Story: Drama about a young father who justifies missing work by telling a shocking lie that will force him to rethink his life. Cast:Joshua Leonard, Jess Weixler, Mark Webber, Violet Long, Jane Adams, Alia Shawkat, Kelli Garner, Gerry BednobDirector:Joshua LeonardOpened:November 18, 2011On DVD:January 24, 2012From:Screen Media FilmsRating:RLength:1 hr. 20 min.
The Lie (2011) played in limited release to good reviews that at the same time were mixed. • Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "...well-written and acted... dark enough, but it has affection for its characters and doesn't destroy them.... the actors create plausible people we would probably like. They're loose inside the skins of their characters." • And Dennis Harvey wrote in Daily Variety, "...a thinly amusing tale with not-especially-appealing characters..." More Reviews Below...
The Lie (2011) Positive Reviews (11 Reviews, reviews below)
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: VERY GOOD(cg) "...well-written and acted... dark enough, but it has affection for its characters and doesn't destroy them.... the actors create plausible people we would probably like. They're loose inside the skins of their characters."(Read the full review...) 885 words, 11/18/11
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Beautifully acted and emotionally resonant... 'The Lie' is about adjusting one's self-portrait to accommodate changing realities."(Read the full review...) 264 words, 11/18/11
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a mini-portrait of growing pains in a time of extended adolescence. The truth is, that kind of thing is never easy, no matter what age."(Read the full review...) 443 words, 11/18/11
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The acting in 'The Lie' -- including a nice bit by Mark Webber as a stoner pal who lectures Leonard on responsibility -- is good enough to almost overlook a so-so ending."(Read the full review...) 166 words, 11/18/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...well-written and acted... dark enough, but it has affection for its characters and doesn't destroy them.... the actors create plausible people we would probably like. They're loose inside the skins of their characters."(Read the full review...) 885 words, 11/18/11
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: POOR "It would take considerable skill on both sides of the camera to make this material go.... an awkward pause, nervous stammer, social-anxiety comedy."(Read the full review...) 226 words, 11/16/11
KEY CITIES (1 Review)
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...spry and dark.... a breezy, cautionary little fable that only loses its way in the final going.... Until then, its man-in-a-quicksand-pit-of-his-own-making story is entertainingly spun and played."(Read the full review...) 305 words, 12/02/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: POOR "It would take considerable skill on both sides of the camera to make this material go.... an awkward pause, nervous stammer, social-anxiety comedy."(Read the full review...) 226 words, 11/16/11
Scott Tobias, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "...strikes an unexpected, refreshingly open note that makes this slight little indie more resonant than its scale suggests. The line this couple is about to cross is significant, and the film takes it seriously."(Read the full review...) 359 words, 11/17/11
Michelle Orange, Movieline: GOOD(cg) "...a sharp look at the moral limbo of a complacent life, the self-defeat of committing by halves, the self-interest of false equivalencies -- but only the shallowest attempts are made to chip its themes out."(Read the full review...) 823 words, 11/17/11
Andrew Schenker, Slant: POOR(cg) "...an earnestly narcissistic exploration of what it means to take responsibility for one's life that not only allows our hippie man-child of a hero to have his weed and smoke it too, but asks the viewer to forgive his sins in the name of good intentions."(Read the full review...) 568 words, 11/13/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (1 Review)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Beautifully acted and emotionally resonant... 'The Lie' is about adjusting one's self-portrait to accommodate changing realities."(Read the full review...) 264 words, 11/18/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Dennis Harvey, Daily Variety: FAIR "A young Angeleno's brief rebellion against adult responsibility drives 'The Lie'.... a thinly amusing tale with not-especially-appealing characters..."(Read the full review...) 498 words, 01/30/11
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Combines subdued black comedy with a fresh take on familiar compromise-vs.-idealism angst... gets laughs without sacrificing its fairly serious look at a marriage that could go either way."(Read the full review...) 505 words, 01/26/11
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Beautifully acted and emotionally resonant... 'The Lie' is about adjusting one's self-portrait to accommodate changing realities."(Read the full review...) 264 words, 11/18/11
21.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Lie (2011)'s reviews are separated by an average 21.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Lie (2011) (11 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Lie (2011)'s reviews cover 13.0% of potential readers (average is 68.2%). Volume:The film's reviews total 5,042 words involume (average is 19,979 words). Length:The film's reviews average 458 words in length (the norm is 512 words).
Reviews Broke 22 Days Before Release (Norm is 0.2 Release)
The Lie (2011)'s reviews on average broke 22 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 0.2 hours after. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Lie (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Lie (2011) (11 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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