MovieChat Forums > Liar Liar (1997) Discussion > The power of the wish is very inconsiste...

The power of the wish is very inconsistent.

posted 4 years ago by MikeHunt12345 (781)
5 replies | jump to latest

Sometimes Fletcher has to be 100% honest, but sometimes he just can't tell a blatant lie. For example, when Miranda asks Fletcher if he enjoyed their sex, he says he's had better. But when the judge asks Fletcher who beat him, he describes his own physical characteristics, deliberately fooling the judge into thinking he's talking about another person. Although it's not technically a lie, it's completely dishonest. If the power was consistent, in the former scene, Fletcher could've just said he enjoyed the sex. I'm sure he did enjoy it, even if he'd had better. So he would've been able to answer without lying, but without telling the full truth, like he did in the latter scene. Or alternatively, if the power was consistent, in the latter scene, Fletcher would've had to admit he beat himself.

[–] ExTechOp (2738) 4 years ago

Good point, but this was a screwball comedy so a lot of the "logic" is driven by what's funniest in a given situation.

Also, I think the courtroom scene comes later, when he's learning to "control" his curse somewhat, and not just let the first "truth" that occurs to him come tumbling out of his mouth

[–] avortac4 (3443) 4 years ago

This is not a 'screwball comedy', it's a very 'serious comedy', in fact. The situations and the relationship realism is as realistic and non-screwball as it gets. The only 'screwball' thing about this is Jim Carrey's performance - as is intended. Maybe the 'magical wish-fulfillment' stretches the limits of reality, but that's as far as it goes. Otherwise, it's very well thought-out and 'serious' for a comedy.

Also, the logic of the 'lie' stuff IS actually very well thought-out as well, and the OP here is shooting at strawmen - the movie does NOT have a flaw in this, as I just proved.

[–] Moonglum9 (10702) 4 years ago

The elevator girl was definitely flawless!

[–] avortac4 (3443) 4 years ago

"Although it's not technically a lie, it's completely dishonest."

If it was 'completely dishonest', it would be a lie. It's the truth. He did not lie.

It's true, that he COULD have chosen a different truth to tell when Miranda asked that question, but that was when he didn't know he couldn't lie, so he wasn't prepared at all for even telling any kind of truth - therefore, he just said WHATEVER happened to be in his head, instead of the intended lie.

You can think of this as 'non-controlled situation' or 'freeflow situation'.

In the courtroom, he KNEW about the 'gift', so he was able to TAILOR the truth to fit the situation better. There's nothing dishonest about it, he technically answered the judge's question truthfully.

The judge asked a specific question, Fletcher answered truthfully and honestly. He did not lie.

Also, 'not being able to tell a lie' does not necessarily mean 100% honesty or "non-dishonesty", so it's all still perfectly within the rules. AS LONG AS HE DOES NOT LIE, he can speak whatever he wants.

Your point has been destroyed. And that's the truth.

[–] ss5mmyers (156) 3 years ago

That doesn't reconcile his being able to mislead the judge with his earlier blurting out random stuff about his coworkers when he wasn't even being asked a specific question.