Set in Cleveland, Ohio, at the dawn of the '60s, Telling Lies In America focuses on the experiences of Karchy Jonas, a teenage Hungarian immigrant who's taken under the wing of local rock 'n' roll DJ Billy Magic (a smirking Kevin Bacon). The kid's soon having the time of his life - - losing his virginity, driving Billy's Cadillac and earning lots of cash. Then he's forced to take the stand as a federal witness when his boss is accused of accepting playlist bribes and... well, check out the title.
Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct, Showgirls) ladles out the clichés (gruff Old World father, idol with feet of clay, protagonist emerging wiser) in this semi-autobiographical tale of the pursuit of the American Dream. Not so much a bad film, then, but one that's neither particularly memorable nor original.
