Liar Liar is a comedy starring Jim Carrey, Justin Cooper, Polly Holiday, Maura Tierney, Carey Elwes, Swoosie Kurtz, Jennifer Tilly, Amanda Donohoe, and Jason Bernard.
Fletcher Reede (Carrey) is a successful and completely slimy lawyer who can't complete a sentence without lying, everything from white lies (I like your weird new haircut, Cheri Oteri) to repeated broken promises to his son Max (Cooper). Fletcher's ex-wife Audrey (Tierney) tries to keep the relationship between him and Max solid, but has an offer from her earnest if somewhat milquetoasty boyfriend Jerry (Elwes) to move to Boston and marry him.
And then Fletcher misses Max' birthday party when his boss (Donohoe) sexually harasses him (oh, wait, sorry, it's an attractive woman coming on to a man and he consents even though he's not especially into it, so it's not harassment, my bad), and Max wishes that for one day, his dad can't lie. Fletcher quickly discovers that he's physically incapable of lying and will compulsively (if sarcastically) tell the truth asked any question, but he's also incapable of writing a lie or even asking a question if he knows the answer is a lie. Hilarity ensues!
The backdrop here is that Fletcher is trying to win a divorce case between a very rich fellow (Eric Pierpont) and his gold-digging wife Samantha (Tilly), complicated by the fact that he has no real case - they had a prenup, she banged...well, lots of dudes, he has proof. Fletcher probably could have argued the case successfully with his usual style of bullshit, but unable to lie he just tries to postpone until he eventually stumbles onto a legal technicality that allows him to win...only to be confronted with the horrible consequences as Samantha tries to use her kids (whom she hates and her ex loves) to squeeze more money out of them. Fletcher learns a Valuable Lesson about honesty, reconciles with Max, and (this is important), Audrey chooses to stay in California and Jerry goes on to Boston.
This is a 90s Jim Carrey movie where he's being, well, Jim Carrey, and it's probably the best of them? No fart jokes, no surprise transphobia, he doesn't talk using his ass. I mean, I like The Mask, too, but this is a bit more wholesome. Fletcher Reede is loud and obnoxious, but Carrey is actually a good actor and he's got some real chemistry with his supporting cast (Tierney and Cooper, especially, but also with Swoosie Kurtz as the attorney representing Cole). As such, when Fletcher has moments with Max, they feel genuine, and he feels believably self-centered enough that when lying doesn't work and he faces repercussions for his lies, he's kind of stunned. Carrey's physical comedy works here, in part because it doesn't feel like he's performing for nobody (this was one of the many issues I had with Ace Ventura) and in part because also Fletcher is flamboyant generally, grappling with the curse is clearly difficult.
Another thing I've always liked about Liar Liar is that it doesn't take the easy way out with Jerry. Jerry is a nice, kind, loving man who clearly adores both Audrey and Max. He doesn't brag about cheating on her, he doesn't abuse her or Max, he doesn't get mad or try to slug Fletcher (even when he richly deserves it), and when Audrey breaks it off with him, he gracefully exits the picture. Name me another romcom that does that. (Carey Elwes apparently read airport self-help books to get into character as Jerry, which is so goddamn perfect.)
My Grade: B+
Rewatch Value: High
Next up: Paris, Je'taime
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