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Brian Cox, Paul Dano, Billy Kay, Bruce Altman, James Costa ... see more see more... , Tony Donnelly , Walter Masterson , Marcia de Bonis , Adam Le Fevre

A teenaged boy in desperate need of a father figure finds one in a place no one should ever have to look in this controversial drama. Howie (Paul Franklin Dano) is a 15-year-old who has been emotional... read more read more...ly at sea ever since the death of his mother in an auto accident several years before. Howie's father Marty (Bruce Altman) is also having trouble dealing with the loss, and distracts himself with empty sex while avoiding authorities attempting to prosecute him for using unsafe materials in his building contracting business. Howie falls in with a group of homeless delinquents his own age, becoming especially close to streetwise Gary (Billy Kay). In time, Howie begins to wonder if his feelings for Gary go past ordinary friendship, but the issue of his sexuality is forced into a very different light after Gary persuades Howie to join him in robbing the home of middle-aged former Marine Big John Harrigan (Brian Cox). It doesn't take long for Big John to track down the culprits after Howie and Gary steal several guns from his house, but Howie learns that Big John and Gary have met before -- Gary sometimes works as a male prostitute, and Big John, whose tastes run to boys in their early teens, is a regular customer. When Gary runs away to California, Big John proposes that Howie work off their debt by having sex with him; while Howie is hardly comfortable with this arrangement, he has nowhere else to go after his father ends up in jail, and he finds an unexpected degree of emotional support in his relationship with the curiously compassionate pedophile, who comes to understand just how badly Howie needs help. L.I.E. (the title stands for "Long Island Expressway") premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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75% liked it

6,990 ratings

Critics

83% liked it

82 critics

NC-17, 1 hr. 48 min.

Directed by: Michael Cuesta

Release Date: September 7, 2001

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DVD Release Date: June 4, 2002

Stats: 444 reviews

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L.I.E. Billy Kay L.I.E. L.I.E. Paul Dano Billy Kay Billy Kay Billy Kay Billy Kay in the film L.I.E. Billy Kay Paul Dano Paul Dano Billy Kay Billy Kay Billy Kay in the film-L.I.E. billy as 'Gary' in L.I.E. on a bed How he looks now!!!
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Flixster Reviews (444)

  • 76Majikat
    January 26, 2011
    76Majikat
    This is a fairly well acted film with part of the story being of a disturbing nature.

    The power of suggestion is everything in this film and heightens the controversial subject in hand, whilst giving Brian Cox a controversial role to tackle.

