Liar, Liar

Today was video day in class. I showed a portion of Jim Carey’s Liar Liar. The movie is about a lawyer who makes a living lying and he does not leave his deception in the courtroom, he lies to his family as well. His son makes a birthday wish that for 24 hours his dad cannot lie, and the wish comes true.

There are a number of scenes in the movie that I could use to make a point but the one I like is the one where a coworker, seeking revenge and being the only one who knows Carey cannot lie, brings him into a boardroom and makes him tell each member there what he thinks of them. Carey’s facial expression and body language in general, along with his vocal variety, make the scene funny.

That is precisely the point I want to make. The lecture is about delivery and gestures. Rather than just getting up in front of the class and telling them, “Do this, don’t do that,” I like to actually show them and show them by playing a clip from a movie to which they can relate.

Honestly, it was a little frustrating when a couple of students continue to talk during this. Usually when I do something like this, especially with a movie like Liar Liar, I have the class in the palm of my hand. This is an interesting group. As a whole, they can get lively discussions off the ground but, there are times where a few students are not paying attention were I know they would actually enjoy the class AND learn something if they did. These, of course, are the same student who will complain to be about grades at the end of the semester. Folks, if you pay attention you might be surprised with what you learn!