''Why Would I Lie?'' is a 1980 American comedy-drama film about a compulsive liar named Cletus (

Treat Williams Richard Treat Williams (born December 1, 1951) is an American actor, writer and aviator who has appeared on film, stage and television in over 120 credits. He first became well known for his starring role in the 1979 musical film ''Hair'', and lat ...

). The film, which was directed by

Larry Peerce Lawrence "Larry" Peerce (born April 19, 1930) is an American film and TV director whose work includes the theatrical feature '' Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969), the early rock and roll concert film ''The Big T.N.T. Show'' (1966), '' One Potato, Two Po ...

and shot in

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the ...

, is based on the novel ''The Fabricator'' by Hollis Hodges.

Plot

Cletus Hayworth, a compulsive liar, is employed as a social worker. He tries to find a home for a young boy named Jorge and, in so doing, falls in love with a social worker, who unbeknownst to everyone is Jorge's mother.

Cast

as Cletus Hayworth *

Lisa Eichhorn Lisa Eichhorn (born February 4, 1952) is an American actress, writer and producer. She made her film debut in 1979 in the John Schlesinger film ''Yanks'', for which she received two Golden Globe nominations. Her international career has include ...

as Kay Lindsey *

Gabriel Macht Gabriel Swann Macht (born January 22, 1972) is an American actor and film producer, known for portraying Harvey Specter in the USA Network series '' Suits'' (2011–2019) and the title character in the 2008 superhero film ''The Spirit''. Ea ...

as Jorge * Susan Heldfond as Amy Grower * Anne Byrne as Faith Hayworth *

Valerie Curtin Valerie Curtin is an American actress and screenwriter. Personal life Curtin was born in Jackson Heights, New York, the daughter of radio actor Joseph Curtin. She attended Lake Erie College. She is a cousin of TV comedian/actress Jane Curtin. ...

as Mrs. Bok *

Jocelyn Brando Jocelyn Brando (November 18, 1919November 27, 2005) was an American actress and writer. She is best known for her role as Katie Bannion in the film noir ''The Big Heat'' (1953). Early life Brando, the older sister of Marlon Brando, was born i ...

as Mrs. Crumpe *

Nicolas Coster Nicolas Dwynn Coster (born December 3, 1933) is a British-American actor, most known for his work in daytime drama and as a character actor on nighttime television series, such as ''Wonder Woman'', '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', ''T. J. ...

as Walter Hayworth *

Severn Darden Severn Teakle Darden Jr. (November 9, 1929 – May 27, 1995) was an American comedian and actor, and a founding member of The Second City Chicago-based comedy troupe as well as its predecessor, the Compass Players. He is known from his film app ...

as Dr. Ed Barbour * Sonny Davis as Paul Hayworth * Jane Burkett as Natalie * Kay Cummings as Edith * Mia Bendixsen as Thelma *

Ilene Kristen Ilene Kristen (born Ilene Schatz; July 30, 1952) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Delia Ryan in the ABC soap opera ''Ryan's Hope'' (1975–1979, 1982–1983, 1986–1989) and her Emmy-nominated performances as Roxy B ...

as Waitress * Harriett Gibson as Mary Kalinsky * Cynthia Hoppenfeld as Opel McCarthy *

Mitzi Hoag Margaret Myrtle "Mitzi" Hoag (September 25, 1932 – February 26, 2019) was an American actress. Over the course of her career, she appeared in more than 73 different TV shows and movies. Notable among these are recurring roles in ''We'll Get By' ...

as Mrs. Hayworth * Natalie Core as Mrs. Gogle * Shirley Slater as Warden *

Jan D'Arcy Jan Therese D'Arcy is an American television and film actress born on June 18, 1939 in Oneida, New York, with a career spanning almost five decades. She is best known for playing Sylvia Horne in ''Twin Peaks'', and her roles in many other televisi ...

as Card Player * Marian Gants as Card Player

Reception

Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for ''The New York Times''. She served as a ''Times'' film critic from 1977 to 1999 and as a book critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000 Maslin ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' was not impressed: "It takes about three-quarters of an hour to figure out where ''Why Would I Lie?'' is going, and by that time it's clear the movie won't get there. ...First seen on his psychiatrist's couch, where he sports an antique coal miner's helmet, Cletus appears to be a cute, troubled guy in the '' Morgan!'' mold. It never becomes clear quite what he is, though. And before the audience even has time to get used to him, he has become involved in a convoluted plot that probably worked better on the page than it does on the screen. ...As directed by Larry Peerce, ''Why Would I Lie?'' isn't often funny, especially since Cletus's tall tales generally have a macabre ring. ...Mr. Williams can be charming, but he has none of the whimsical nature that might make Cletus's exploits believable."

Awards

*Nominee Best Comedy Picture -

Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

*Nominee Best Young Actor - Young Artist Award (

)

References

External links

* * * 1980 films 1980 comedy-drama films Films directed by Larry Peerce Films scored by Charles Fox American comedy-drama films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1980 comedy films 1980 drama films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films English-language comedy-drama films {{1980s-comedy-drama-film-stub