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‘Should have garnered the actor an Oscar’: why Liar Liar is my feelgood movie

The latest in our series of writers paying tribute to the films they watch when they need a lift is an appreciation of Jim Carrey’s manic 90s comedy To be completely honest, whenever anybody asks what my favorite movies are, my list has some typical standbys: Goodfellas and It’s a Wonderful Life among them. The holiday classic National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is another. But there’s one feelgood fave on my list that always surprises people: Jim Carrey’s 1997 blockbuster Liar Liar. The movie (for the lack of a better word) lies on the bedrock of a simple premise: a lawyer and doting father is physically unable to tell an untruth due to a birthday wish. In the hands of a less competent creative team and cast, Liar Liar would have been yet another forgettable piece of 90s comedy junk; destined for the bottom of a discount VHS bin, forgotten as the years trudged on. But largely thanks t

Image from linked report: ‘Should have garnered the actor an Oscar’: why Liar Liar is my feelgood movie
Image from the linked report: ‘Should have garnered the actor an Oscar’: why Liar Liar is my feelgood movie.Credit: The Guardian Thumbnail shown with attribution and outbound source link; VINI does not claim ownership or republish the original article body. Image source Image shown with attribution and an outbound source link; VINI does not claim ownership or republish the original article body.
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The latest in our series of writers paying tribute to the films they watch when they need a lift is an appreciation of Jim Carrey’s manic 90s comedy To be completely honest, whenever anybody asks what my favorite movies are, my list has some typical standbys: Goodfellas and It’s a Wonderful Life among them. The holiday classic National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is another. But there’s one feelgood fave on my list that always surprises people: Jim Carrey’s 1997 blockbuster Liar Liar. The movie (for the lack of a better word) lies on the bedrock of a simple premise: a lawyer and doting father is physically unable to tell an untruth due to a birthday wish. In the hands of a less competent creative team and cast, Liar Liar would have been yet another forgettable piece of 90s comedy junk; destined for the bottom of a discount VHS bin, forgotten as the years trudged on. But largely thanks t

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According to The Guardian’s source item, ‘Should have garnered the actor an Oscar’: why Liar Liar is my feelgood movie, The latest in our series of writers paying tribute to the films they watch when they need a lift is an appreciation of Jim Carrey’s manic 90s comedy To be completely honest, whenever anybody asks what my favorite movies are, my list has some typical standbys: Goodfellas and It’s a Wonderful Life among them. The holiday classic National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is another. But there’s one feelgood fave on my list that always surprises people: Jim Carrey’s 1997 blockbuster Liar Liar. The movie (for the lack of a better word) lies on the bedrock of a simple premise: a lawyer and doting father is physically unable to tell an untruth due to a birthday wish. In the hands of a less competent creative team and cast, Liar Liar would have been yet another forgettable piece of 90s comedy junk; destined for the bottom of a discount VHS bin, forgotten as the years trudged on. But largely thanks t

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The development sits in VINI’s Culture file for readers following arts, entertainment, fashion, film, music, celebrity, and the business of culture. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-09-28T09:00:29+00:00.

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Primary source: ‘Should have garnered the actor an Oscar’: why Liar Liar is my feelgood movie via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.

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