Big Fat Liar

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Big Fat Liar
Image:Big Fat Liar film.jpg
Big Fat Liar film poster
Directed by Shawn Levy
Produced by Brian Robbins
Written by Dan Schneider
Brian Robbins
Starring Frankie Muniz
Paul Giamatti
Amanda Bynes
Music by Christophe Beck
Douglas Romayne (source music)
John Williams (Universal logo only, theatrical version)
Jerry Goldsmith (Universal logo only, video version)
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date(s) 8 February 2002 (USA)
Running time 88 min.
Language English
Budget US$15,000,000

Big Fat Liar is a 2002 comedy directed by Shawn Levy and starring Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle), Paul Giamatti and Nickelodeon's Amanda Bynes

Contents

[edit] Plot

Jason Shephard (Frankie Muniz), a fourteen-year-old boy residing in the fictional town of Greenbury, Michigan, is known as a stealthy but not-well-organized liar by his friends and family. His English teacher, Ms. Caldwell (Sandra Oh), assigns her class a creative writing essay; having not done it, Jason lies by telling a tale that his father had choked on a Swedish meatball, with the result that Jason was in the hospital's ER during night and therefore unable to complete the assignment. Ms. Caldwell claims that this is a lie. When asked for his father's office telephone number, Jason gives the number of his own cell phone instead. Jason has classmate and best friend Kaylee (Amanda Bynes) act as Jason's father's receptionist, while he, in a raspy voice, re-enacts the Swedish meatball tale. Ms. Caldwell apologizes and tells Jason to take his time with the assignment. The lie comes back to haunt him when his parents are called into school for an after-class meeting to confront Jason's fib. As it turns out, that assignment was worth a third of his semester grade; he, without it, would have to retake the course in summer school. Ms. Caldwell tells Jason that if he can hand her a handwritten essay at the community college by 6:00, she will consider counting it as a valid contribution – if it is original.

Jason writes a story entitled "Big Fat Liar". Having been robbed of his skateboard by a bully, he borrows his sister's bicycle and rides that to the college. En route, he is teased by others for riding a girls' bike. As a result, he has a collision with a limousine. After being confronted by the driver, he asks to be driven to the college. Arrogant Hollywood film producer Marty Wolf (Paul Giamatti), who was riding in the limo, denies Jason a ride, whereupon Jason tells Marty that his neck feels stiff, making himself eligible to sue for whiplash. Marty therefore allows Jason to enter the limousine. While riding, Jason expresses his dislike for the movies Wolf has produced as well as their common ability to successfully deceive. When the limo reaches the college, Marty Wolf gives Jason some free advice on the subject of lying: "The truth is overrated." Jason exits the limo, thanking the men for the ride.

Upon his entering the college, he realizes that he does not have the essay. Neither his parents nor Ms. Caldwell believe him when he claims to have written it. Meanwhile, Marty begins to read Jason's essay, which he has stolen, en route to the set of the movie he is shooting; "Whittaker and Fowl", starring Jaleel White as a cop partnered with a chicken in a police uniform. After a day at summer school, Jason and Kaylee go to the movies. To Jason's astonishment, the teaser trailer for a film entitled "Big Fat Liar" plays. When asked by Kaylee if he wants to see it, he replies, "See it? I think I wrote it."

Jason's parents had left town for a few days, leaving their son with sister Jamie, who leaves shortly with her boyfriend. Jason sees an opportunity to prove his story true: therefore he and Kaylee use Jason's allowance money to fly to Los Angeles, where Marty Wolf is working. After being denied entry to Wolf's office by his receptionist, Astrid, Jason and Kaylee call her on the telephone, saying her Saturn car is parked on a dog. Being an avid dog lover, Astrid leaves her post to attend to the dog. Kaylee takes her place while Jason sneaks upstairs to confront the producer. Wolf returns the essay, but (seemingly by mistake, though in fact deliberately) lights it on fire with a match used to light his cigar. Wolf then tries to douse the flames with vodka, only to make matters worse. Wolf then calls Rocco Monroe, head of security, and has Jason ejected from the property.

Jason thereafter makes plans to make Wolf's life miserable, so that he will admit to having stolen "BFL". Some of the attempts include adding blue-colored dye to his swimming pool so his skin is turned blue; replacing his shampoo with orange dye; putting Superglue on his cell phone headset; and rigging the controls on Wolf's Jaguar XKR to perform different functions than specified by the maker, including the activation of horn and windscreen-wipers when not desired. The dissonance caused by this sabotage causes Marty Wolf to be very distracted while driving; as a result, he mistakenly collides with the monster truck driven by an easily angered prizefighter, The Masher, who takes revenge by smashing Marty's car. Several jokes are made at this point in reference to Marty's blue skin: "They told me to pick up a little blue car," says the tow truck man. "They didn't say anything about a little blue man!"

