Le Challenger

Liar's Moon is a coming of age film set in the early Fifties of the Truman administration in rural East Texas. In a role that bares a small resemblance to Cybill Shepherd's in The Last Picture Show, Cindy Fisher is the daughter of the wealthiest man in town, Christopher Connelly and Molly McCarthy.

For reasons he won't articulate Connelly takes an unreasoning dislike to dirt poor farm boy Matt Dillon whose parents, Hoyt Axton and Margaret Blye are so far the opposite side of the tracks they're in another zip-code. Still the two young people feel a strong attraction for each other and run off to elope in Louisiana. That drives Connelly into a rage. But it turns out a lie about a past indiscretion told Connelly by McCarthy sets in motion a horrific tragedy.

The young leads Dillon and Fisher are perfectly cast in this film about more innocent times. Oddly enough the innocence of those times also contributes to the tragic climax of Liar's Moon.

Also in the cast are two Hollywood veterans in small roles, Broderick Crawford as Fisher's grandfather and Yvonne DeCarlo as the proprietress of a motel the two young people elope to.

But it's the playing of Fisher and Dillon as a Texas version of Romeo and Juliet that really drives this very neglected and underrated film.

I saw this movie on TV in the 80's and loved it. I was a young teen in love myself at the time and totally related. I taped this on a VCR and watched it over and over until the tape broke. One of the things I enjoyed most was the soundtrack, especially the love song which I have been trying to find out the name and artist for over 20 years! I had wanted to use it in 1984 as my wedding song but no band or DJ knew the song or movie... Can anyone help? The song name might be "I'll Love you Forever"?? I am not sure, but it had those words in the song....would appreciate any help. This song was also used years ago in an episode of the soap opera All My Children. It has stayed with me for so many years and when I saw this site I thought maybe I can finally put this lingering question to rest (and use it at my 2nd wedding!) Thank you!

This modest pic left me in a dreamy, relaxed state, and I felt like I'd experienced a minor gem.

It was not widely released, but it played cable TV outlets in the early 80's and features one of Matt Dillon's earliest screen personas.

It's not brilliant, but it's extremely unusual and stylishly directed. It has an atmosphere that reminds me of Jack Fisk's underrated RAGGEDY MAN.

A dark, haunting tale of forbidden love, it describes the love affair between dirt poor Matt Dillon and the lovely Cindy Fisher, daughter of a wealthy banker who is the keeper of a terrible secret.

Stunning photography and a terrific cast elevate this provocative film into the ranks of "minor classic".

This movie is about a tragic romance that resulted because of lies. True love is found despite those lies, but the lies threaten to stop the love of Jack and Jenny. The viewer is hoping for the best and won't know until the very end of the movie. There were two endings made to this movie - one is sad and the other is happy. It all depends on what the doctor does when he comes out at the end. Watch to find out! It is a sweet movie of love and romance that'll leave the viewer in a teary suspense.

The real downfall to this movie is Mike, played by Jim Greenleaf. Unfortunately his over the top goofy portrayal of a doofus hillbilly is nowhere near genuine, and only detracts from the momentum of the film. The other friend is likewise forgettable, and the idiotic slapstick scenes they're in add nothing to the film's drama. Joe Don Baker is the same typical non-presence he always is. Thankfully he doesn't get much screen time. The rest of the cast is quite effective, albeit it not exactly very likeable. Ginny's father was way too overbearing for credibility. Not much subtlety in any of the performances. I liked the story, and Cindy Fisher and Matt Dillon were pretty good together. Despite some hokey scenes and awful music, it was still rather cute. Cindy was truly stunning in this movie. Matt Dillon is always a force in any role he tackles, and this is no exception. I'd say he's rather on the bland side in this one. It's not a classic movie or even an excellent one, but it's strong enough to keep the viewer watching and interested. 5.5 rounded up to 6. There's really not much here that the viewer will remember after the credits roll, but it's still all right. Light hearted fare.