A Little White Lie

Had never heard of this film, but my husband and I decided to watch it the other day, and we were both completely blown away! What a very, very good film. We were expecting just a light rom-com, but this was so much deeper than that. Lots of rom-com qualities to it, but at the same time - a sublime and fascinating drama. As the storyline progresses, and you begin to understand Michael Shannon's character a bit more, it becomes evident what a remarkable job he has done in portraying the reclusive "Shriver." We have watched a lot of movies over the past couple of years, and this may be the BEST of all of them!

My first recollection of actor Michael Shannon was in the 1993 "Groundhog Day" when he was still a teenager playing Fred, a newlywed who was given tickets to WrestleMania by Bill Murray's Phil. Since then I have seen him in almost 40 movies in a great variety of roles, often unsung, he has become a quite accomplished actor.

Here he is Shriver, working as a janitor and in general leading a very dull life. By chance he has the same name as a famous but reclusive author who has dropped off the radar since his first and only book was a resounding success.

Kate Hudson is Simone Cleary, a former writer but now a literature and writing professor at a private college in the Los Angeles area. She is in change of an annual event on campus to inspire future writers and she is trying to get the author, Shriver, to be the guest this year.

Janitor Shriver is reluctant and scared, there may be some benefit to his agreeing to go and impersonate the real Shriver, and eventually decides to get on the plane and take them up on the invitation.

Most of the story is a fish out of water, this Shriver has no clue how to interact with the others or what an appropriate response might be to various questions and inquiries. I felt uncomfortable myself for him, wondering how he would be able to navigate the event and the appearances he needed to make.

The script is good and Shannon does a really great job playing the character. Another very entertaining character is played by Don Johnson as professor T. Wasserman. As the story unfolds we start to wonder, "Is this janitor really the author, Shriver, and somehow lost touch with who he really is?"

I really enjoyed this movie, watched at home with my wife, streaming. A quite different movie, done very well.

A Little White Lie might be the worst marketed movie and yet the best ratings sleeper since My Cousin Vinnie. IMBD currently has a score of 5.9 Why? The trailer and promotional materials list it as a zany romantic comedy. Director Michael Maren didn't make that movie; rather he turned Chris Belden's hilarious book Shriver - a campy case of mistaken identity and turned it into a brilliant portrayal of imposter syndrome and writers block. The production values are more in keeping with a low budget comedy - such as Caddyshack or Dodgeball - and the cast including Kate Hudson and Don Johnson (and their scripts) would be perfectly appropriate for a rom com. The giveaway is the sublime Michael Shannon. He was the top choice by Maren after the untimely death of Philip Seymour Hoffman. It's his movie. Conjuring an exquisite metamorphosis worthy of Kafka. From a janitor who doesn't read to a a suspect invitee at a literary conference to perhaps the real McCoy? Shriver published Goat Time - a singularity of brilliance a la JD. Salinger. 15 years later, he isn't sure about anything. Could he have possibly written it? Is he actually a writer? Yet the festival draws him out of his cocoon. Whether he is the real Shriver or not - I leave to you to find out. Watch this movie. But temper the obvious expectation for a light comedy. It may be the next Being There. And an aside - the marketing team has some serious explaining to do!

This movie is brilliant. It nails imposter syndrome and the writing community at large. It brought me back to my own days in an MFA program without ever delving into nostalgia. It shows the pain, irony, jealousy, and annoying life of modern writers and writing students.

It is a satire of imposter syndrome and the writing community. Understanding that helps what might seem like a strange story make sense. It kept me cringing, empathizing, hoping, and ultimately encouraged. I highly recommend, and I would show this movie to my writing students-or have them read the book, which, as the movie explains, writing students tend not to enjoy.

A very inspiring, and lovingly made, testament to humanity and the literary alter at which we are able to embrace our being in all of the faults that make up our perfection as a species. Based on Chris Belden's novel "Shriver", writer-directer Michael Maren, and the entire cast and production staff through their hard work, have brought a bountiful feast of food for the soul to the motion picture screen (be it a cinema screen or on a laptop). If you love how words can be turned into music, or even if there is not enough time in the day to read much, the characters in this film and their predicaments certainly resonate with all of us. My hat is off as I bow to this troupe of filmmakers to offer my gratitude. Thank you. And as a final note to my long lost friend Lynn, who has spent her entire life avoiding putting her words on paper, it is never too late to put ink to quill. Catharsis for writer and reader awaits. ***NOTE*** I did not mention the amazing actors by name in this picture because every one of them in all of their roles empowered this picture with their truly heartfelt and well tuned performances, no matter if they worked for just one day or the entire run of the project. In short, the actors are great across the board, one and all bringing life to this work of love.