Billy Liar

Billy Fisher lives a stifled life in Yorkshire with his parents and grandmother. He often daydreams of ruling an imaginary country called Ambrosia and delivers grand speeches to imagined crowds. His constant lying earns him the nickname Billy Liar as reality and fantasy blur.

At the undertakers' office, Billy is tasked with mailing a large shipment of advertising calendars, but he hides the calendars and pockets the postage money. The prospect of punishment haunts him, and he even dreams of prison in Wormwood Scrubs for the crime. The lie begins to govern his actions.

Shadrack, Billy's rigid supervisor, finally uncovers the scheme and refuses to let Billy resign until he repays the postage money. Billy's nerves fray as the consequence of his deception closes in. The job, once dull, becomes a source of fear.

Billy dreams of becoming a scriptwriter for comic Danny Boon, but Boon isn't genuinely interested. When Boon visits town, Billy exaggerates his chances and proclaims that Boon is eager to take him to London. The lie inflates his fantasies and feeds his hubris.

Whenever something unpleasant happens—nagging parents or harassment from his boss—Billy slips into his Ambrosia fantasy, imagining himself as a celebrated hero. The daydreams are more satisfying than real risks, and they shield him from taking decisive steps.

Under the sway of his lying nature, Billy proposes to two very different girls, Barbara and Rita, and gives each the same engagement ring. He fabricates stories to retrieve the ring for the other, letting the deception compound. His social world begins to crumble as the double engagement looms.

Rita discovers that the ring isn't at the jeweller's and confronts Billy at his door; he lies once more and she leaves in anger. The lie has consequences beyond romance, unsettling his already strained family.

When Billy's father questions his conduct, he lashes out, and the shock makes Billy's grandmother gasp for breath. The family tension reflects how far Billy's deception has spread.

Liz, Billy's former girlfriend, returns to town and offers understanding instead of judgment. She sees through his fantasies while encouraging him to seek real experiences, perhaps in London. Her presence provides a glimmer of genuine possibility.

At the ballroom, Billy tries to juggle dates with Barbara and Rita on the same night, and the truth bubbles to the surface as the two girls collide. The public spectacle reveals his lies and the community's disapproval grows.

A public announcement declares Billy will move to London to work with Danny Boon, and one friend scolds him for lying to his mother. The moment marks a turning point from fantasy to exposure.

Back with Liz outside, Billy proposes marriage and she accepts, urging him to join her in London that evening. He rushes home to pack, but his grandmother has fallen ill and is taken to hospital, and his father confronts him about the mess at work. He learns that his grandmother dies, then goes to the station to meet Liz, delaying to buy milk; the train pulls away with Liz at the window and his suitcase left behind. Alone, he returns home and imagines Ambrosia leading an army as the lights go out and the national anthem plays.