Big Fat Liar

***Big Fat Liar*** is a 2002 American teen comedy film directed by Shawn Levy. It was theatrically released in the United States on February 8, 2002.

## Plot

Jason Shepherd is a 14-year-old compulsive liar living in the town of Greenbury, Michigan who tries to lie his way out of a creative writing assignment, but gets caught by his English teacher, who alerts his parents. He is given three hours to submit his essay and avoid repeating English in summer school. Inspired by his talent for lying, Jason writes a story titled "Big Fat Liar". While riding his sister's old bike to turn in the essay, Jason is accidentally run over by the limousine of an arrogant Hollywood screenwriter and producer, Marty Wolf, and he convinces Marty to give him a ride. Marty, also a compulsive liar, is in town shooting his film *Whitaker and Fowl*. In a rush, Jason accidentally leaves his essay in the limo when it falls out of his backpack. Inspired, Marty keeps the story for himself. Realizing his essay is missing, Jason tries to explain what happened, but he is sent to summer school.

Jason and his best friend, Kaylee, discover Marty has plagiarized Jason's essay into a film when they see a theatrical trailer. They fly to Los Angeles while their parents are out of town for the weekend and sneak into Marty's studio office to request that Marty confess to his parents, but he purposefully burns Jason's essay and calls security to remove them. Angered, the two plot to inconvenience him until he confesses. Marty's former limo driver and struggling actor, Frank Jackson, agrees to help. Jason and Kaylee sabotage Marty through pranks such as dying his skin blue via his swimming pool and his hair orange via his shampoo. They also superglue his headset to his ear; trick him into going to a child's birthday party, where the children mistake him for the hired clown and attack him; and tamper with his car's controls, which causes Marty's car to malfunction. Marty's car is also rear-ended by a cranky elderly woman into a monster truck owned by the Masher, a wrestler, who destroys it.

Marty plans to produce *Big Fat Liar* with Universal Pictures, but new president Marcus Duncan, seeing the commercial and critical failure of *Whitaker and Fowl*, refuses to approve the budget, so Jason agrees to help Marty in exchange for his confession to his parents. With Jason's advice, Marty makes a successful presentation and gets the film approved by Universal, but Marcus warns Marty that anymore problems will result in Universal pulling the plug and will end his career. Marty subsequently betrays Jason and calls security to remove him and Kaylee again. Marty's abused assistant, Monty Kirkham, offers to help Jason and Kaylee expose him. They rally Marty's other tormented employees, while Jason calls his parents to tell them the truth about the weekend.

The next morning, Marty heads to the studio to begin filming *Big Fat Liar*, but his employees delay him through many mishaps. As Marty finally arrives, he encounters Jason, who kidnaps his stuffed monkey toy, Mr. Funnybones. Jason flees across the studio, luring Marty to a rooftop where he retrieves his toy and mocks Jason. Marty boastfully admits his actions, unaware the entire conversation is being witnessed by Jason's parents, the media, and Marcus, who immediately fires him. Jason thanks Marty for teaching him an important lesson about the truth. Marty furiously tries to attack him, but Jason leaps off the building and safely lands on a stunt cushion, where he finally regains his parents' trust.

Universal produces *Big Fat Liar* soon after Marty's firing while using the skills of people he had abused. The film becomes a critical success, and Jason receives full credit for writing his original story. Meanwhile, Marty declares bankruptcy and begins a new job as a birthday clown. At a party, the Masher orders his son, Darren, to kick Marty in his crotch. He screams in horror and upon impact grunts and groans.

## Cast

**Frankie Muniz** as Jason Shepherd

**Paul Giamatti** as Marty Wolf

**Amanda Bynes** as Kaylee

**Amanda Detmer** as Monty Kirkham

**Donald Faison** as Frank Jackson

**Lee Majors** as Vince