The Devil Is a Lie

May 18, 2009
Billingsley’s latest (after Can I Get a Witness?
) chronicles the devilishly rude awakening in store for Houstonite Nina Lawson after she wins $8 million in the lottery. Not only are family members she hasn’t seen in years itching to share the loot, but her fiancé, Rick Henderson, starts counting on his piece before the check’s in the bank. Things get even more complicated after Todd, Nina’s ex-husband, ends up not being an ex; turns out his hoochie mama girlfriend, Pam, spent the divorce filing fee on a Fendi bag. Pam urges Todd to wrangle a chunk of Nina’s dough, and he agrees, though with a near-reasonable motivation: to get his ailing Grams a new heart. The ensuing slapstick is fast moving and hilarious as Billingsley ponders how Nina’s impulse to do the right thing gets her in trouble—and yet, somehow, love (and God) provides.