There’s something in Liar Liar you probably picked up on long ago that recently dawned on me. I apologize in advance for being late to the party, but at least I finally got here. Also, I realized something else about this film that makes it stand out as a great movie. Here’s what I discovered.

Setting the Stage

When you boil it down, Liar Liar is about a father (Fletcher Reede) who loves his son (Max) and regrets the decisions he’s made to alienate the young boy as well as his ex-wife (Audrey). And that really comes out when he’s forced to only tell the truth for 24 hours after he misses his son’s birthday.

After some unfortunate misadventures, Fletcher’s car gets impounded by the police, so he has to beg Audrey to help him get it back. And that’s where he learns that Audrey is planning on going across the country with Max to start a new life with her current fiancé. Now that we know the stakes (Fletcher can’t lie and Audrey and Max are about to go far away from Fletcher), watch how this scene unfolds.

Subtle Moment of Humor

First of all, let’s appreciate the subtlety going on in this scene. At the impound lot, Fletcher starts by saying what Audrey is doing is not fair. And he has to speak the absolute truth, so that’s definitely a point in his favor. Sure, he’s making a lot of mistakes. But they do have a legal agreement to share custody of their son, and taking him across the country could definitely be construed as breaking that agreement and even causing parental alienation.

But Audrey quickly shuts down that argument by pointing out that Fletcher started the alienation by not showing up to his birthday the previous night. That was basically the straw that broke the camel’s back and forced her hand.

A wonderful moment comes when Fletcher’s truth-telling starts to come out after Audrey asks if the events of the previous night were fair. He’s already revealed incredibly embarrassing details about what he was doing that made him miss the birthday party, so he’s trying to prevent himself from saying anything. Thankfully, Audrey interrupts him, saying it’s none of her business. And under his breath, Fletcher whispers a “Thank you.”

It’s so small you could easily miss it, but I find it absolutely hilarious and satisfying. I had never noticed that before until recently. I don’t know if you ever took note of his “Thank you,” but it’s so funny once it becomes apparent that he didn’t want to keep talking.

The Big Reveal

Then comes the big reveal of what makes this film so great. Audrey claims that nothing Fletcher does can hurt her anymore. When he sleeps around, it’s no longer a stain on her because she’s not married to him. However, his bad behavior does devastate their son, which indirectly hurts her. The pain is evident in the way she hides her face at the end of her statement.

Now that she’s had her say, it’s Fletcher’s turn. He winds up for a devastating blow that backfires spectacularly. Instead of offering a witty rejoinder to her allegations of his poor-quality parenting, he is forced to agree with her. He admits he’s a bad father. And the look of dejection in his face is heartbreaking. I love the way he loudly declares, “I’m a bad father!” followed by a dramatic pause. And then he quietly repeats those words to let them fully sink in.

It’s kind of like the elevator scene where he kept saying the most awkward truth to an attractive woman. But this time it costs him a lot more than a smack to the head. This time it’s his heart that aches.

This shows that Liar Liar is more than an uproarious comedy. That would be enough for most films like this one. But it’s not content to just be a great comedy; it intends to be a great film in general. There is dramatic weight behind moments like this. It’s such a small scene, but I feel like the crux of the movie is contained in this little exchange. Especially when Fletcher finally comes to terms with the fact that he’s a bad father.

The wonderful thing is that his realization helps him turn things around and become a good father by the end of the film. He’s not perfect after this. In fact, in the very next scene he tries to weasel his way out of his predicament rather than seeking to improve himself. But old habits die hard. By the end of the film, he’s willing to go to crazy lengths to keep his promise to Max. Now that’s quite a turnaround from his former ways.

A Great Film

What makes Liar Liar a great film is the way it deftly handles moments like this. It both contains a subtle moment of comedy that I failed to appreciate it for many years and a powerful gut punch of emotion that resonates through the rest of the film.

What I’m saying is that this film is more than a silly comedy. Liar Liar has the power to inspire inspire.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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