Directed by John Schlesinger • 1963 • United Kingdom
Starring Tom Courtenay, Julie Christie
Tom Courtenay gives a flawlessly nuanced performance as Billy Fisher, the underachieving undertaker’s assistant whose constant daydreams and truth-deficient stories earn him the nickname “Billy Liar.” Julie Christie is the handbag-swinging charmer whose free spirit just might inspire Billy to finally move out of his parents’ house. Deftly veering from gritty realism to flamboyant fantasy, BILLY LIAR is a dazzling and uproarious classic.
The following commentary track, featuring director John Schlesinger and actors Tom Courtenay and Julie Christie, was recorded in London and Los Angeles in 2000.