Billy Liar

Name: Billy Liar
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

United Kingdom · 1963
1h 38m
Director John Schlesinger
Starring Tom Courtenay, Wilfred Pickles, Mona Washbourne, Ethel Griffies
Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance

A young Englishman dreams of escaping from his working class family and dead-end job as an undertaker's assistant. A number of indiscretions cause him to lie in order to avoid the consequences. As his life turns into a mess, he encounters the opportunity to run away and leave it all behind.

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Variety by

An imaginative, fascinating film.

The New York Times by Dana Stevens

One of the great movies of the 1960's, but it has been, in this country at least, maddeningly elusive. In spite of its bitter edge, Billy Liar is pure Ambrosia.

100

Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt

A pungent pleasure from start to finish.

Village Voice by Jessica Winter

Often seems less a British new wave front-runner than a charming nouvelle vague tagalong,

Chicago Reader by Jonathan Rosenbaum

Tom Courtenay is quite good in the title role, and Julie Christie makes a memorable early appearance .