The Hoax (2006)

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.

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers:

William Wheeler (screenplay), Clifford Irving (book)

Stars:

Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, David Aaron Baker

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Aaron Baker	...	Brad Silber
John Carter	...	Harold Mcgraw
Judi Barton	...	Marion
Raul S. Julia	...	Bike Messenger (as Raul Julia Jr.)
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

Storyline

Early in 1971, the publishing company 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 Richard 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?

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Plot Keywords:

howard hughes | rooftop | f word | mcgraw hill publishing company | flashback | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax [United States] Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Apgaule

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,449,320, 6 April 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$7,156,933, 27 May 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, Bob Yari Productions, The Mark Gordon Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The real-life story that this film depicts unfolded as Orson Welles was making his film, "F For Fake", in which the real Clifford Irving appears. Because of Irving's new-found notoriety, Welles was obliged to add some additional footage to his film.

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Goofs

McCullough congratulates Irving on the authenticity of the manuscript by citing a conversation he had with Hughes that he didn't tell anyone else. However, this conversation was noted in the Newsweek article on Hughes.

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Quotes

Dick Suskind: Cliff, you publish this you will have a storm of shit rain down on you.

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Connections

Features Full Metal Jacket (1987)

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Soundtracks

Down on the Corner
(1969)
Written by John Fogerty
Performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Courtesy of Concord Music Group, Inc.

User Reviews

Not bad

Saw a sneak preview of this earlier this evening. Not bad as some other comments would have you believe, but not perfect either. The historical details are a bit inaccurate in some areas, but those are relatively minor ones which don't affect the story too much. At it's core, the film focuses on the lies told by Clifford Irving and how he charmed everyone into believing them. The lies don't just affect his writing career, but also the lives of those around him and eventually comes to the point where it's difficult to distinguish fact from fiction in what Irving says, a task which is made all the more difficult given the eccentricity of nearly everything done by Howard Hughes during that period of time. Overall, the film isn't too bad, the main characters are nicely developed, the plot is interesting, and the acting isn't bad. The subtle 1970s touches (vintage Coca Cola and Tab cans, news footage, hairstyles, commercials, cars, Watergate, etc) also make it fun to watch. Overall, the story, acting, and the attention to detail force me to give this a 8/10 despite the few flaws here and there. Definitely a must see for the Howard Hughes buffs along with "The Aviator".