Liar Liar: Why Jerry Holds the Whole Thing Together

With one dorky performance as the Max's almost step-dad, Cary Elwes Jerry provides both the plot motivation and character contrast to make Liar Liar really work.

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Scott's Self-Indulgent Movie Podcast · Episode 1064: Why Jerry Makes Liar Liar Work

1997's Liar Liar is understandably viewed as Jim Carrey at the peak of his powers and popularity. A star vehicle comedy that leans on Carrey's physical comedy chops as much as a movie ever has. So much so that a lot of the supporting characters have a tendency to get caught up in Carrey's whirlwind, whether it's Jennifer Tilly playing Carrey's sexpot client or Maura Tierney as Carrey's disgruntled ex. But you'll remember Cary Elwes Jerry. Mostly for that voice that sounds a lot like a pre-school teacher. And I'd argue it's that quality and that part that, aside from Carrey's antics, makes the movie work as well as it does.

So today I'm going to pitch why Jerry, and Elwes performance as Jerry, is vitally important to Liar Liar working as well as it does. Let's start with the character

The Character

To put it simply, Jerry is the new man in Audrey and Max's life. He's clearly been dating Audrey for awhile and has a good relationship with Max. And while it's never said directly, Jerry is clearly being a better father figure to Max than Fletcher. The main reason? He's reliable. He shows up and always has time for whatever Max wants to do.

This is really hammered home by Jerry immediately offering to play catch with Max, the classic thing a bad dad misses, when he sees Jerry's new baseball mitt and glove. Whereas Fletcher flaked on both going to a wrestling event or even playing catch because he was offered up a new case to work on. He's present and engaged with Max and Audrey in a way that Fletcher never was or is.

And this is what the movie needs him to be. A good example of what a father can and should look like and behave compared to Fletcher's shitty behavior. So when Fletcher is no longer able to lie for a day, and Jerry proposes, it's easy for the audience to see why Audrey would consider moving with Max, to start a new life with this man.

But you also, kinda sorta...need something to be wrong with him. Just so there's enough audience sympathy towards the idea of Fletcher not seeing Max anymore, at least on a very irregular basis.

So do you make him a cheater? No that was clearly Fletcher's issue when he an Audrey were married and infidelity is the core issue of the case that Fletcher is trying. Might be a bit too much at that point.

Do you make him malicious in some way? This is a 90s comedy built around Jim Carrey, we can't get too dark here.

Make him a jerk? Fletcher is our jerk who needs to learn the movie's lesson, so if Jerry's a jerk he'd still be less of a jerk than Fletcher clearly is.

The actual solution...make Jerry a goober.

A Great Twist

The best thing about Jerry is that, on paper, there's nothing wrong with him. Nice man. Solid job. Good with Max. But he. is. a. dork. Honestly about 90% is his voice which sounds like a pre school teacher talking to a his class.

Which would be ok, if a bit patronizing, if that was how he talked with Max. But that's how he talks all the time. To Audrey. To Fletcher. To everyone. That cartoonish voice and cadence comes through.

So while there's nothing wrong with him on the surface, he feels off. Like a bad fit. Especially when you see how much Max lights up around Fletcher's over-the-top antics.

Case in point: The Claw.

Now I don't think "The Claw" is some bit of comedic genius. I think it's a great transposed idea of the fun ongoing gimmicks and games parents can develop with their kids. And it's clearly been adapted to suit Carrey's comedic persona and sensibilities.

Most importantly, this is the perfect kind of silly for a kid like doing funny voices when you're reading them a book.

And Jerry...can't do it. The energy and delivery is all wrong. He sounds like a middle school teacher trying to use slang he heard on the intranet a year after it's already dated. It's the only thing that Jerry ever does that falls flat with Max, but it bombs hard.

But it's also just enough to demonstrate that like Audrey says when Fletcher shows up and is present with Max, he can be a good dad.

So let's run down what this does again.

Movie Essential Breakdown

1. We need a good example of a father figure to compare/contrast against Fletcher. Check
2. We need him to be good enough to possibly ensure Max and Audrey move across the country. Check
3. We need him to be different than Fletcher in a way that makes Max's connection with Fletcher special...while also not making Jerry the same kind of dickhead. Check
4. And most importantly, we need a twinge in the back of our brain that says "this guy?" even with Fletcher being one of the worst humans on earth. Check

With one dorky performance as the Max's almost step-dad, Cary Elwes Jerry provides both the plot motivation and character contrast to make Liar Liar really work.