Telling Lies in America MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: -2

The early sixties, the prime of rock & roll, provides the background for this entertaining look at the American dream. Billy Magic (Kevin Bacon), a radio disc jockey who moves from town to town, lands in the steel-making town of Cleveland, Ohio. Looking for the right kid to lure into his payola scheme -- an arrangement in which he plays music for cash, he starts the Billy Magic High School Hall of Fame. Immigrant teenager Karchi Jonas (Brad Renfro) makes it his goal to be somebody special by getting into Billy's Hall of Fame. Karchi's father, Dr. Jonas (Maximillian Schell), works in the mills and sacrifices to send his son to school. Just seven years out of the Hungarian refugee camps, Dr. Jonas is studying for his citizenship test. His dream is for he and Karchi to become American citizens. Billy finally calls Karchi's name and even hires Karchi to be an assistant. Karchi thinks he's on his way, but then Billy starts using him to collect money. When Billy is accused of payola, Karchi is the one who gets implicated, and his and his dad's chance for citizenship is threatened. Nostolgia fans will enjoy this movie with its retro soundtrack.

Karchi frequently lies about his abilities and experience to make himself look good. Billy also lies. When asked about receiving money from record producers, he truthfully says that he didn't receive any money. But in reality, the money was passed to him through Karchi. Karchi eventually learns the truth, but he also lies about the payola. When a judge gives Karchi a special test for citizenship about lying, he uses two stories of George Washington; one about the cherry tree and one about throwing a coin across a river. One is impossible and has to be a lie, which makes the "I cannot tell a lie" phrase a lie in itself. Sadly, it implies that the American dream requires lying to get ahead. Teenage hormones are also explored as Billy arranges a date for Karchi with a prostitute. It's implied in a couple of scenes that Billy frequently uses prostitutes. Karchi blows his first date with a girl he really likes by following a friend's advice to put "Spanish Fly" in her drink. She gets sick and mad when she finds out. It's implied that she has sex with Karchi later but tells him she's engaged. The language is filled with slang expressions for sex and body parts. The s-word is used 10 times but no f-words. Regular profanity is frequently used as well. TELLING LIES is not the best policy nor an acceptable film.

Preview Reviewer: Paul Bicking
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