Liar Liar is a 1997 American comedy film starring Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney and Justin Cooper.
Plot[]
Fletcher Reede is a divorced defense lawyer living in Los Angeles who loves spending time with his young son, Max. However, he has a habit of giving precedence to his career, breaking promises to Max and his ex-wife Audrey, and then lying about the reasons. After Fletcher misses Max's birthday party when senior partner Miranda lures him into having sex in the office to land a promotion, Max makes a birthday wish for Fletcher to be unable to lie for one day.
Fletcher soon discovers that he is unable to lie, mislead, or withhold the truth. This alienates him from Miranda and his secretary Greta, gets his car impounded when he confesses all of his traffic infractions and unpaid parking tickets to a police officer, and causes him an inability to bend the truth in court.
Fletcher's newest client is Samantha Cole, a gold digger who wants to get around a pre-nup with her soon-to-be ex-husband, Richard Cole. The main witness, Kenneth Falk, with whom Samantha has been cheating, is eager to lie in court to win, but Fletcher cannot suborn perjury. Meanwhile, Audrey is considering a move to Boston with Jerry, who proposed upon receiving a job offer there. Although they have not been together long, she accepts, to protect Max from future disappointments that Fletcher may cause him.
Fletcher tries to delay the case by staging an assault on himself but is unable to lie his way into a continuance. Knowing that he cannot refute the proof of Samantha's adultery, he successfully disputes the validity of her prenuptial agreement after hearing her reveal her actual age during an argument. Discovering Samantha signed it as a minor without parental consent, this entitles her to 50% of Richard's marital assets, allowing Fletcher to win the case truthfully. However, Samantha also insists on contesting custody of their children for extra child support payments. Fletcher watches as she pulls her crying children out of Richard's arms. Horrified, he demands the decision be reversed, but the judge holds him in contempt.
Fletcher calls Audrey to bail him out, but she informs him that their plane leaves for Boston that night. Greta, realizing he turned over a new leaf, pays his bail. Fletcher rushes to the airport, but Audrey and Max's plane has left the gate. In desperation, he hijacks a mobile stairway to pursue the plane onto the runway. He gets the plane to stop but is injured after he crashes the mobile stairway and gets thrown off. On a stretcher, Fletcher vows to Max that he will spend more time with him. He says that despite the fact that he is free to lie now that the 24 hours have elapsed, it feels better to be honest. Max believes him, and Audrey, encouraged by Jerry, decides to remain in California.
One year later, Fletcher and Audrey are celebrating Max's birthday. Max makes a birthday wish, only to find that Fletcher and Audrey are kissing when the lights come back on. Fletcher asks Max if he wished for them to get back together, but he says he only wished for rollerblades. The family returns to normal as Fletcher chases Audrey and Max around the house with "the Claw", a game that Fletcher often plays with Max.
Cast[]
- Jim Carrey as Fletcher Reede
- Maura Tierney as Audrey Reede
- Jennifer Tilly as Samantha Cole
- Swoosie Kurtz as Dana Appleton
- Amanda Donohoe as Miranda
- Jason Bernard as Judge Marshall Stevens
- Mitchell Ryan as Mr. Allan
- Anne Haney as Greta
- Justin Cooper as Max Reede
- Cary Elwes as Jerry
- Chip Mayer as Kenneth Falk
- Randall "Tex" Cobb as Skull
- Eric Pierpoint as Richard Cole
- Cheri Oteri as Jane
- SW Fisher as Pete
- Ben Lemon as Randy
- Jarrad Paul as Zit Boy
- Marianne Muellerleile as Ms. Berry
- Stephen James Carver as Police Officer
- Krista Allen as Lady in Elevator
- Don Keefer as Beggar at Courthouse