Liar Liar: 10 Best Jim Carrey Quotes

Summary Fletcher undergoes a comedic transformation, incapable of lying, which leads to awkward but honest interactions with others.

The film balances slapstick humor with heartwarming moments, emphasizing the importance of Fletcher's relationship with his son.

Fletcher's journey of self-discovery culminates in a new perspective on life, prioritizing family over work and learning the value of honesty.

Liar Liar is one of Jim Carrey’s best movies, full of physical comedy and hilarious quotes. Starring Carrey as the lead, Fletcher Reede, Liar Liar shows him failing to find a balance between his work life as a lawyer and time spent with his son, Max. Fletcher frequently lies to others, but changes after Max wishes his father was unable to lie for one day. What follows for Fletcher is a challenging 24 hours in which he uncontrollably blurts his true feelings toward others, making his day in court extremely testing.

Fletcher's struggle with telling the truth is translated through strained facial movements and exaggerated bodily reactions. With as much humor as there is in Liar Liar, due to Carrey's signature slapstick style of comedy, there is also a heartfelt story about the father-and-son relationship between Fletcher and Max. Of all the people Fletcher lies to on a daily basis, the person most affected by his dishonesty is his son. The best quotes from Liar Liar, while they're all humorous on the surface, manage to capture both the silliness and love in the film's story.

10 "That's Just Something Ugly People Say."

Fletcher confronts Max about his wish.

Once Fletcher discovers that Max's birthday wish has come true, he heads to his school to confront him about it. Before understanding the impact his lies have on his son, Fletcher is begging for Max to undo his wish from the night before. Attempting to pin his situation from a point of view a child would understand, Fletcher explains the times in life when adults need to lie.

As an example, Fletcher talks about the appearance of Max's mother during her pregnancy and how he told little lies to ensure she felt better about herself. When Max points out the lack of reason behind such a lie, considering he's been told by others that beauty lies within the individual, Fletcher says, "That's just something ugly people say." Fletcher's response is comical as he's trying his best to dismiss any rebuttal thrown at him by his son in hopes that he'll understand the difficulty he's having by telling the truth.

9 "I Think I'm Fired. Isn't That Great?"

Fletcher is bailed out of jail.

In the final act of Liar Liar, Fletcher has a moment of clarity in the courtroom, but because of his agitated comments towards the judge, he is arrested for contempt of court. Luckily, Fletcher's former secretary Greta learns of his situation and bails him out. As they are catching up with one another, Greta mentions how she heard of his actions in the courtroom, to which Fletcher happily responds, "I think I'm fired. Isn't that great?"

The lack of care for his job is a stark contrast to the man he was at the beginning of Liar Liar, prioritizing his work over others. Fletcher's changed attitude only comes after realizing the importance of his relationship with Max and seeing a similar familial split mirrored in the outcome of his client's case. As he watches his client's children being taken away from their father, Fletcher concludes what's most important in his life. Following his bail, he rushes to the airport in an attempt to stop Max from leaving for Boston.

8 "Sometimes Grownups Need To Lie."

Fletcher visits Max at school.

Before he's set to appear in court and defend his client, Fletcher rushes to Max's school and asks him to undo his birthday wish. Fletcher is aware, to some degree, that Max feels disappointed and hurt whenever Fletcher lies to him, so he walks a fine line in convincing his son to change his wish. Making it clear that he does not want to purposefully lie to Max, Fletcher explains the necessary weight that lies hold within his life, saying, "Sometimes grownups need to lie."

Fletcher is among Jim Carrey's least likable characters due to his endless empty promises to his son, and this quote initially comes off as a cheap excuse to continue his pattern of dishonesty. However, there is truth to what Fletcher tells Max. Aside from the ways utter truthfulness impacts his work, there are moments in Liar Liar that show how important little lies are in everyday encounters, such as when co-workers ask for an opinion on their jarring new hairstyle.

7 "I Hold Myself In Contempt!"

Fletcher reconsiders the case.

As the result of his client's case begins to become clearer to Fletcher, he feels as though the outcome was a mistake. Although the client has stated her children have a wonderful father, she chooses to take the kids away from him, wanting to receive more money through child support. Fletcher begs that the judge reconsider the case, but instead, the judge warns him, "Mr. Reede, one more word and I will hold you in contempt."

Due to the dual definition of "contempt," a deeper meaning lies within Fletcher's outburst of, "I hold myself in contempt!" Up until this point in Liar Liar, Fletcher was defined as selfish, having no issue with the lies told to win his client's cases. Now, however, Fletcher has lost respect for himself and his line of work after seeing the immediate consequences. In the wake of his newfound outlook on life, Fletcher does all that he can to make sure his family knows they are his ultimate priority.

6 "I'm Jose Canseco! I'm Jose Canseco!"

Fletcher is being dragged out of the courtroom.

