Why Would I Lie?

This is one of my mom's favorite movies - it is very sad that it was never released! I did see it in the past year on a cable network station like TBS or WGN - so someone has the rights to run it. Bit of trivia: the boy who played Jeorge now goes by Gabriele Macht. I have seen him on a few things like the movie "The Recruit" and Sex and the City - recognized him immediately. Haven't found a site that says why he dropped Swann. IMDb doesn't have "Why Would I Lie" in his credits either - not quite sure why he and Treat Williams won't admit to appearing in this funny movie! I do remember the movie quite well if someone wants a more thorough synopsis. I might even be able to find a copy of what I taped off of cable, too. I didn't get it from the very beginning, but pretty close to it.

Here is Macht's IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0532683/

This is a really well done movie that advances gradually toward a really "edge of your seat" ending. One reason why the ending is so exciting is that the characters have been carefully developed so that you care about them at the end. Add to that the superb performances of a thoughtful Lisa Eichhorn, a character who is maturing played by Treat Williams, and a wonderful child portrayal, and you have a movie that should sell on DVD. I've enjoyed watching Lisa Eichhorn every time I see her in a film. She doesn't give away her character in the first scene of the movie, but holds back some of it, making you watch closely to discover the type of person underneath the character's cautious facade. Most really good "romantic comedies" require characters that develop gradually. Otherwise they'd just be a comedy made of nothing but slapstick. I'd buy a copy of this movie if it was available!

Cletus Hayworth (Treat Williams) is a compulsive liar. As a social worker, he has to find a foster home for Jeorge (Gabriel Macht). He discovers that the boy had been taken away from his real mother under questionable circumstances. He goes searching for the birth mother.

This isn't actually funny. I think it's supposed to be funny. I wonder if a comedian could make Cletus' lying something funny. Treat Williams is not a comedian. More than anything, he's playing it as a mental illness. He's a dramatic actor and this becomes a darker character study. It struggles to get there and it can't get the comedy. It's stuck. On a side note, it is odd to see Gabriel Macht as a kid. He's unrecognizable. He actually has the only funny moment. This could have worked if Cletus and the kid become the constant pair on a road trip.

A great story shot in Spokane, WA about a family member who cannot help but stretch the truth just to make it more entertaining. Join that to a mother looking for her lost son makes for a touching drama coupled with a romantic comedy.

I taped this off HBO years ago and still watch it now and then.

You can go to Turner Classics com and vote to have

Why would i lie put on air or DVD. i have been trying to find the movie for years. I saw it back when it first came out on HBO. I became instant Treat Williams fan. I hope someone out there has a copy and is willing to make copies for us.

Or will sell it on ebay. I hope you will all go and vote for it at Turner Classic. i would love to tell you what i liked about the movie. But all i can remember is that i liked it and treat Williams was really good. if i ever get to see it again , i will be happy to give a better comment on it. Thanks