Film Scouts Reviews: Telling Lies in America

Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, who's known for dishing out such lurid Hollywood trash as "Showgirls", appears to have cleaned up his act - at least temporarily. For the shocking truth is that this sweet-natured semi-autobiographical tale of lost innocence was written by the notorious Eszterhas. There are few surprises here. The teenage son of a Hungarian immigrant hangs with the wrong guy - a cool, cynical DJ who introduces him to sex-for-hire, flashy cars and the payola scandal. There are some genuinely appealing moments, but it's all wrapped up with a happy ending that suggests that telling whoppers is the American way. On the other hand, Kevin Bacon's loose-lipped rock-`n'-roll-savvy performance as the record-spinning Billy Magic spices up the movie enough to make it almost worth seeing.

Bacon also performed well at a festival press conference. He admitted he was pleased to be playing the bad role model for an impressionable teenager for a change. "I'm so happy not to be coming of age again in a movie. For 30 years I've been coming of age in movies." Bacon also wrote one of the rock tunes in this festival selection. "It was a little personal challenge to write a song called `Medium Rare,' sort of a goof," he explained.

Back to 1997 New York Film Festival Reviews

Back to 1997 Toronto Film Festival Reviews

Back to Telling Lies in America

Back to the Press Room

Suggestions? Comments? Fill out our Feedback Form.

"Telling Lies in America"

by Kathleen Carroll