The Jim Carrey Comedy On Netflix Is The Funniest Movie He’s Ever Done
Although Jim Carrey’s career has lasted over multiple decades, there’s no denying that his biggest classics were in the ‘90s. From the Ace Ventura franchise to Dumb and Dumber and Batman Forever, there’s just something about the ‘90s that saw some of Carrey’s best performances come to life. Now, Netflix subscribers can tune in for Jim Carrey’s laugh-out-loud 1997 comedy, Liar Liar as it’s currently streaming on the platform.
Jim Carrey stars in Liar Liar as a lawyer named Fletcher Reede who has managed to build his fortune and cutthroat attorney reputation around telling only lies. But, after he’s cursed to only tell the truth for an entire day, he watches as his kingdom begins to crumble beneath him while also trying to salvage his relationship with his ex-wife and son whom he hurt through his non-stop fibbing.
One of Jim Carrey’s funniest films, Liar Liar, is available to watch on Netflix.
Along with Jim Carrey, Liar Liar also stars Maura Tierney, Jennifer Tilly, Cary Elwes, Justin Cooper, Anne Haney, Jason Bernard, Mitchell Ryan, Amanda Donohoe, Swoosie Kurtz, Chip Mayer, and Cheri Oteri. Directed by Tom Shadyac, the film marked the second of three titles that the filmmaker and leading star would pair up for with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective coming first and Bruce Almighty being last.
Liar Liar’s Massive Success
An immediate hit, Jim Carrey and the rest of the cast of Liar Liar were a force to be reckoned with at the box office and critics award circuit that year with the film raking in a stunning $302.7 million against its production budget of $45 million. Carrey’s performance as the pathological liar stood out so well that he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy.
Before Jim Carrey stepped into the role of the crooked lawyer, Liar Liar was initially going to be about a real estate agent who lied to potential clients about the homes they were preparing to buy. In these early days, Steve Martin was the man being eyed up for the role of the salesman until a rewrite by Judd Apatow changed the real estate agent to a lawyer with the hopes of getting an actor in their 30s for the role.
Both Jim Carrey and Mike Myers were up for the part but after the former turned down the role of Dr. Evil in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and the latter took on the part of Austin Powers, it was set that Carrey would appear as the star of Liar Liar.
Liar Liar was initially going to be about a real estate agent who lied to potential clients about the homes they were preparing to buy.
It was around this time that Jim Carrey and Tom Shadyac were wandering around Hollywood talking about Liar Liar when they ran into Cary Elwes, who had just finished the fan-favorite feature, Twister. After asking the pair what they were up to, Carrey and Shadyac told Elwes about the movie and asked him to be a part of it. As the story goes, Elwes said “yes” on the spot without having so much as read the script.
Known for diving head first into his roles, Jim Carrey’s dedication to Liar Liar was no different with the star later saying that his part was an incredibly physically demanding one. In the film, his character goes from zero to 100 at the drop of a hat, something that left the actor feeling drained by the end of each day of filming.
Meanwhile, as he’s known for his adlibbing style, it was later revealed that the filming crew wasted feet upon feet of film tape due to other actors cracking up during his improved bits.
Both Jim Carrey and Mike Myers were up for the lead role in Liar Liar.
To put things into perspective for all the Jim Carrey fans out there, Liar Liar came out following both Ace Ventura movies, Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, and Cable Guy. The following year, Carrey’s career would take a turn for the dramatic when he appeared in the drama comedy, The Truman Show, a role that was followed up in the early aughts by titles such as Me, Myself & Irene, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Bruce Almighty, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Possibly the last two projects of his career, Jim Carrey most recently appeared as Dr. Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog films. Having announced that he’s likely retiring from acting, it’s up in the air whether the comedian will return to another project any time soon although he’s certainly left the door open for it. In the meantime, you can get your Jim Carrey fix on Netflix where Liar Liar is currently streaming.
