| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Tim Robbins | ... | Norville Barnes | |
| Jennifer Jason Leigh | ... | Amy Archer | |
| Paul Newman | ... | Sidney J. Mussburger | |
| Charles Durning | ... | Waring Hudsucker | |
| John Mahoney | ... | Chief | |
| Jim True-Frost | ... | Buzz (as Jim True) | |
| Bill Cobbs | ... | Moses | |
| Bruce Campbell | ... | Smitty | |
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Harry Bugin | ... | Aloysius |
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John Seitz | ... | Benny |
| Joe Grifasi | ... | Lou | |
| Roy Brocksmith | ... | Board Member | |
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John Wylie | ... | Board Member |
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I.M. Hobson | ... | Board Member |
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Gary Allen | ... | Board Member |
When Waring Hudsucker, head of hugely successful Hudsucker Industries, commits suicide, his board of directors, led by Sidney Mussberger, comes up with a brilliant plan to make a lot of money: appoint a moron to run the company. When the stock falls low enough, Sidney and friends can buy it up for pennies on the dollar, take over the company, and restore its fortunes. They choose idealistic Norville Barnes, who just started in the mail room. Norville is whacky enough to drive any company to ruin, but soon, tough reporter Amy Archer smells a rat and begins an undercover investigation of Hudsucker Industries. Written by Reid Gagle
I don`t think that I`ve enjoyed a movie so much for years. The film is beautifully shot ( the opening pan over a snow laden New York skyline is breathtaking). The acting is uniformly excellent (Jennifer Jason Lee gives one of the best female comedy performances of the last decade. She`s outstanding!) and the film is directed in that warm but sharp-eyed manner of previous US social comedy directors such as Frank Capra and Preston Sturgess. I first saw the film in the cinema. I`ve since seen it again on television, and the photography doesn`t impress so much on the small screen.
If you haven`t already seen it, try to see it on a big screen. Sadly the movie got a very small release in the UK and is almost unknown over here.I am so very glad I caught it. It`s terrific.