Meanwhile, Marty has an appointment to meet with Marcus Duncan (Russell Hornsby), the President of the studio, to talk about fundings for the shoot for "BFL." Marty misses the meeting, having been tricked by Kaylee into visiting the birthday party of a child whose primary idea of amusement is beating up his entertainers, and tells Monty to supply an alibi. Marty would finally meet Duncan at a party celebrating the release of "Whittaker and Fowl", which proves to be a big failure judging from many of the party guests' comments: "Suddenly, right out of nowhere...BAM!! BAD movie!!" "I'd say boring!" "Worst...film...in the world." Duncan even puts in his two-cents' worth right to Marty's face: "I think that sad excuse for a movie just lost the studio about three hundred million dollars!" He distrusts Marty to create anything better and tells Marty that all the fundings for "Big Fat Liar" will be withdrawn unless he can convince him otherwise. Marty lies telling him that he (Marty) has been working to make a presentation for "BFL". Marty is given another chance to produce an acceptable film.

Just as Marty is running out of ideas on what to do to make or improve his presentation, Jason and Kaylee arrive. Jason tells Marty and Monty that because he wrote Big Fat Liar, he could at least add some "twists," to it, in exchange for help in telling his father the truth. Marty is so desperate he promises in exchange to tell Jason's father that Jason wrote "Big Fat Liar", Erin Brockovich and Saving Private Ryan, then gives a motivational speech for Duncan and the crowd. Duncan buys the story, and gives permission for the first day of shooting for "BFL", plus a strict warning that if any little mishap should occur, not only is "BFL" off, Wolf's entire career will be over. Marty thanks Jason for helping him, then tells Jason that he is contacting the father, while in fact calling via telephone the officers of security enforcement, who seize Jason and Kaylee.

Jason, furious, decides to call his parents to tell them the whole truth. He intends to give up the attempts at stopping Marty when Monty shows up and offers him a deal; because many of Marty's co-workers and employees (including Monty herself) have been openly insulted, hurt, and abused, they are willing to take revenge on Marty Wolf. They all devise a plan to keep Marty from making the "big shoot." By now, Marty has removed the blue color from his skin and the orange from his hair.

En route to the big shoot the next morning, Marty falls into several traps organized by them; then, upon finally arriving to the studio, chases Jason, who's just taken Marty's toy chimp, Mr. Funnybones, hostage; and eventually, in a climactic rooftop confrontation, admits to stealing Jason's story, thinking he is in confidence with Jason. But it turns out he has been under video surveillance throughout the confession; as a result, he is exposed to and shamed before all those whom he has abused, as well as Jason's parents, who've just flown to Hollywood and studio President Marcus Duncan himself. Duncan is outraged that Marty could stoop so low as to steal a child's English creative writing assignment in order to create a movie and thus fires him, and Jason's parents reestablish their trust in Jason all in one fell swoop. Jason actually thanks Marty for having taught him a big lesson; that Marty was very wrong: "The truth," he tells Marty, in a reverse from Marty's advice much earlier in the film, "is not overrated." The film Big Fat Liar is re-produced and shown at the movies, utilizing the hitherto underappreciated talents and skills of all those whom Marty had abused, and Jason is credited for having written the original story.

Meanwhile, Marty, having entered bankruptcy and been fired from Hollywood finds a new career as "Wolfie the Clown"; an entertainer of young children at birthday parties. Unfortunately, his first assignment as such is at the home of the prizefighter whom he had previously annoyed. The prizefighter's son, whose birthday it is, begins to attack his would-be entertainer with his "Nutcracker move".

[edit] Reaction

The film received mixed reviews, getting a "Rotten" rating at Rotten Tomatoes of 44%. [1] Some critics praised the film for its energy and wit, others wrote of its dullness and formulaic plot. Nevertheless, the film grossed $47 million at the box office.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Main

Jason Shephard, the protagonist, is a habitual liar at first. Jason is 14 years old (a running gag in the movie is people thinking that he is younger). When Marty Wolf plagiarizes Jason's creation Big Fat Liar, Jason seeks to take revenge, obtaining his dues as well as earning his father's trust. In this he succeeds. Jason is shown to be unsuccessful as a liar, but to be very imaginative in creation of techniques by which to harass Marty.

Marty Wolf is a sleazy, crafty, tyrannical, and tempestuous Hollywood producer and a skilled liar. He is spiteful and inconsiderate; as a result, many of his employees turn against him. At the end of the movie, he is fired after admitting, on camera, to stealing Jason's report for his movie. He ends up being a birthday clown, "Wolfie the Clown".

Kaylee is the best friend of Jason. She is loyal to him to the extent of laying aside her own scruples, and indeed grows to embrace his cause vehemently. Their friendship appears to be Platonic in character.

