Telling Lies in America

Telling Lies in America is a 1997 period coming-of-age drama set film directed by Guy Ferland and written by Joe Eszterhas. Plot Karchy Jonas is a 17-year-old high-school student and emigrant from Hungary trying to find his way in the world. He meets radio personality Billy Magic who takes him under his wing. However, authorities are after Billy for accepting payola from record companies to give their songs air time. Billy picks Karchy, as when he figures out Karchy cheated to win his radio contest, he realizes he would be perfect to associate with Magic's scam. Karchy does so, not realizing that this may jeopardize him and his father's U.S. citizenship. He pursues a co-worker at a local grocery store where he works, only to find out she was engaged all along. Karchy idolizes Billy only to find out how corrupted, bitter and cynical he truly is. Cast Production Eszterhas wrote the film in 1983 under the title Magic Man but could not sell it. Eventually his wife Naomi read the script and suggested he revisit it. "It was so moving, so good, I couldn't believe it hadn't been made," she said. "I thought it was too good to be sitting on a shelf. I thought the relationship between Karchy (the protagonist) and his father wasn't entirely worked out."