little white lie

Yet Shannon’s halting, withdrawn presence in Michael Maren’s “A Little White Lie,” an otherwise atrocious literary farce, burns an unpredictable black hole in the movie’s froth of clichéd exchanges and corny musical cues.

Hobbled by a lack of visual oomph or verbal sparkle, “A Little White Lie” pokes feebly at impostor syndrome and writerly insecurity.

I would have been happy to provide a little white lie if I had one in the holster, but I had nothing.

In her anger and frustration and shame she had even considered lying about it—a little white lie, hurting no one.

Just a bit, like a little white lie to oneself.