IMDb > The Hoax (2006)
The Hoax
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The Hoax (2006) -- In what would cause a fantastic media frenzy, Clifford Irving (Gere) sells his bogus biography of Howard Hughes to a premiere publishing house in the early 1970s.
The Hoax (2006) -- In what would cause a fantastic media frenzy, Clifford Irving (Gere) sells his bogus biography of Howard Hughes to a premiere publishing house in the early 1970s.
The Hoax (2006) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.9/10   8,409 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 26% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
William Wheeler (screenplay)
Clifford Irving (book)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Hoax on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 April 2007 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Based on the true story. Would we lie to you? more
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. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(13 articles)
User Comments:
Playful Crime more (67 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language.
Runtime:
116 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Richard Gere appears with the real Nina Van Pallandt (played here by Julie Delpy) in American Gigolo (1980). more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: The helicopter that almost lands on the roof of the McGraw-Hill building in 1971 is clearly an AS350. The original, single engine version of this did not make its first flight until 27 June 1974. The twin engined model used in the movie did not fly until even later. more
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.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
You Can't Always Get What You Want more

FAQ

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31 out of 40 people found the following comment useful.
Playful Crime, 20 April 2007
8/10
Author: commandercool88 from United States

'The Hoax' is an endlessly charming and witty film, blending comedy with drama for great and successful results. Richard Gere is at the top of his game as he commands the screen, prosthetic nose included. Lasse Hallstrom's, whose films included 'Chocolate' and 'The Cider House Rules', keen sense of direction keeps the film fresh and engaging. It ultimately makes for a genuinely pleasant experience and one of the year's better pictures.

Desperate for success and wealth, Clifford Irving is about to pull off the hoax of the century. Set in the 1970s, Irving has pitched and sold his idea of a Howard Hughes biography to a premiere publishing company. Problem is, none of it's true. Irving, with his friend Dick Susskind at his side, will spin an intricate web of lies as he sets out to compile a fraud biography of Hughes and set-up staged interviews with the wealthy recluse. He soon becomes so deep in all of his lies that it seems inconceivable that he'll find his way out. But with each twist and turn, Irving matches with one of his own.

What makes 'The Hoax' work? It appears to be nearly flawless. Director Lasse Hallstrom keeps viewers in the moment with a nice, speedy pace. And so 'The Hoax' never wears out its welcome. It's such a quirky and original project that entertains without taking itself too seriously. It's light, witty humor mixed with dramatic effect to create what is at times a film with a dual personality, but it works out just right. 'The Hoax' has an intelligence that's sharper than most, keeping the elaborate and offbeat heist cleverly afloat rather than becoming dull and over worn. An outrageously true story of an outrageously true crime.

You may say that 'The Hoax' ultimately works because of one man, and that's Richard Gere. His best performance in years, Gere commands the screen as the man behind the heist (and nose). He's sharp, humorous, tragic, and flawed. The whole package. He almost forces you to emotionally invest in his character, because he's almost too charming not to. You'll find yourself rooting for him and his cause. It's one of the best performances of the year. Alfred Molina, Hope Davis, and Marcia Gay Harden all benefit from a great script. Molina stars as the humorously bumbling sidekick who possesses what Gere does not: a conscious. Davis is wonderful as the publishing agent, and while Harden's role doesn't present her with much screen time, she delivers a strong outing with what she's given.

'The Hoax' is a remarkably well-made, well-told account of a bizarre heist. The truth is stranger than fiction, and while it's wildly strange, it's wonderfully fun and silly yet tragic and serious when it has to be. 'The Hoax' is no hand-me-down of the heist genre, but rather a worthy and memorable addition. It's one of the year's best films, and no doubt you'll get a kick out of 'The Hoax'.

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
A bit of irony walcaraz
'You Can't Always Get What You Want' mitchflorida
Good movie but mostly crap countzero1942
Best performance of Richard Gere' career yon-ferreira
The Seventies music terr-bo
Nina Wilcox / Nina Van Pallandt plkldf
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