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Bigfatlair

Big Fat Liar is a 2002 kid's film starring Frankie Muniz as a 14-year-old Jason Shepherd and Amanda Bynes as 14-year-old Kaylee. Very over-the-top, although what can you expect from writer Dan Schneider.

In a modern-day retelling of the Boy Who Cried Wolf, Jason Shepherd is a Big Fat Liar who lies all the time to everyone. Then a greedy movie director- Marty Wolf- steals his creative writing essay to use it as the basis for his next blockbuster, and no-one will believe Jason when he explains what happened. Thus, Jason decides that the only way to convince everyone that he's being honest is to sneak off to L.A. with his friend Kaylee and inflict a series of increasingly harmful pranks on Wolff until he has a nervous breakdown and confesses. Hilarity Ensues.

It got 44% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes, but surprisingly received 3 stars from Roger Ebert.

Tropes used in Big Fat Liar include:
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"How many times have I told you not to call me "Urkel?!" My name is Jaleel White!"

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  • In a World: Parodied in the BFL Trailer.
  • Ironic Echo: "12 camera angles with birds flying around..." And all of the camera crewmen delivering a taunting wave.
  • Jacob Marley Warning: Marty represents what would happen to Jason if he kept lying to others - his entire life would fall apart.
  • Jerkass: Marty Wolf should be a 7-letter word.
  • Jerk Jock: Bret Calloway.
  • Kids Are Cruel: Final scene, with him working as a party clown. The guests at the birthday party have no reaction to Marty's greeting. Mash does, and encourages his son (the birthday boy) to break the guy's penis. The cheering begins immediately after.
  • Kitsch Collection: The secretary's tacky stuffed dog collection.
  • Large Ham: Paul Giamatti really enjoyed himself making this movie.
  • Late for School: The opening.
  • Locking MacGyver in the Store Cupboard: Once he captures Jason and Kaylee, Wolf sends them back to the prop warehouse to pack for their flight home. The same warehouse where they previously got every tool they'd used against him so far....
  • Loophole Abuse: Pick up a little blue car, yes. Nothing about a little blue man.
  • Massive Multiplayer Scam: The latter half of the movie. Emphasis on Massive.
  • Mean Boss: Marty Wolf. It's implied to be the reason why his movies haven't turned out well as of late.
  • Meaningful Name: Perpetual liar Jason Shepherd has his English paper stolen by Marty and, of course, Jason isn't believed when he explains this. Note: Their last names refer to Aesop's fable the Boy Who Cried Wolf.
  • Metaphorgotten:
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Kaylee: I wanna see a broken man, people. I mean, broken as in, "I hit a baseball through the window" broken. I want you to turn him into mince meat, and I don't even know what mince meat is! I want him to cry for his mommy! "Wah! Wah! Mommy, mommy, mommy!" Do you read me?! 'Cause I don't think you read me!

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  • Mexican Standoff
  • The Nicknamer: Marty Wolf, and none of them are flowery at all.
  • "No Respect" Guy: Anyone who works for Marty. Just pick 1 person.
    • Rocko Malone, the security guy?
  • Obsolete Mentor: Poor "Gramps".
  • The Oner: Jaleel White's intro scene. The deleted scenes reel has an even longer version.
  • Paper-Thin Disguise: Bret as Kaylee, although justified, considering Grandma Pearl is half-blind.
  • Pet the Dog: While Marty is far from being a nice person, he at least has the decency to offer Shepherd a ride to school. Incidentally, this gives him an opportunity to save his career when he discovers Jason’s paper, which turns out to be a great idea for a film. Unfortunately, in his arrogance, he decides to steal all the credit and that’s where all the trouble begins.
  • Platonic Life Partners: Jason and Kaylee
  • Refuge in Audacity: Like any director would steal creative writing from some kid's backpack and turn it into his next big movie...
  • Sarcastic Confession: Which is a engineered public confession.
  • Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: Gender-inverted through most of the film, but played beautifully straight during the Mission Briefing (see Metaphorgotten).
  • Slow Motion Drop: Parodied in the movie trailer of the movie-in-a-movie Big Fat Liar
  • Stealth Pun: Jason always lies until he finally tells the truth that someone stole his paper, and no one believes him. The thief? Director Marty Wolf. Jason is the Boy Who Cried Wolf, literally.
  • Stern Teacher: Mrs. Phyllis Caldwell, Jason's English teacher.
  • Surrogate Soliloquy: Marty with Mr. Funnybones.
  • Throw It In: Most of Kaylee's gags were ad-libbed.
  • Two Words: Obvious Trope: Parodied in the awful movie-in-a-movie Whittaker and Fowl:
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Listen Whitaker, I am not your father and I'm not your priest I got two words for you: shut the heck up! You talk way too much... can we cut?

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Marty: Yeah, I stole your story, whoop-de-doodle-do! I STOLE JASON SHEPARD'S STORY AND TURNED IT INTO BIG FAT LIAR! Do you know who's listening? Nobody and get used to it. Because I will never-ever-never-ever-ever-ever-ever-infinity tell the truth!

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