The Hoax

April 20th, 2007







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The Hoax

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Still of Richard Gere and Julie Delpy in The HoaxStill of Richard Gere and Hope Davis in The HoaxMarcia Gay Harden at event of The HoaxRichard Gere and Lasse Hallström in The HoaxStill of Richard Gere and Alfred Molina in The HoaxStill of Richard Gere and Hope Davis in The Hoax

Plot
In what would cause a fantastic media frenzy, Clifford Irving sells his bogus biography of Howard Hughes to a premiere publishing house in the early 1970s.

Release Year: 2006

Rating: 6.8/10 (10,496 voted)

Critic's Score: 70/100

Director: Lasse Hallström

Stars: Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, David Aaron Baker

Storyline
Early in 1971, McGraw-Hill passes on Clifford Irving's new novel. He's desperate for money, so, against the backdrop of Nixon's reelection calculations, Irving claims he has Howard Hughes's cooperation to write Hughes's autobiography. With the help of friend Dick Suskind, Irving does research, lucks into a manuscript written by a long-time Hughes associate, and plays on corporate greed. He's quick-thinking and outrageously bold. Plus, he banks on Hughes's reluctance to enter the public eye. At the same time, he's trying to rebuild his marriage and deflect the allure of his one-time mistress, Nina Van Pallandt. Can he write a good book, take the money, and pull off the hoax?

Writers: William Wheeler, Clifford Irving

Cast:
David Aaron Baker - Brad Silber
John Carter - Harold Mcgraw
Judi Barton - Marion
Raul Julia Jr. - Bike Messenger
James Biberi - Mcgraw-Hill Security
Richard Gere - Clifford Irving
Hope Davis - Andrea Tate
Christopher Evan Welch - Albert Vanderkamp
Okwui Okpokwasili - Malika
Alfred Molina - Dick Suskind
Bob Wiltfong - Sporting Goods Salesman
William Fowle - Car Salesman
Marcia Gay Harden - Edith Irving
Julie Delpy - Nina Van Pallandt
Antonie Knoppers - Fredrick Van Pallandt

Taglines: Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.



Details

Official Website: Miramax [United States] | Official site [Japan] |

Release Date: 20 April 2007

Filming Locations: Armonk, New York, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: €19,313 (Netherlands) (27 May 2007) (15 Screens)

Gross: $7,156,933 (USA) (27 May 2007)



Technical Specs

Runtime:



Did You Know?

Trivia:
The code name given to the project by the publisher is "Project Octavio." Alfred Molina, who played the role of Richard Suskind, played Dr. Otto Octavius in the movie Spider-Man 2.

Goofs:
Anachronisms: Coca-Cola can design during Sixties flashback is wrong.

Quotes:
Edith Irving: You're always so careful when you talk, always so soft like a cushion for what you want. But I am leaving. But before I go, I give you something. You are exhausted from your lies. So tell the truth. Tell me the truth about what you did with her this time. It is your moment to be clean.
Clifford Irving: I saw her.



User Review

A character driven drama of the highest caliber

Rating: 9/10

Now here's a movie almost doomed to the back pages of cinema history. Only playing at one cinema in my area and having grossed a mere 3 million in two weeks at the box office, it might just be only a matter of time before this movie fades away and is forgotten. That would be quite the shame as the Hoax is quite the movie, and a real treat for the very few people who are actually willing to give it a chance.

"The Hoax" is the story of Clifford Irving, a struggling author pitching ideas to the McGraw-Hill company. As his most recent novel is blasted by critics before release, a desperate Clifford promises his editors and publishers the story of the century, without having precisely figured out what that is. That is until he stumbles onto it (literally). Clifford decides to con the whole world into believing that the reclusive enigmatic billionaire Howard Hughes has commissioned him to write his autobiography.

What follows is an intriguing and enthralling romp through the mazes of lies and deceptions that Clifford and is "co-author" Dick Suskind have spun. Eventually, the fictitious story snowballs past anything the two writers could believe as revelations into accounts of fraud and blackmail begin to penetrate the highest offices, and it all begins to come crashing down.

"The Hoax" is a character driven drama of the highest caliber. The sharp direction and writing, and excellent casting make it hard to ignore. Richard Gere and Alfred Molina give career high performances, and the supporting Hope Davis and Marcia Gay Hayden just round the film off nicely.

This is one of the best movies of 2007 so far. It may not have as wide an appeal as other outings, but it's thoroughly enjoyable all the same.

4.5/5





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