My favourite Jim Carrey comedy.

Rating: 8/10 (28 December 2013)

True enough that "Liar Liar" isn't exactly original - see also the 1941 Bob Hope vehicle "Nothing But the Truth" - and that it's ultimately formulaic Hollywood stuff, but when Carrey is on fire, this movie is just riotous. He indulges in some memorable rubber-face and body contorting gags, all in the name of laughs. The script, by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur, allows him some great opportunities to improvise and bring the house down.
He plays Fletcher Reede, a hotshot attorney with a tendency to lie a LOT. And he's good at it, too. Unfortunately, this leads to him upsetting his young son Max (adorable Justin Cooper) one too many times, and the neglected boy makes a birthday wish that his dad will be unable to lie for 24 hours. Naturally, the wish comes true, and Fletcher suffers one major episode after another as he struggles to get through an important divorce case without resorting to falsehoods.
Most everybody else here plays the straight man (or woman, as the case may be) to the energetic star. They help to ground the story in *some* level of reality, although by the big action climax, things go completely over the top. One good touch in the movie is to not portray the new man in the ex-wife's life as a villain, i.e. someone she obviously shouldn't be with. There may be a little too much sentiment here for some folks' tastes, but there's still plenty of shtick and good lines to enjoy, such as Fletcher beating himself up in a public restroom, his various bouts of truth telling, and his "roasting" of his fellow employees. Carrey is ably supported by such fine actors and actresses as Maura Tierney, Jennifer Tilly, Swoosie Kurtz, Amanda Donohoe, Cary Elwes, Jason Bernard, Mitch Ryan, Anne Haney, and a briefly seen Cheri Oteri.
Very funny overall, with the closing credits outtakes adding to the "feel good" vibes.
Dedicated to the late Bernard, who died on the last day of filming.
Eight out of 10.