Preceded by Rebel Without A Cause, followed by The Graduate, Billy Liar stands comparison with either in its exploration of a generation no longer needed for war, free to explore what life has to offer and bewildered by the opportunity.

A compulsive liar, Billy Fisher (Tom Courtenay) works as an undertaker's clerk in a drab nothern town, aspires to be a writer and spends most of his time living in his daydreams. Until Julie Christie, radiant as the dawn, offers him a way out. But will he take it? Crisp, exuberant and perhaps warmer than the other 'kitchen sink' dramas of the day, Billy Liar remains both of its time and timeless.