Telling Lies in America (1997)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Guy Ferland

Writer (WGA):

Joe Eszterhas (written by)

Release Date:

15 October 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Dress sharp. Drive fast. Look cool. Laugh last.

Plot:

Karchy (Brad Renfro) is a boy in school who has moved from Hungary to America in the 1960's. He is struggling...

Plot Keywords:

Masturbation Reference | Male Bonding | Father Son Relationship | Disc Jockey | Coming Of Age

Awards:

1 win

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Dec. 14

4:00 PM

ABC

Cast

Kevin Bacon	...	Billy Magic
Brad Renfro	...	Karchy 'Chucky' Jonas
Maximilian Schell	...	Dr. Istvan Jonas
Calista Flockhart	...	Diney Majeski
Paul Dooley	...	Father Norton
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Kevin Boyle
Luke Wilson	...	Henry
Damen Fletcher	...	Amos 'Blood Smith'
Jerry Swindall	...	Andy 'Croak' Stas
K.K. Dodds	...	Justine
James Kisicki	...	Cecil Simms
J.J. Horna	...	The Blind Kid
Ben Saypol	...	Timmy Morelli
Tony Devon	...	Danny Hogan
Rohn Thomas	...	Sgt. Disapri

Also Known As:

Ídolos, mentiras y rock & roll (Spain) [es]
American Dreamer - Charmante Lügner (Germany) [de]
Amerikkalainen unelma (Finland) [fi]
Mentir na América (Portugal) [pt]
Seventeen (Japan: English title) [en]

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 (video premiere) | Hong Kong:IIA | Spain:T | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Company:

Banner Entertainment

Trivia:

This was one of the first seven films to be foreclosed by the Screen Actors Guild for non-payment of wages and residuals to SAG members. On 13 July 2004, rights to the film were sold at auction.

Quotes:

Billy Magic: Have you done the nasty yet?
Karchy Jonas: Sure, lots of times.

Soundtrack:

Little Diane

An excellent coming-of-age story.

I definitely agree with those who think this is one of the best films of 1997. Great for Kevin Bacon fans. He is excellent as an AM rock DJ with a questionable past. I cannot believe Brad Renfro is only 16! He is already a skilled actor. Captures the late fifties very well. Those who remember the songs will love the soundtrack. A great collection of classic rock hits. Catholic school grads will also identify with Renfro's character and his predicament. The addition of Maximillian Schell is an added bonus. This is especially recommended for people who like good stories set in accurately depicted historical settings. I can't help but wonder if it is partly autobiographical for author Joe Esterhasz, who certainly redeems himself with this script.