The Invention of Lying (2009)

Comedy, Fantasy

Directors: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson
Writers: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K.

"In a world where everyone can only tell the truth... ...this guy can lie."

The Invention of Lying is the directorial debut of Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson.

The film takes place in an alternative reality where humans have not evolved with the capacity to lie and everything said is the absolute truth. This, until Mark Bellison, played by Ricky Gervais, tells the first lie in history.

Plot summary from IMDb: It's a world where everyone tells the truth - and just about anything they're thinking. Mark Bellison is a screenwriter, about to be fired. He's short and chunky with a flat nose - a genetic setup that means he won't get to first base with Anna, the woman he loves. At a bank, on the spur of the moment he blurts out a fib, with eye-popping results. Then, when his mother's on her deathbed, frightened of the eternal void awaiting her, Mark invents fiction. The hospital staff overhear his description of Heaven, believe every word, and tell others. Soon Mark is a prophet, his first inventive screenplay makes him rich, and he's basically a good guy. But will that be enough for Anna?

Awards: 1 nomination.
Runtime: 100 min
PG-13