A Little White Lie

It's so sad to see these 2 ONCE great actors star in such a mediocre TV movie. Well, officially it aint a TV movie, but quality wise, IT IS. The bad: I really value Michael Shannon as an actor. It's NOT his fault that this movie flopped. This brilliant actor has starred in several terrific movies at the very start of his carreer, but somehow he ended up in this below average formulaic picture, which was badly written, badly directed and badly produced. More bad: this movie is PC. Yes, my condolences. PC? Yes, this movie is Politically Correct. It has got specific themes and values that represent Politically Correct Thinking. And PC themed movies are incredibly predictable and therefore bland and boring. And so it goes.... To be avoided...

It is hard not to like Shriver and indeed all the delicate characters in this fine film. Shannon plays great - but so does everyone else.. Right from the start, you are curious, and that creates hope for a happy ending, and this hope never lets go. The film is full of small delicious details that perhaps could have been left out, but they provide the nuance that makes this little film light, delicious, deep and unique. I don't think I've ever seen a movie like this, and doubt it will happen again - anytime soon. I'm already looking forward to watching it again, and I expect it to open up more little angles - and if it doesn't, I'll just enjoy it for what it is.. again. Oh what a lovely film it was!

IN A NUTSHELL: The original title for this movie was "Shriver." When a handyman living in New York City is mistaken for a famous and famously reclusive writer, he's brought to a university where he is to deliver a keynote address to save the school's literary festival. The movie was written and directed by Michael Maren. He heard Chris Belden read from his novel "Shriver" while in a bookstore in Massachusetts. Michael Mare was so excited about it that he immediately optioned the movie rights. THINGS I LIKED: The fantastic cast includes Oscar-nominated Michael Shannon, Golden Globe winners Kate Hudson and Don Johnson, award-winners Zach Braff and Wendie Malick, Lincoln Shining Star award winner Aja Naomi King, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph. The university that's featured in the movie is the real-life campus of the University of Redlands in California. I'm a university professor and could definitely relate to some of the frustrations and nuances that were illustrated by the various instructors in the story. If you are a lover of literature, you'll get a kick out of this satire. The dialogue is entertaining and even insightful at times. As an author of 31 books (you can find them all on Amazon!), I really enjoyed this. All authors feel like imposters at one point. Imposter syndrome is real. We feel compelled to write yet are often shocked that anyone would really want to read what we have penned. Readers have no idea how important their book reviews are. We can fly for hours with a good review, and yet die a thousand deaths with a bad one. Please be kind when you write your reviews! And please leave some of my books a review! Thanks! I love that the movie kept me guessing and doubting myself as I tried to figure out who Michael Shannon's real character was. The movie does a great job illustrating how we question our own identity and talents. THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: With all that award-winning star power, the movie should be better than it is. For a movie about an incredible writer, the writing in the movie should have also been better than it was. So many awkward moments. Some critics have complained that the movie is messy and dull. I disagree. I really enjoyed it. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored because every scene is just adults talking. Some profanity, including an F-bomb. To see my full review, go to my YouTube channel called Movie Review Mom!

Was not expecting to like this movie, but it was in my Netflix list, and i rolled the dice, but it had Michael Shannon as a guy name Shriver, and he plays this depressed building caretaker in New York when he gets a letter from some small town thats holding an annual Literary Festival but interest has declined for years and all the famous names on their list have declined their invites, but Kate Hudson's Simone, decides to write to Shriver, a reclusive author who wrote a famous book and went missing for 20 years. Shriver, hadnt read a book gets advice from his drinking buddy, Lenny player by Sons of Anarchy's Michael Boone Junior, and reluctantly goes to the festival, beliving there will be a prize of some sort, maybe cash, but knows that he'll likely get found out and tries to go back to New York but Simone who meets him at the hotel bar, makes him stick around awhile. Anyway the people want so bad to believe he is whom he says he is and he says some very profound things along the way, he even begins to write something on notepads in order have something to say and the ruse going. Along the way, a woman goes missing whonhad slept in his room and a police detecive is asking questions. Simones ex husband played by Don Johnson, as a poet is tryjng to party with him, and Shriver grunts his way through everything convincingly. He even manages to give good advice young writers at a workshop. The acting is very good in this, no one is overly "hammy" or overacting. I usually love Michael Shannons movies because he is not your typical "movie star" type actor. He always seems out of place or miscast in about everything. But he fits this role perfectly, hes not overacting, hes actually barely acting here but its just the right tone, not silly of goofy, unique restraint in something that could have easily gone too overboard.

