''Liar, Liar'' is a 1993 Canadian drama

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

starring Vanessa King as a girl who accuses her father (

Art Hindle Arthur Hindle (born July 21, 1948) is a Canadian actor and television director. He won the Gemini Award for Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for his portrayal of news director Mike Fennell on the CTV drama ''E.N.G.'' (1989-94). ...

) of molestation, only to have no one in her family believe her. The film originally aired on January 24, 1993 on

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...

in Canada. It aired under the title ''Liar, Liar: Between Father and Daughter'' on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

on June 22, 1993 in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It was also released under the title ''Daddy's Little Secret'' in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Plot

11-year-old Kelly Farrow ( Vanessa King) is a girl with a history of telling tall tales and bullying her younger siblings. One night, she locks her younger brother Patrick (Joel Palmer) in the bathroom, which terrifies him greatly, and is punished by her father Gil (

), who supposedly "spanks" her. Afterwards, Kelly vows that she will never be hurt by him again. At school the next day, she hears a classmate tell a story about a relative who accused her father of

molestation Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is r ...

and had him sent to jail; this gives her an idea. Kelly tells her teacher Mrs. Hildebrant ( Wendy Van Riesen) that her father has been sexually abusing her. Kelly speaks with the authorities, and they arrange to have her father arrested. The accusation and subsequent trial creates distance between Kelly and her family; mother Mary (

Rosemary Dunsmore Rosemary Dunsmore (born July 13, 1952) is a Canadian TV, film, and theatre actress, director, and educator. She was awarded a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her 1982 performance in ''Straight Ahead/Blind Dancers''. In 2009 she won the ACTRA Award fo ...

) and sisters Jean "Nini" ( Ashleigh Aston Moore) and Christina "Chrissy" ( Janne Mortil) doubt Kelly, given her history of lying and bullying. The only family member who believes her is Patrick. Gil's attorney Helen Browne ( Susan Hogan) picks her case apart in court by confirming that Kelly is technically still a virgin (as her

hymen The hymen is a thin piece of mucosal tissue that surrounds or partially covers the vaginal opening. A small percentage of females are born with hymens that are imperforate and completely obstruct the vaginal canal. It forms part of the vulva ...

has not been broken), and by casting doubt on the medical evidence of abuse. People come to believe that Kelly is lying because her father is known to be strict in his punishments, including prosecutor Susan Miori (

Kate Nelligan Patricia Colleen Nelligan (born March 16, 1950), known professionally as Kate Nelligan, is a Canadian stage, film and television actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1991 film '' The Prince of Tid ...

), and she struggles to get people to believe her. When older sister Chrissy tries to talk Kelly into dropping the case, Kelly confronts her with her knowledge of a secret that Chrissy herself has completely repressed her memories. Throughout her childhood and adolescence, Gil abused her, and switched his incestuous attentions to Kelly after Chrissy left home. As they are talking, Patrick becomes hysterically frightened after being left alone in the bathroom with Chrissy's husband Keith ( Roman Podhora). Shell-shocked, Chrissy realizes that not only was Kelly telling the truth, but that Patrick has also suffered at the hands of their father, which is where his fear of being locked in the bathroom stems from. After confronting her father, Chrissy defends her sister by telling the court of her own abuse, which parallels Kelly's account. The next day, Gil is convicted and sentenced to prison for 10 months and probation for 2 years. The judge apologizes to Kelly, stating that age is not a factor in determining honesty. He goes on to state that he wants a full investigation into Chrissy's allegations, and into Gil's relations with Nini and Patrick. While Mary and Nini are shocked and devastated at the situation, Kelly walks out with Chrissy and Patrick, relieved that she was finally believed.

Cast

as Gil Farrow * Vanessa King as Kelly Farrow * Janne Mortil as Christina "Chrissy" Farrow-Berezuk *

as Mary Farrow * Ashleigh Aston Moore as Jean "Nini" Farrow * Joel Palmer as Patrick Farrow *

as Susan Miori * Roman Podhora as Keith Berezuk * Michelle St. John as Janice * Wendy Van Reisen as Mrs. Hildebrandt *

Kaj-Erik Eriksen Kaj-Erik Eriksen (born 15 February 1979) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his roles as David Scali in ''The Commish'', Danny Farrell in the television series ''The 4400'', and Jeremy Peters in the television series ''Boston Public''. Pers ...

as Jonah * Susan Hogan as Helen Browne * Selina Hanuse as Female student

Reception

''Liar, Liar'' is known for its numerous

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...

nominations. ''

The Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the larges ...

'' praised the film, with critic Ray Loynd noting that the film's candid flashbacks to traumatic childhood sexual abuse might be "unnerving", while also stating, "a Canadian production (which premiered in Canada on the CBC last January), the movie is perhaps the most candid and most suspenseful parent/child molestation story aired to date on U.S. television." Tony Scott of ''

Daily Variety ''Variety'' is an American trade magazine owned by Penske Media Corporation. It was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933, ''Daily Variety'' was launched, based in ...

'' was slightly more critical but still generally positive, stating, "if the outcome's not entirely satisfactory, the telefilm has much to say about truth and buried anger."

Award nominations

References

External links

* * {{tcmdb title, id=465772
Review by Ken Tucker
at EW.com 1993 television films 1993 drama films 1993 films CBC Television original films English-language Canadian films Films scored by Fred Mollin Films about child abuse Films shot in Vancouver Canadian drama television films Films directed by Jorge Montesi 1990s Canadian films 1990s English-language films