Why Would I Lie?
“Lies, lies, lies. What a funny way to begin a love affair.”
Synopsis
Cletus is a compulsive liar. He prefers the term 'fabrication' to lie though. When Cletus becomes a social worker he's assigned the case of a boy called Jorge (with a 'J') who was taken from his mother. Cletus sets out to reunite Jorge with his mother, but to do so he has to fabricate many a story to keep Jorge from being adopted. In search of the mother, Cletus meets and falls in love with a women's advice councillor.
Top Cast
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Treat Williams
Cletus
Lisa Eichhorn
Kay
Gabriel Macht
Jeorge
Susan Heldfond
Amy
Anne Byrne Hoffman
Faith
Valerie Curtin
Mrs. Bok
Jocelyn Brando
Mrs. Crumpe
Nicolas Coster
Walter
Severn Darden
Dr. Barbour
Sonny Carl Davis
Paul
Jane Burkett
Natalie
Kay Cummings
Edith
Mia Bendixsen
Thelma
Ilene Kristen
Waitress
Harriet Gibson
Mary Kalinsky
Cynthia Hoppenfeld
Opel McCarthy
Mitzi Hoag
Mrs. Hayworth
Natalie Core
Mrs. Gogle
Release History & Theatrical Window
August 10, 1980
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$4.5M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$1.2M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.26x
-$3.3M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Larry Peerce
- Screenplay & Story
- Peter Stone
- Original Score
- Charles Fox
- Original Title
- Why Would I Lie?
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 45m
- Production Budget
- $4.5M
- Worldwide Gross
- $1.2M
- Production Studios
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Larry Peerce
Peter Stone
Charles Fox
John C. Howard
Pancho Kohner
Department Leadership Roster
Larry Peerce
Director
Pancho Kohner
Producer
John C. Howard
Editor
Peter Stone
Writer
Charles Fox
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Why Would I Lie?.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Why Would I Lie?.
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1980
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Frequently Asked Questions About Why Would I Lie?
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Why Would I Lie? about?
Cletus is a compulsive liar. He prefers the term 'fabrication' to lie though. When Cletus becomes a social worker he's assigned the case of a boy called Jorge (with a 'J') who was taken from his mother. Cletus sets out to reunite Jorge with his mother, but to do so he has to fabricate many a story to keep Jorge from being adopted. In search of the mother, Cletus meets and falls in love with a women's advice councillor.
Who directed Why Would I Lie??
Why Would I Lie? was directed by Larry Peerce.
Who stars in Why Would I Lie??
The principal cast of Why Would I Lie? includes Treat Williams, Lisa Eichhorn, Gabriel Macht, Susan Heldfond, Anne Byrne Hoffman.
When was Why Would I Lie? released and how long is it?
Why Would I Lie? was released in 1980 with a total runtime of 1h 45m.
What was the box office and production budget of Why Would I Lie??
Why Would I Lie? had a reported production budget of $4.5M and grossed $1.2M at the worldwide box office (0.26 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Why Would I Lie??
The original motion picture soundtrack for Why Would I Lie? was composed by Charles Fox.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Why Would I Lie??
Why Would I Lie? holds official age classifications: US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).