The Hoax

April 20, 2007 0 By Fans
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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