Konterr Brilliant and touching

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

bkoganbing You know in another time and in another age in Hollywood the story told in Telling Lies In America about the Fifties and the age of payola might have had Brad Renfro's character be a populist hero if it were Frank Capra doing it. Billy Wilder or Preston Sturges might have made Kevin Bacon's character one of their acid studies in cynicism. As it is Telling Lies In America is a good film with an accurate depiction of the times it's set in. But it falls way short of a classic.Brad Renfro plays a 17 year old high school student, a refugee from the Hungarian Rebellion with his father Maximilian Schell who would desperately like to fit in. The father who was a doctor in Hungary now working some menial job while waiting his citizenship spends a ton of money to get Renfro into some private Catholic school.Still with all the handicaps of an immigrant, Renfro who's now deep in America's rock and roll culture hits on a plan to gain instant popularity. Some radio station with disc jockey Kevin Bacon is running a popularity contest, the high school hall of fame. If someone has friends write in postcards suggesting a person they get into this high school hall of fame. So what does Renfro do, but forge a bunch of postcards and he gets his entrée with Kevin Bacon who offers him a job as an assistant, basically a glorified go-for.Of course it's all one big scam because Kevin Bacon is hip deep in the world of payola where he accepts all kinds of favors in sealed envelopes from agents to play their artist's records on his show. What he needed was a kid naive enough not to question what's going on around him and just be grateful for the relatively large amounts of money he's earning with Bacon as opposed to Renfro's previous job in a poultry market.It was the Fifties and I well remember a lot of rock and roll disc jockeys losing their careers over this, the most famous being Alan Freed. Kevin Bacon who has made a good career in villainous character parts is one cynical creep in this film. Two generations before, Kirk Douglas would have gone to town on this role.Maximilian Schell should also be praised as the wise father who because of the generation gap has different ideas about the American dream than Renfro. But there's no mistaking the bond these two have for each other. Telling Lies In America has a lot of good elements and it's an interesting story. But it's short of a master director to make it a classic.

jotix100 "Telling Lies in America" is a film that seems to have gone directly to video. It certainly deserved a wider audience because what Guy Ferland, the director does with the screen play Joe Eszterhas wrote for the film. Mr. Eszterhas is a man that can write, although some of his efforts have misfired.If you haven't seen the film, perhaps you should stop reading here.The basic problem with the film is the casting of Brad Renfro as the main character of the film. While this actor is not a bad actor, he seems miscast as this Karchy Jonas. Most comments in this forum focus on the fact Karchy has no accent, but having been in Cleveland for about seven years, explain that he already has a command of the language. Yes, he might stumble upon certain words, as shown in the film, but basically the character is believable. The only thing is that Mr. Renfro looks an older fourteen, rather than the seventeen he is in the film.This fact becomes painfully apparent in his relationship with Diney, and with the older woman Billy decides to have him experience sex for the first time. We are not saying it's not possible, because it can easily have been the case, which might have been derived from an experience of Mr. Eszterhas life.The other thing that doesn't ring true is the relationship between Karchy and his father. It appears that he can do whatever he wants and it's OK with the old man. Usually in the case of immigrant families, it's just the opposite. People immigrating to this country tend to be more protective, demanding discipline and obedience that is nowhere to be seen in the film. Also, Karchy's behavior in school would have probably grounded him forever, but it never comes into play.The marvelous Kevin Bacon is the best asset this film has going for itself. Not only is Mr. Bacon the most versatile of the current actors working in films, he brings such an intelligent take to his take on Billy Magic, the DJ of the local radio station that sees right through the lies Karchy Jonas tells. Being a liar himself, Billy can pick a liar whenever he sees one, as is the case when he meets Jonas. Billy Magic has no scruples. He takes money from the record companies, but he has Karchy pick the envelopes.The cast is good. Maximilian Schell, plays the father, Dr. Jonas, a man so decent, one wonders where did Karchy go wrong. He seems to be a loving father, albeit a distant one. Is it perhaps the fact that the son has embraced the American culture with too much gusto? That might explain the difference, although Karchy is never disrespectful to the old man.Calista Flockhart is seen as Diney, the mousy worker at the poultry shop where young Karchy works after school. Ms. Flockhart is perfect as the older girl that inspires love in the young man. Luke Wilson is seen as the man in charge of the shop. Paul Dooley makes a wonderful Father Norton, the man who dares put Karchy in his place.Notable in the film is the use of the popular songs that one hears in the sound track. It made perfect sense the use of those tunes since the background is a popular radio station that catered to teenagers.This is a film that should be seen by more people because of the good work the director and screen writer have done.

bethe_k Yes, I live in Northeast Ohio, but that's not the only reason I truly enjoyed this movie. The daughter of an acquaintance, 'Giggly Girl' Angelique Osborne, had a tiny part and I originally watched to see her. Now every time Bravo plays this movie on IFC Fridays, the phone comes off the hook, the popcorn is popped and I get good and comfy. The sentiment portrayed here, although it's roughly 15 years before my time, pulls me right in. The struggles of wanting to feel important (or at least to fit in), where to draw the lines of loyalty and figuring out what makes any of us happy are timeless. It never occurs to me that I'm watching Kevin Bacon or Brad Renfro. They become their characters. (Kevin Bacon proves he has a range most people don't realize and Brad Renfro, although beautiful to look at, also has that un-namable quality that makes you feel you're watching a future legend. Let's pray he finds his way safely.) Just as you never think about the set or the camera during a genuinely good movie, all the components of Telling Lies in America flow beautifully.After reading some of the other reviews here, it seems some people can't be entertained with a good story and good acting. Some movies don't have to resort to the typical Hollywood recipe in order to leave a positive imprint in your mind. Too bad you have such a short attention span.

millennia-2 Kevin Bacon is the best thing about this film. He can play anytype of role, barely human (Murder in the First), a small-timecrook (The River Wild) or a twisted DJ (Telling Lies inAmerica). Here he is believable and puts in a good performance.Brad Renfro also does well in his role, but isn't veryconvincing. Two problems.1.) He comes from Hungary, but has no accent, and sounds like hecame from New York2.) Age. A year before this was filmed, he co-starred in TheCure. There he played an 11 year old, and looked too old. Herehe plays a 17 year old, and looks too young for the role. The other highlight is Maximillian Schell (I doubt I spelledhis name right). He is fourth billed as Renfro's Hungarianfather and is dead-on. Why Joe Esterhaus (Spelling error?) isAmerica's top paid screenwriter will never be known. He writeslame scripts that deserve to be thrown away, but are insteadmade into big-budget movies like this one.+ (GOOD THINGS) 1.) Kevin Bacon's performance 2.) MaximillianSchell's performance 3.) Plot line(BAD THINGS) 1.) Pretty well everything else