After questioning the judge's authority and decision-making in his client's case, Fletcher is dragged out of the courtroom. As he's being arrested and taken away, Fletcher panics about being late to play baseball with Max and begs the bailiff to allow him to stay. Fletcher pleads, "I've got a date to play ball with my son. I can't be late. It's my last chance! I'm Jose Conseco! I'm Jose Consecoooo!"

Though Fletcher doesn't allow for much time to bond with Max, one way the two stay close is through their shared enjoyment of baseball. During games, the two act as famous baseball players; Fletcher plays as Jose Conseco and Max as Hideo Nomo. Additionally, Fletcher's pleas as he's being taken out of the courtroom have an underlying meaning, considering Conseco isn't only defined by his baseball career, but by his numerous legal troubles as well.

5 "Wake Up Sisters! There Is Noooo Such Thing As A Weaker Sex!"

Fletcher's first meeting with his client, Samantha Cole.

Taking on a new client, Samantha Cole, Fletcher does his best to convince her of the power she plays in the case against her ex-husband. Fletcher broadens the importance of Samantha's case, implicating its impact on women as a whole. Referencing Tina Turner, Fletcher notes her role in reminding women of their power and mimics her vocal style to say, "There is noooo such thing as a weaker sex."

Fletcher's method of getting his client to be on board is humorous, but it works and Samantha is prepared to head to court. This brief scene highlights Fletcher's charismatic character, which plays a large part in his ability to consistently win in court. Fletcher's combined confidence and ability to manipulate the truth have led to his success at work and is the reason why he was asked to take on Samantha's case in the first place.

4 "I'm Kicking My A**! Do You Mind?"

Fletcher is in the bathroom trying to injure himself.

Overwhelmed with the inability to lie, Fletcher is hopeless and seeking a way to move the case to the next day after his 24 hours of honesty are complete. Fletcher excuses himself from the courtroom and runs to the bathroom. This is when he gets the idea to throw himself around, knocking into walls and slamming a toilet seat on his head. When another man enters the bathroom and asks what he's doing, Fletcher responds in frustration.

In this scene, Carrey's use of physical comedy is strong. From a shrieking scream as a result of rubbing hand soap in his eyes to dragging himself around by his hair, Fletcher's actions are a desperate attempt to halt the proceedings and save himself from telling the undeniable truth about his client. It's the first glimpse at how debilitating telling the truth is for Fletcher, especially when his reputation and career are on the line.

3 "I'm An Inconsiderate Prick!"

Fletcher causes chaos while speeding through the streets.

With little time remaining before he's set to appear in court, Fletcher rushes out of work and heads out to meet with his ex-wife, Audrey, to talk about her decision to move herself and Max to Boston. Fletcher is speeding through the streets and causing other cars to nearly crash into one another. A frustrated driver yells out his window, asking Fletcher what his problem is. Unable to lie, Fletcher describes himself as an "inconsiderate prick."

On any other day, Fletcher might have used the excuse of his destination being of higher importance over other drivers on the road, but on this day, Fletcher had no choice but to call out his ingrained behavior. Whether it's within his job and his willingness to lie for his clients, or his tendency to forget details about Max, Fletcher rarely considers others. Fortunately for those around him, Fletcher decides to turn his life around and it's easy to assume his relationships after Liar Liar's ending improves.

2 "Wow, That Was A Nice Image. Deleted!"

Audrey and Jerry kiss in front of Fletcher.

From the beginning of Liar Liar, it's clear that Fletcher does not like Audrey's new partner, Jerry. While Fletcher meets with Audrey to pick up Max, he is quickly overcome with irritation upon Jerry's arrival. When Jerry and Audrey greet one another with a kiss, Fletcher sarcastically comments, "Wow, that was a nice image. Deleted!"

Although a majority of Fletcher's negative feelings toward Jerry are rooted in annoyance, there is something to be said about the difference in each man's relationship with Max. Jerry is strongly committed to spending time with Max, while Fletcher, by his own accord, misses out on the opportunity to do so. Audrey herself notes the special connection Max and Fletcher have with one another despite the latter's regular absence. However, Jerry remembers details about Max, such as his birthday, which is something Fletcher had to be reminded of, and fills the paternal role whenever Fletcher's proposed plans to Max fall through.

1 "The Pen That I Hold In My Hand Is R-r-r-r...Royal Blue!"

Fletcher attempts to say the pen color is red.

Fletcher is confused and flustered by his sudden inclination to tell the truth and is determined to override the curse put upon him. After retracting the little lies told to his co-workers the day before, Fletcher rushes into his office and tries his best to lie to himself. He grabs a blue pen and, with a strenuous effort, Fletcher tries to say out loud that the pen is red.

He stutters, shakes, and even tries to write out the word "red" instead of saying it, but every effort is met with the same undeniable result: the pen is blue. Carrey's physical comedy in Liar Liar is at its peak in this scene with Fletcher's body acting as another character that has a mind of its own. Unable to control his actions, Fletcher tears his office apart and scribbles the word "blue" all over his face as he frantically attempts to correct the strange power possessing him.