Rated PG-13 for language including some sexual material and a drug reference.
Directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson
Starring Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Tina Fey and Rob Lowe
The Invention of Lying is HILARIOUS… wait that was a lie.
It's a world where everyone tells the truth – and just about everything (good and bad) that they are thinking. Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) is a screenwriter who is about to be fired. He's short and chunky with a flat nose – a genetic pool that means he won't get a second date with Anna (Jennifer Garner). Recently fired and evicted from his apartment, Mark invents fiction while in a bank. But when his mother is on her deathbed and frightened of the eternal void that awaits her, Mark “lies” again by saying she will go to a beautiful place where all her suffering will end and she will live in a mansion for all eternity. The hospital staff overhears his description of Heaven, believes every word, and begins to spread the word.
If you were the only one who could tell a lie – and everyone believed everything you said… what would you do? That’s the very interesting premise to Ricky Gervais’ new film. Sometimes he uses his power for “good” and sometimes it’s for very selfish reasons. But when he “lies” about the afterlife – that’s where things get uncomfortable and pretty blasphemous.
Although the premise is questionable at best, the cast is fantastic. Ricky Gervais is awkward, a little dirty and pretty hilarious. While he has been the creator and star of The Office (British) and the star of several films, in The Invention of Lying he is at the top of his game. The rest of the cast (which includes Jonah Hill, Tina Fey and Rob Lowe) are great and there are some fantastic cameos (Jason Bateman, Philip Seymour-Hoffman, Ed Norton and others).
While The Invention of Lying had a few funny moments, they decide to take the low (rough) road instead of going to the interesting places they could have… and for that reason, to me it is just a “Rental.”
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Unfortunately this movie takes the low road too many times but there are some very interesting scenes that would lead to some very interesting conversations with your teenager.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
