# In 2009, Jennifer Garner starred in a movie she thought would be great. It struggled at the box office

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-2009-jennifer-garner-starred-in-a-movie-she-thought-would-be-great-it-struggled-at-the-box-office/
- Published: 2026-10-25T15:45:14+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-25T16:13:55+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-2009-jennifer-garner-starred-in-a-movie-she-thought-would-be-great-it-struggled-at-the-box-office/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Garner thought *The Invention of Lying* had an exceptional script.
- She relished playing a character who constantly put down Gervais.
- The comedy struggled at the box office and divided critics.

## Summary

Jennifer Garner believed the 2009 comedy *The Invention of Lying* had the makings of a great film, praising its script as one of the strongest she had read. The film’s poor box-office performance and mixed critical reception show how a promising premise and sharp dialogue do not always translate into a hit.

Ricky Gervais co-wrote and starred as Mark Bellison, a man who discovers he can lie in a world where everyone else tells the truth. Garner played Anna McDoogles, whose blunt put-downs of Mark were a departure from her typically cheerful roles. She said she enjoyed the part and thought the film had an unusually strong chance of becoming a classic.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.