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Tom Courtenay, Julie Christie, Wilfred Pickles, Mona Washbourne, Finlay Currie ... see more see more... , Ethel Griffies , Rodney Bewes , Helen Fraser , George Innes , Leonard Rossiter , Godfrey Winn , Ernest Clark , Leslie Randall , Gwendolyn Watts , Patrick Barr , Anna Wing , George Ghent , Denys N. Coop

Billy Fisher (Tom Courtenay) is known to his blue-collar British mates as Billy Liar because of his vivid imagination. This film version of the Keith Waterhouse-Willis Hall stage play "visualizes" som... read more read more...e of Billy's more outrageous fabrications. He periodically escapes the drudgery of his job at a funeral parlor by conjuring up impossible adventures, usually involving the conquest of women. In one of her first film roles, Julie Christie plays one of two "real" girls who wish that Billy would come down to earth and pop the question. Following this film adaptation, Billy Liar was transformed into a stage musical, and later resurfaced as a British TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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81% liked it

2,486 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

9 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: John Schlesinger

Release Date: January 1, 1963

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DVD Release Date: January 1, 1998

Stats: 186 reviews

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Tom Courtenay (Billy Liar)
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Flixster Reviews (186)

  • matertenebraum
    February 10, 2011
    matertenebraum
    Billy Liar!" impressed me more than many other admirable British pictures of this era, like "Room at the Top", "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" and "This Sporting Life". It managed to generate a more tangible blend of poignancy and amusement. It's not often humour of ... read morethe "laugh-out-loud" nature, more of the subtle, grim kind. The reality of Britain at that time is I suspect, very well conveyed here, with the old working-class, represented by Councillor Duxbury (astutely played by the fine Finlay Currie) and Billy's family, very much at odds with what they see as an ungrateful, decadent youth. All the performances hit the intended mark, with Leonard Rossiter typically Rossiter, almost as a younger Rigsby, without so much noticeable seediness. Julie Christie is as good as the role allows, an odd role, very much the "dream girl" of Billy and I dare say a good few others. The film expertly avoids sentimentalizing matters by its cunning, apposite last section. The Danny Boon character is, one suspects, all too typical of the TV light entertainer mould in reality. His reliance on cheap non-gags, smug guffaws and "audience banter" is well conveyed in just a few short scenes. It's interesting that Billy seems to aspire so much to write for him in particular... Helen Fraser's character Barbara is wonderfully quaint; a type long gone it seems. One can understand Billy's frustrations with his respectively prudish and plain (Barbara) and ignorant (Rita) girlfriends, and his anger at his family, although some sympathy is correctly reserved for them. The direction is very good by Schlesinger, emphasizing all the right things. The fine context-setting opening montage expertly draws in the viewer, and never at any stage henceforth is anyone's attention likely to wane. The film is most of all Tom Courtenay's; he gives a truly resonant performance, bringing to vivid life a character far removed from the norms of film making at the time. The fantasy sequences are finely done, and all add more deep impression of this character. His digressive tendencies, self-destructive habits, economy with the truth are well balanced by a sense of yearning and imagination. One cannot help but like and relate to the character, a creation that resoundingly rings true. His ambivalence to the class system comes across concisely, in particular. A fine film indeed, with so many of the smaller touches that many films miss. Witty, sad and a seminal film of the era, very much a crossroads in British history.
  • ajv2688
    November 26, 2010
    ajv2688
    I wasn't very impressed with this movie or any of the cast really, it wasn't very funny or enjoyable, but once in a while it has a funny moment, so it's an okay movie.
  • pier007
    November 19, 2010
    pier007
    Billy Fisher's choice at the end left me thinking two things. first, that in order to find happiness one not necessarily has to leave all behind, because after all, that is just a state of mind and a excuse of society to break our individuality in pieces. And second, that Billy, ... read morebeing the irresponsible daydreamer that he is, is above all a coward and a cheeky conformist who wouldn't deprive himself from the pleasure and the importance he has as a refugee of his inner world, without caring much for anything else than fantasizing to escape mediocrity and boredom.