[edit] Recurring

Monty Kirkham is Wolf's assistant. She is frequently abused by her superior, to such an extent that she, when presented with the opportunity to betray him, did so with minimal hesitation and great eagerness.

Frank Jackson is a limo driver and former screen actor, whose career in the latter field was compromised and reduced when Marty Wolf, for whom he worked, gave all local film studios the idea that Frank Jackson was a "loser". He is later Jason's accomplice in two efforts to harass Marty Wolf, and he ends up being the main star of Big Fat Liar.

[edit] Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • Big Fat Liar was initially called Lost and Found, but since it has the same title as the David Spade movie, the producers decided to change the name.
  • In one scene, Marty Wolf spoke about calling Saving Private Ryan. Coincidentally, Giamatti co-starred in that film.
  • Marty Wolf's monkey doll is that of Zippy the Chimp, a character on the Howdy Doody Show that spawned a line of dolls and other toys.
  • The Universal Studios Hollywood theme park includes a section of their studio tour with the effect of water rushing towards the spectators. This is the same place shown in the scene where Marty Wolf is washed down by the same effect. * In the beginning of the movie a Playstation 2 with ATV Offroad Fury can be seen in a brief moment.
  • There are several references to Psycho; as in the famous shower scene wherein Marty Wolf takes a shower. Also, Marty Wolf's secretary is standing by Norman Bates's house in one scene.
  • The two main characters' last names seem to be taken from Aesop's fable involving The Boy Who Cried Wolf. This is because the boy was a shepherd, who wasn't believed when the real wolf came along to eat the sheep; whereas Jason, a persistent liar, was not believed when he said that Wolf stole his English paper.
  • When Marty gets out of the blue pool, his Speedos should also be blue, but are not.
  • The pre-production poster is different from the box art, as Marty is blue on the box.
  • This was Amanda Bynes' first film.
  • Lee Majors plays an unavenged stuntman in the film; he previously played a stuntman in the television series The Fall Guy.
  • Filmed on some of the sets from Sliders. [2]
  • When Marty Wolf was jumping into his now-dyed pool, he turns blue before he hits the water.
  • This movie was edited for TV, editing out words like "Saturn", "Coke", "crap", "hell", "Twinkies", "McDonald's "up yours", and pixellating name brand vodkas in Wolf's office.
  • This movie also features Duran Duran's hit 1982 song "Hungry Like the Wolf" at the pool scene.
  • In the room with all the movie props, where Jason and Kaylee go, viewers can see the Grinch from the film How The Grinch Stole Christmas. You can also see a car from the same movie.
  • There are multiple references to Jurassic Park in the film; When Jason and Kaylee take the Universal tour, the music playing is "Journey to the Island" from the Jurassic Park soundtrack. Inside the prop storage room, there are various shots with the animatronic male raptor from Jurassic Park /// and an animatronic raptor from The Lost World: Jurassic Park in the background; finally, a wooden sign has "Isla Nublar" (the island from the first Jurassic Park) written on it and can be seen briefly in the chase sequence.
  • The set that Jason and Kaylee walk through while on the studio lot is the set used for The Scorpion King. Memnon's statue can be seen in the background at one point.
  • In one scene of the movie Kaylee is resting on the DeLorean featured in Back to the Future: Part II.
  • The DVD for the film reveals a code that turns Spyro blue in Spyro 2: Season of Flame.
  • Dustin Diamond, who played Screech in Saved by the Bell, makes a cameo appearance at Wolf's party, as does Kenan Thompson from Kenan and Kel. Kenan also appeared on All That, where Amanda got her start. Coincidentally, the executive producers of this film, also were behind the creation of All That.
  • In the big chase scene where Marty Wolf was chasing Jason and Kaylee, viewers can see a dancing lobster from The Amanda Show, which is Amanda Bynes' television show debut.
  • When Jason is writing his paper, he is writing from right-to-left, instead of left-to-right.
  • There is a scene in which a miniature of the sphinx shown at the beginning of The Mummy is in the background.
  • Paul Giamatti has said that when he is recognized by kids, it is for his role in Big Fat Liar.
  • Right after you see Jason finish his report, viewers see him quickly staple it together. Interestingly, the next time we see the report, it is not stapled.
  • Taran Killam and Amanda Bynes both appeared in Big Fat Liar, and also appeared together in The Amanda Show

Soundtrack

The Grand Skeem - "Party Time"

[edit] Cast

[edit] Main

[edit] Recurring

[edit] Taglines

  • The truth is never overrated.
  • Two friends are about to cut one Hollywood big shot down to size.

[edit] External links

es:Un gran mentiroso it:Big Fat Liar he:שקרן בריבוע nl:Big Fat Liar pt:Big Fat Liar fi:Big Fat Liar – Valehtelija sv:Big Fat Liar

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