A young Englishman dreams of escaping from his working class family and dead-end job as an undertaker's assistant. A number of indiscretions cause him to lie in order to avoid the penalties. His life turns into a mess and he has an opportunity to run away and leave it all behind.
Directed by John Schlesinger
dreams
northern england
based on novel or book
lie
yorkshire
train
ambrosia
bradford
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.7 / 5
Cast
Tom Courtenay
William Terrence 'Billy' Fisher
Julie Christie
Liz
Wilfred Pickles
Geoffrey Fisher
Mona Washbourne
Alice Fisher
Ethel Griffies
Grandma Florence
Finlay Currie
Duxbury
Gwendolyn Watts
Rita
Helen Fraser
Barbara
Leonard Rossiter
Emanuel Shadrack
Rodney Bewes
Arthur Crabtree
George Innes
Stamp
Leslie Randall
Danny Boon
Crew
John Schlesinger
Director
Popular Reviews
19 reviews
Jack
7.0★ · 12/31/25
The O.G. Male Manipulator
The O.G. Male Manipulator
Syd
8.0★ · 09/08/25
this is the movie when Tom Courtenay and Julie Christie meet together before Doctor Zhivago lmao 😎🫰🏻
LOVE THE PLOT ANYWAY ❤️❤️
this is the movie when Tom Courtenay and Julie Christie meet together before Doctor Zhivago lmao 😎🫰🏻
LOVE THE PLOT ANYWAY ❤️❤️
Crystal
6.0★ · 07/15/25
I can not escape a good tiktok trend... Here is my Criterion Brithday movie, spine #121 Billy Liar. While entertaining enough I couldn't see this going on a rewatch list for me. Tom Courtenay is definitely charming and makes you root for a character you are supposed to dislike.
I can not escape a good tiktok trend... Here is my Criterion Brithday movie, spine #121 Billy Liar. While entertaining enough I couldn't see this going on a rewatch list for me. Tom Courtenay is definitely charming and makes you root for a character you are supposed to dislike.
Goob
6.0★ · 03/11/24
He was so real for constantly imagining himself shooting people after they annoyed him
He was so real for constantly imagining himself shooting people after they annoyed him