This movie is brilliant. It nails imposter syndrome and the writing community at large. It brought me back to my own days in an MFA program without ever delving into nostalgia. It shows the pain, irony, jealousy, and annoying life of modern writers and writing students. It is a satire of imposter syndrome and the writing community. Understanding that helps what might seem like a strange story make sense. It kept me cringing, empathizing, hoping, and ultimately encouraged. I highly recommend, and I would show this movie to my writing students-or have them read the book, which, as the movie explains, writing students tend not to enjoy.

Michael Shannon is brilliant as usual and all the rest of the cast are wonderful - particularly Don Johnson, with surprising and delightful turns all around. The writing is dazzling and truly moving. A must-see, especially if you love great writing and the writer's world. Keeps surprising all the way through. Particularly notable for the sparkle of all the supporting characters. Make no mistake this is very funny but also very moving and redemptive but never corny. Shannon's performance and the quality of the writing elevates this way beyond a typical romantic comedy which it certainly is not.

Why should a handyman with the same last name as a reclusive author accept an invitation to speak at an obscure writing conference? The recluse wrote a worldwide hit, the quintessential coming-of-age novel, then disappeared. The handyman isn't a writer...or is he? A fascinating and intriguing plot with stellar acting, especially by the primary protagonist Michael Shannon. He is ably assisted by Kate Hudson, the professor who finds the author, and Don Johnson, her ex-husband who turns out to be the savior of the situation. The ending is Shakespearean and quite unguessable. No idea why this hasn't been a huge .

Had never heard of this film, but my husband and I decided to watch it the other day, and we were both completely blown away! What a very, very good film. We were expecting just a light rom-com, but this was so much deeper than that. Lots of rom-com qualities to it, but at the same time - a sublime and fascinating drama. As the storyline progresses, and you begin to understand Michael Shannon's character a bit more, it becomes evident what a remarkable job he has done in portraying the reclusive "Shriver." We have watched a lot of movies over the past couple of years, and this may be the BEST of all of them!

I would have rate this at least 7 stars but towards tgee end of the movie, i was so disappointed. Misleads you to believe that this is a wholesome, no foul language etc movie, but somehow they insert in there a very disrespectful language offensive to millions of believers. Hollywood does not realize that people of all faith, particularly Christians, notice this, and they would stop stop watching, as I did. They whoever they are will fail at their attempt to make people say this offensive words. Only American/hollywood movies I notice disrespect Jesus name, while other foreign shows I have not seen one who did this. I would stick to watching foreign films then. Hollywood's loss.

A Little White Lie might be the worst marketed movie and yet the best ratings sleeper since My Cousin Vinnie. IMBD currently has a score of 5.9 Why? The trailer and promotional materials list it as a zany romantic comedy. Director Michael Maren didn't make that movie; rather he turned Chris Belden's hilarious book Shriver - a campy case of mistaken identity and turned it into a brilliant portrayal of imposter syndrome and writers block. The production values are more in keeping with a low budget comedy - such as Caddyshack or Dodgeball - and the cast including Kate Hudson and Don Johnson (and their scripts) would be perfectly appropriate for a rom com. The giveaway is the sublime Michael Shannon. He was the top choice by Maren after the untimely death of Philip Seymour Hoffman. It's his movie. Conjuring an exquisite metamorphosis worthy of Kafka. From a janitor who doesn't read to a a suspect invitee at a literary conference to perhaps the real McCoy? Shriver published Goat Time - a singularity of brilliance a la JD. Salinger. 15 years later, he isn't sure about anything. Could he have possibly written it? Is he actually a writer? Yet the festival draws him out of his cocoon. Whether he is the real Shriver or not - I leave to you to find out. Watch this movie. But temper the obvious expectation for a light comedy. It may be the next Being There. And an aside - the marketing team has some serious explaining to do!