American Dreamer - Charmante Lügner

Yes, the movie deals tangentially with the payola scandals of the 50's (truly a big problem in the entertainment industry), but only as one of the many lies hinted at in the title.

The two main characters (Renfro and Bacon) do *nothing* but lie. They are balanced by the purity of the other characters (Flockhart and Schell).

Schell's character was a little underwhelming and the work by Renfro was, at times, uneven, but both were generally excellent. My only other quibble was with the settings of the film. As a Clevelander (where the story takes place and the film was shot), it's easy to understand the where the scenes took place and how the story was built around them, but I'm not sure that an "outsider" would understand the implications to the story of those different locations (the neighborhoods, the market, etc.).

The real find is Calista Flockhart. She gives a wonderfully nuanced performance, sweeter and deeper than anything you'll see on Ally McBeal. Interestingly, Flockhart spent time working on stage at the Cleveland Playhouse, so was well-suited for the role in a way.

Joe Eszterhas is not exactly known for his subtlety, but this movie is a small triumph for him and portends better things from his pen in the future.

This is a charming movie that touches upon payola in the 60's. Bacon takes money for overplaying a song on radio, thus boosting its ratings, and uses Renfro as a go-between for these dealings so that the money never goes direct from sponsor to Bacon. After a while Renfro becomes bolder as some of Bacon's attitude rubs off on him. He starts lying about his background, car and things he's done to impress those around him. But he finally quits when he realizes that these 'white' lies hurt as well as the 'black' ones. When the FBI decide to pressure Renfro into giving evidence against Bacon by speaking to the judge during his naturalization proceedings, things take an interesting twist as the judge, before the proceedings, speak to Renfro alone and have a little chat about George Washington and the cherry tree. Won't spoil it by telling you what it is, but watch and find out, as it has a bearing on the movie as well. Calista Flockhart puts up a pretty convincing performance as well.

"Lies..." tells of a Hungraian immigrant 1960 high school boy who falls in with a corrupt D.J. (Bacon) on payola and jeopardizes the possibility of U.S. citizenship for himself and his father. The film showcases good performances by Bacon and Renfro, delivers the usual "slice of life" stuff, doesn't breach realism so as to make the emotional "buy in" impossible, and even conjures up some lessons about the importance of telling the truth...and lying. After all, we're all liars, aren't we.

Kevin Bacon is the best thing about this film. He can play any

type of role, barely human (Murder in the First), a small-time

crook (The River Wild) or a twisted DJ (Telling Lies in

America). Here he is believable and puts in a good performance.

Brad Renfro also does well in his role, but isn't very

convincing. Two problems.

1.) He comes from Hungary, but has no accent, and sounds like he

came from New York

2.) Age. A year before this was filmed, he co-starred in The

Cure. There he played an 11 year old, and looked too old. Here

he plays a 17 year old, and looks too young for the role.

The other highlight is Maximillian Schell (I doubt I spelled

his name right). He is fourth billed as Renfro's Hungarian

father and is dead-on. Why Joe Esterhaus (Spelling error?) is

America's top paid screenwriter will never be known. He writes

lame scripts that deserve to be thrown away, but are instead

made into big-budget movies like this one.

+ (GOOD THINGS) 1.) Kevin Bacon's performance 2.) Maximillian

Schell's performance 3.) Plot line

• (BAD THINGS) 1.) Pretty well everything else

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.