The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

Director:

Joel Coen

Writers:

Ethan Coen (written by) &
Joel Coen (written by) ...

Release Date:

11 March 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

A Comedy of Invention.

Plot:

A naive business graduate is installed as president of a manufacturing company as part of a stock scam.

Plot Keywords:

Stock | Reporter | Suicide | Business | Frisbee

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

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
Harry Bugin	...	Aloysius
John Seitz	...	Benny
Joe Grifasi	...	Lou
Roy Brocksmith	...	Board Member
John Wylie	...	Board Member
I.M. Hobson	...	Board Member
Gary Allen	...	Board Member

Also Known As:

Hudsucker - Der große Sprung (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language and thematic elements.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

UK | Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | France:U | South Korea:15 | Brazil:12 | USA:PG (No. 32848) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-10 | Germany:6 | Italy:T | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

Trivia:

A sign on the wall in the Manhattan Argus pressroom reading "It must be fit to print. It must be accurate. Is it interesting?" is a close adaptation of one painted onto the wall of the pressroom in The Finger Points (1931).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Dr. Bronfenbrenner's film of Norville's psychiatric session begins with a SMPTE Universal leader that counts down from 8 to 2. This type of film leader wasn't developed until the 1960s. The film would have actually had either an Academy leader counting from 11 to 3 with black film in between or one of the brand new (for the late 1950s) SMPTE Society leaders that counted from 11 to 3 but had focusing cross hairs, rather than black film, between the numbers.

Quotes:

Sidney J. Mussburger: When you're dead, you stay dead. Don't believe me, ask Waring Hudsucker.

Movie Connections:

References Safety Last! (1923)

Soundtrack:

Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia

The comic and fantastic overflow in this joyous romp

This movie is the exception to the rule when they say, "They don't make 'em like they used to." Because the Coen Brothers and Sam Raimi sure did top them all with this one. Tim Robbins, along with the rest of the cast, is pitch perfect. From the first second of the movie to the last, my eyes are glazed over with utter fascination. Composer Carter Burwell is the next John Williams in my book. His score accents brilliantly every emotion witnessed. This movie is funny, romantic, perverse, and whimsical. It says a lot that after years of not making movies, Paul Newman chose to make this one.