billy and Karchy, and how this changes Karchy's perception of fame, fortune, and the American Dream, there are a couple of moderately-interesting subplots, each of which deserves more screen time than it is accorded. The first involves an underused Maximilian Schell as Karchy's father, Istvan. Istvan is studying to become an American citizen, and is suspicious of anything that could in any way jeopardize his chances -- including Karchy's friendship with Billy. Then there's the obligatory "first romance" thread, which has Karchy falling for a timid, pretty twentysomething woman (THE BIRDCAGE's Calista Flockhart) who seems destined to break his heart.
TELLING LIES possesses little to distinguish itself from numerous other period piece coming-of-age tales. All of the plot elements are familiar: immigrants struggling to assimilate into American society, the thrill of being recognized by someone important, the pain of falling for an older woman, and question of what constitutes friendship. We may not have previously witnessed this particular story with these characters, but we're well-acquainted with the general trajectory of the narrative. Additionally, the film's central theme, which deals with betrayal and its consequences, has the potential to be much more powerful than what's on screen. We never really experience Karchy's pain and disillusionment when he realizes that he has been seduced, bought, and played for a fool by the man he most admires.
TELLING LIES' one distinguishing characteristic is the level of acting. Kevin Bacon, as the smooth-talking, slick-as-oil DJ, is fantastic. This energetic performance ranks among the actor's best, and invigorates some of the film's less original sequences. Brad Renfro, who got his start in THE CLIENT before appearing opposite Bacon in SLEEPERS, holds his own as the shy, ostracized Karchy -- a lonely teenager who is trying to find meaning and acceptance in life. Renfro's portrayal rings true, and his scenes with Bacon mark TELLING LIES' best moments.
When writing TELLING LIES IN AMERICA, Eszterhas claims to have drawn upon many of his own experiences growing up in Cleveland as a Hungarian-born immigrant. Indeed, some of the vignettes have the ring of authenticity, but the overall plot is disappointingly generic. When compared to forceful coming-of-age tales like KING OF THE HILL and THIS BOY'S LIFE, TELLING LIES IN AMERICA finds itself in an unfavorable position. It's a sincere-yet-uninspired diversion, and not even two strong performances can elevate it to a higher level.
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@mail.cybernex.net
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