    The general storyline does hold ... read moreyour attention, but the highs and lows of the film and few and far between, leaving it on a very monotone level.
  • dreamfaeries
    May 5, 2010
    dreamfaeries
    Good, but be ready for some biting qualities.
  • ythelastman89
    November 18, 2009
    ythelastman89
    Amazing. The film covered so much ground and officially went where no coming-of-age story has ever dared to go. Paul Dano was dead on, one of the most believable confused teens i've seen on camera. Brian Cox was almost too good and I'm sure it was an incredibly hard role to play.... read more The look and direction of it was really good. It was a perfectly depressing backdrop. I guess if you can't handle the subject matter it would be rough, but I really liked that aspect of it. It wasn't afraid to bring up any subject.
  • romy861
    September 26, 2009
    romy861
    This was impossible to find as a rental, so I ended up having to buy it from overseas! Glad I did, it was definitely worth a watch. I love this twisted teen crap. LOL.
  • sainttom93
    January 15, 2007
    sainttom93
    this is the most real portrayal of pedophilia I've ever seen in the movies --
  • fb20312798
    February 23, 2010
    fb20312798
    Its beyond honest and it never settles for anything less than that. It handles the material well and never exploits it. Paul Dano is great in this and so is Brian Cox. They are two roles that a lot of actors would avoid because of the content but they both are up the task, they a... read morechieve a realistic emotional connection with the audience that is what really makes the whole film so compelling.
  • michaelcorleone
    February 22, 2010
    michaelcorleone
    Although I still really like and admire this film, it doesn't quite hold up on a second viewing. It works as a stirring depiction of adolescence, and it demonstrates promise from director Michael Cuesta. Delving into some of the most dangerous topics associated with teenagers, t... read morehis movie almost always avoids cheap summaries and judgment. Brian Cox's performance as a pedophile really is a revelation - he does things with this character that are downright astonishing. The rest of the acting is fantastic too, especially from a very young Paul Dano in the lead. With an intuitive screenplay, vivid direction and a cast of great performances, this is a really special piece.
  • mvieaddict
    December 19, 2009
    mvieaddict
    L.I.E. was the short name for the Long Island Expressway. It was quite a disturbing movie of a 15 years old boy Howard who became the prey of the local pedophile.This topic required real honest understanding for being a problem of our society and an uncomfortable matter so I gues... read mores that was the reason they rated this movie NC17. The movie portrayed both characters very well, the pedophile role and the emotional needs he filled boy with. It could be very disturbing to watch young boys getting blackmailed into having sex with a 60 year old man. The child actors were great and natural, Brian Cox played the pedophile Big John very well. The script was heartbreaking and the whole movie had a strong intensity to keep you watching till the end.
  • youngboy832002
    December 26, 2011
    youngboy832002
    This was a really good movie. Howie the main character goes through hell in this movie losing everything and everybody out of his life. As he navigates through his adolescence basically on his own. Great story and a Must See....
  • dizzynorman
    February 9, 2010
    dizzynorman
    I definitely think this a film that received critical attention more for its scandalous subject matter over anything else. Without the pedophilia/teenage prostitution element (which is difficult to imagine) I can't see this film having any redeeming qualities beyond some passabl... read moree acting. It's a gross movie, which is not a critique so much as it is a statement of fact. The opportunity to show the internal suffering of a young, damaged and possibly gay teen is not entirely taken and instead more emphasis is placed on his substitute paternal figure wanting to molest him. The scenes with Billy Kay were most enjoyable as he bears a striking (insane) resemblance to a young Christian Bale. As far as pedophilia films go, however, I strongly prefer Little Children.

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Critic Reviews

Peter Howell
March 29, 2002
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Cuesta never gives us the satisfaction of fulfilling our expectations; instead he gives us a movie that we can ponder long the road takes its final turn. Full Review

Roger Moore
October 19, 2001
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Recoiling from L.I.E. is a very human, and frankly a very responsible, reaction.

Michael O'Sullivan
October 9, 2001
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

Difficult and flawed feature debut.

Rita Kempley
October 9, 2001
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

Gripping, troubling, and deftly acted.

Terry Lawson
October 9, 2001
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

One of the most provocative independent films of the year. Full Review

Joe Baltake
October 8, 2001
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

If you're open-minded and adventurous in your moviegoing, and if you can handle a disturbing but major performance, then by all means see it. Full Review

Rex Reed
September 28, 2001
Rex Reed, New York Observer

This is a very unsettling film that left me shaking long after I left the theater. Full Review

Gary Dowell
September 28, 2001
Gary Dowell, Dallas Morning News

A bold, distinctly independent film. Full Review

Kevin Thomas
September 28, 2001
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

A boldly imaginative yet subtle exploration of male sexuality. Full Review

Steven Rea
September 27, 2001
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

A disturbing and provocative study of adolescence and isolation.

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L.I.E. Trivia

  • Where does this line come from? "Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away."  Answer »
  • What lie does Mel Gibson tell Marisa Tomei to let her down gently in "What Women Want" ?  Answer »
  • When Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) is preparing to draw Rose (Kate Winslet), he tells her to "Lie on that bed, uh I mean couch." The line was scripted "Lie on that couch", but DiCaprio made an honest mistake and James Cameron liked it so much he kept it in.  Answer »
  • What was the name of Jim Carrey's son (who made a wish so his Dad couldn't lie) in the movie 'Liar Liar'?  Answer »
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