The Lie

A tall tale turns out to have long-term consequences in this dark comedy-drama. Lonnie (Joshua Leonard) used to dream of being a musician, but reality stepped in and now he's working a dreary day job and married to Clover (Jess Weixler), who is finishing her law degree. Lonnie and Clover are also the parents of a six-month-old daughter, and between work, school and looking after the baby, their free time has all but disappeared, which means Lonnie never gets to jam with his loser buddy Tank (Mark Webber). One day, Lonnie decides he just can't bear another day at work and tells his boss that the baby is sick and he can't come in. Lonnie enjoys his day off so much that he chooses to skip work again the next morning, but this time his excuse ups the ante and leads him down a path that he won't be able to easily explain to his employers, his co-workers or Clover. Adapted from a story by T.C. Boyle, The Lie was the first feature film from director Joshua Leonard, who also plays Lonnie. The film received its world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.