Liar Liar

Movie review by Sarah Wenk, Common Sense Media
Liar Liar Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

Goofy '90s Carrey comedy has lots of profanity, sex.

PG-13 1997 97 minutes
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Parents say

age 12+

Based on 21 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 67 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Liar Liar is a 1997 comedy starring Jim Carrey as an attorney who is both dishonest at work and at home and is taught a lesson when his son wishes that he be forced to tell the truth for one whole day. This film contains a scene in which a character beats himself up very badly. There is also a seduction scene, though without any nudity or actual sex. During a courtroom scene, a tape recording presented as evidence plays a man and a woman having loud and passionate sex. There is frequent profanity, including "s--t," and a series of euphemisms for sex. In an elevator, Fletcher makes suggestive comments about a woman's large breasts. At work, a coworker asks, "How's it hangin'?," and Fletcher says, "Short, shriveled, and a little to the left." Expect reckless driving in one scene. While Fletcher is in jail, his secretary makes a joke about prison molestation.

Community Reviews

Christophe123
Christophe123 Adult
October 16, 2021
age 14+

More salacious than I remember it to be, embarrassing with kids

Saw this years ago with people my own age and thought it was funny, was hoping to watch 'dumb and dumber' on Netflix with the kids but not available so we watched 'Liar Liar' instead. Cringy and embarrassing a lot of the time with my 9 and 13 year old sons, a lot of sex talk, too much for even my 13 year old like, 'You're so pathetic you couldn't even get a porn star off' which had him giving me strange looks, like what was it I had him watching. Lots of stuff like that. Funny, but uncomfortable watching.

This title has:

Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.
missag
missag Adult
June 8, 2022
age 14+

Would be a great family film if they hadn't added all the adult themes and sex

This could be a great family movie if they removed the sexual discussions and moaning recording. It has a great message about being truthful and appreciating your family and time with family. I think the sex scenes and discussions of sex are out of place in a family movie about a kid wishing his dad would spend more time with him and be more reliable. It should really be rated over age 13.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much sex
See all 21 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Jim Carrey is a funny guy, and in LIAR LIAR he gives a funny performance as Fletcher Reede, a lawyer who gets through life by telling many lies. Some of them are little white lies, such as his compliments to his not-so-attractive coworkers on their appearance. Some are bigger, such as the ones he tells to get his petty criminal clients out of trouble. But the worst lies he tells are to his son Max, whom he's neglecting for work. Max's birthday wish is that his father will be rendered incapable of lying for one day, and the wish comes true. Fletcher is completely unable to lie, throwing his professional and personal lives into utter chaos.

Is It Any Good?

The moral is pretty easy to grasp -- it's better to tell the truth than to lie -- but in the rush to get to the happy ending, the film avoids the more complex issues involved. For example, when Fletcher tells his coworkers what he really thinks of them, he insults and hurts them, and his adoring secretary walks out on him (though later she walks back -- this is a comedy, after all). But that gets swept aside as Fletcher tries to stop his ex-wife from moving to Boston with her new boyfriend and Max.

In fact, the whole premise boils down to Fletcher telling Max he loves him, something we've never really doubted. Basically, this is a vehicle for Carrey, and he runs with it, doing his usual impressive rubber-bodied antics and clearly improvising quite a bit of the comedy. It's entertaining but ultimately rather hollow.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about lying and how it affects people. When Fletcher was telling lies, he got into a certain kind of trouble, but when he had to tell the truth, he found trouble of a different sort. Is it ever OK to lie?

  • Besides Liar Liar, what are some other examples of movies in which the plot centers on the style or persona of a famous actor? Why do you think movies like these -- called "star vehicles" -- get made?

  • What are some other examples of movies in which physical humor is employed? What do you think is the appeal of this type of humor?

Movie Details

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