A Little White Lie

R

Released Mar 3, 2023

1 hr. 40 min.

Comedy

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34%

38 Reviews

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Shriver (Michael Shannon), a down-on-his-luck handyman who has never read a book in his life, is mistaken for a famous writer that has been in hiding for over 20 years. With nothing to lose, he accepts an invitation to attend a college literary festival and finds himself surrounded by adoring fans and an English professor (Kate Hudson) who captures his heart. Shriver must do whatever it takes for his shot at love in this fish-out-of-water comedy.

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Premiered Sep 03

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Hank P

The plot is a little simplistic and contrived, something like you'd find on Hallmark or Lifetime, but the acting and story telling, especially by Shannon made this a charming and very enjoyable investment in my evening.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/24

Full Review

Victor O

I saw this in Peyton List's filmography and well I was happy seeing trailers show off her body in a bikini. Though I had to admit, the story by itself sounded interesting, though why on earth was it being billed on video on demand was the question. Michael Shannon, M. Emmett Walsh, Don Johnson, and Kate Hudson, looked nice and too polished to be an indie, so I had to take a look. A school university is down on its luck as its faculty are looking to cut the fat, and none more prevalent than the fine arts book fair, but one of the teachers books a reclusive author to promote the fair. The invitation goes to an otherwise ordinary man mistaken for the author, not meaning to deceive anyone but just explain himself, the man is invited to be involved in everything from lectures and promotions to the keynote speaker. Things go from strange to ridiculous but all of it leads to an incredible conclusion. I saw this for Peyton List in a bikini and was more than happy with what I got. But all things considered, this was a nice story. Saban Films? Explains the polish but I figured this be good for a TV airing not a video on demand. There is some decent acting out of Michael Shannon, and all the attention he is getting this year is his return as Zod in The Flash. A decent watching.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/19/23

Full Review

Ken H

Way underrated movie - this is an excellent, introspective and unique story. I'm not sure what critics are looking for, but this was a really cute story, and possibly the only one I have ever seen that tackles imposter syndrome. Definitely the only one that tackles it from the inside out....

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/28/23

Full Review

It's not easy b

It's a bit of a slow start, but it did catch and hold me. The twist at the end was suboptimal.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/31/23

Full Review

Noreen T

I adored this movie! A beautiful take on how we lie toouselves u til it becomes true for us. And very funny! We'll acted, we'll directed, thought-provoking.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/13/23

Full Review

Claire B

"A Little White Lie" was really enjoyable! It was funny, sad, poignant, and ended in just the right way. For a feel-good movie that has superb acting, don't miss it!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/11/23

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Michael Maren

Director

Michael Shannon

Shriver

Kate Hudson

Actor

Zach Braff

Actor

Kate Linder

Actor

Aja Naomi King

Actor

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A Little White Lie: Trailer 1

2:17

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

I kept thinking to myself "This is a stupid movie -- but it got me."

Mar 15, 2023

Full Review

Tomris Laffly

RogerEbert.com

The film's biggest con doesn't come from [its] imposter protagonist so much as the messy script and direction.

Rated: 1/4

Mar 3, 2023

Full Review

Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

When we talk about small, finely crafted, dialogue-driven gems with interesting characters and little or no CGI, it’s easy to say, “They don’t make ’em like that anymore,” but the good news is that’s not really accurate.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 3, 2023

Full Review

Anna McKibbin

Paste Magazine

The supporting cast lend the story heft where they can, but the scale of A Little White Lie is too small to contain the wild, wandering tangents of the plot.

Rated: 4.0/10

Jun 2, 2023

Full Review

Erik Childress

Movie Madness Podcast

This oddity keeps Michael Shannon in a daze while everything around him utterly fails to find satire in the literary world and instead substitutes both obvious and idiotic twists to find eventual clarity.

Rated: 1/4

May 22, 2023

Full Review

Frank Swietek

One Guy's Opinion

A flawed but curiously winning comedy-drama of mistaken identity...a small, wistful dramedy that invites chuckles rather than the big belly-laughs of so many raunchy campus farces. And it’s all the better for it.

Rated: B

Apr 4, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

Shriver (Michael Shannon), a down-on-his-luck handyman who has never read a book in his life, is mistaken for a famous writer that has been in hiding for over 20 years. With nothing to lose, he accepts an invitation to attend a college literary festival and finds himself surrounded by adoring fans and an English professor (Kate Hudson) who captures his heart. Shriver must do whatever it takes for his shot at love in this fish-out-of-water comedy.

Director: Michael Maren
Screenwriter: Michael Maren
Distributor: Saban Films
Production Co: CaliWood Pictures, Thruline Entertainment, Big Fan Films
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 3, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 3, 2023

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