Liar Liar

Released March 21, 1997 and directed by Tom Shadyac — who had made Ace Ventura with Jim Carrey three years earlier — Liar Liar arrived at the height of Carrey's box-office reign. Written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur, its premise is a machine for physical comedy: fast-talking attorney Fletcher Reede breaks so many promises to his young son Max (Justin Cooper) that the boy wishes, over his birthday candles, that his dad couldn't tell a lie for one whole day — and it comes true.

The film is essentially a showcase for Carrey's elastic body and face laboring under an impossible constraint, whether he's forcing painful truths out through gritted teeth or, in the climax, hijacking a mobile boarding stairway to chase a departing plane down the runway to keep his promise to Max. Maura Tierney plays his ex-wife Audrey, Jennifer Tilly a client, and Swoosie Kurtz opposing counsel, but the movie belongs entirely to its star.

It was both a critical and commercial success — 83% on Rotten Tomatoes — and grossed $302.7 million worldwide against a reported budget of roughly $45–65 million, earning Carrey a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. It stands as one of the definitive high-concept comedies of the late '90s, and a peak entry in the run that made Carrey a comedy titan.