    So as my writing may show, I found this picture utterly personal, wildly comic but also lugubrious, sad, like a dead end... or a hard smash on the floor after a light and pleasant flight of the senses.
  • rubystevens
    December 20, 2008
    rubystevens
    a charming british comedy from the 60's that is ultimately quite touching. a young man lives in a fantasy world until confronted with an opportunity to actually change his life. tom courtenay gives an amazing performance that put me in mind of malcolm macdowell in a clockwork o... read morerange. this is also julie christie's first major role and she's adorable as ever. highly entertaining.
  • mjgildea
    March 24, 2008
    mjgildea
    Billy Liar didn't floor me, but the overall look of the movie and John Schlesinger's direction did. The brief machine gun cutaways and the brief Ambrosia sidebars were brilliant. God knows when I don't want to deal with someone or something I just want to open fire with a machine... read more gun. Tom Courtenay was amazing though. Ultimately what kind of failed to sell me on Billy Liar was the abysmal depression of an overall feel of the movie and the abundant lack of The Freewheelin' Julie Christie. How her and Tom Courtenay suddenly got together towards the end was also a little suspect.
  • littlecharmer1959
    February 6, 2008
    littlecharmer1959
    One of my favourites. Has some great comic moments as well as being one of the best known of the "kitchen sink dramas". The story revolves around Billy who does nothing but daydream and let his imagination run wild. Its through his wild imagination that Billy has managed to find ... read morehimself engaged to not one but 3 girlfriends. It may seem that Billy is uncaring towards his family and 3 girlfriends but it becomes clear that Billy?s wild imagination and habit of lying is his way of escaping the humdrum life of 1960s Northern England. Also a great performance by Julie Christie in her first major film role.
  • Chapsky
    August 5, 2011
    Chapsky
    A young man who is not happy with his life retreats to his fantasy world. He calles it Ambrosia. In Ambrosia; he becomes war hero, writer of a best seller...whatever he wants...Then a beatiful girl (who is a young and gorgeous Julie Christie) offers him a new start in a new city ... read morewith her. But it's not that easy to leave the throne of Ambrosia just empty.... A classic not to be missed!
  • jsbond008
    February 15, 2010
    jsbond008
    it?s the narcissistic writer movie of the early 60?s with hints of existentialism because everything is so absurd that he has to lie to make his life more exciting for himself and in the meantime gets himself involved in such calamity. I can understand why it considered British N... read moreew Wave although it is very different than French new wave, it is a true England story about fitting into proper society in proverbial England. It?s about having ot fulfill social norms despite being the dreamer with the imagination who doesn?t serve in such society. It is about making up fibs, white lies, and living in a never-ending dream. Instead of being sarcastic Billy is overly enthusiastic. Does it serve him?

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Critic Reviews

A.O. Scott
January 1, 2000
A.O. Scott, New York Times

One of the great movies of the 1960's. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
August 9, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

A key work of the New British Cinema, Billy Liar features the impressive debut of director John Schlesinger and his first teaming with Julie Christie (before Darling). Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
April 18, 2009
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Even though it's a seminal movie of the sixties, it never reached me emotionally. Full Review

Sean Axmaker
April 4, 2009
Sean Axmaker, Turner Classic Movies Online

... this portrait of ambition aching to break out of suffocating conformity and social expectation is viewed through the prism of fantasy and puckish humor... Full Review

Gregory Weinkauf
February 4, 2004
Gregory Weinkauf, New Times

Brill.

James Kendrick
August 1, 2001
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

a unique work in the British New Cinema movement

July 22, 2008
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

August 17, 2007
Empire Magazine

Click to read the article Full Review

Christopher Null
August 29, 2004
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

Click to read the article Full Review

Brian J. Arthurs
October 4, 2002
Brian J. Arthurs, Beach Reporter (Southern California)

No review available.

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Billy Liar Trivia

  • Which word completes the blanks to make three movie titles? 1. Billy ______ 2. _______,______ 3. Big, Fat ________  Answer »
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