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The Hoax was perhaps the most clever publishing attempt of the 20th Century. A clever writer named Clifford Irving (Richard Gere) along with his writing assistant, Dick Suskind (Alfred Molina), and Irving's wife Edith (Marcia Gay Harden), came close to pulling off the greatest literary hoaxes ever. McGraw-Hill was the unlucky publisher, who along with Irving and Suskin was sued by Howard Hughes. Irving is an unsuccessful author who is longing for stardom. He gets the idea to write a book and call it a biography of Howard Hughes. The premise bring that Hughes just called him out of the blue, with the opportunity of a lifetime, to tell his story, truthfully! Capitalizing on the facts that Hughes is so reclusive, and so secretive, and the fact that nobody has seen or even spoken with him for years, he truly believes that he can get away with it. Dick isn't as convinced as Irving, but goes along. Irving figures that if you can tell a good enough story, that there are millions of people who will believe practically anything said about Howard Hughes - the crazier the better! Hughes was known as a person of all kinds of "Nutty" behavior and hardly nothing was not believable. He is also sure that Hughes probably won't come out to deny anything because of a $130M pending lawsuit against him after his sale of TWA, and for his retained flight routes and terminal gates for Hughes Air West Airlines. Irving is a smart man who's talents included learning the specific speech and thought patterns of Hughes, which enabled him to compose in that same manner. Along with samples of Hughes' handwriting, he also learned to forge his hand. Together, Irving and Suskind travel to the Bahamas, where Hughes was thought to be at the time, and to Mexico where Hughes also had stayed from time to time. The clincher was obtaining actual copies of Senate hearings testimony by Hughes from years before and voice recordings, that allowed Irving to imitate Hughes' voice tones and speech patterns. A fortuitous meeting with long time Hughes insider Noah Dietrich, provided secret information on incidents and deals made by Hughes years before, that nobody else had ever had access to. The names and places and subject matter were in some cases either so specific or insignificant that belief was accepted. This was such a literary coup by McGraw-Hill, and LIFE MAGAZINE, who was paying millions for syndication rights, that authenticity was a forgone conclusion. This entire hoax became self perpetuating in a strange Catch 22 type of a situation. The hoax probably would not have been blown if one particular section had been left out of the book. This was information that some believed actually came from Hughes himself, or was just maybe another part of the hoax, but was so believable that you had to really stretch NOT to believe it. This was the information linking President Nixon, and his brother's personal connections with Hughes, and the resulting possible payoffs and insider influence peddling and contract awarding. It is suspected that this was the "smoking Gun", the dirty secrets inside the safe of the Democratic National Committee that was the target of the failed Watergate breakin. What's that old saying. . ."Just because we're paranoid, don't mean they're really not out to get us!" Irving, Suskind, and Irving's wife all went to jail for this hoax. McGraw-Hill and Time Magazine got sued, Nixon resigned, and the TWA lawsuit miraculously went away. Coincidence? Hoax? Truth?Read full review
Clifford Irving (Richard Gere) was a writer lacking the two ingredients necessary for a successful career...integrity and a story. He decided to invent an authorized autobiography of the most intriguing man of his times, Howard Hughes. In part Hughes was selected because Irving felt the Hughes reclusive lifestyle would prevent the hoax from being exposed. Irvings hunger for fame and fortune placed all those around him in harms way. It mattered not what the consequences were for his wife, his friends or his business contacts. It was all about Clifford Irving. Hoax is too kind a word for the likes of Irving. Criminal would have been a more appropriate title. Hoax implies a prank. This was not. Movies like The Sting or even Bonnie and Clyde have a degree of justification as a rebellion of a system gone awry...the evil bankers..a failed social system. No justification exists for Clifford Irving. He was a crook. He learned the hard way getting in the deep end of the pool with the likes of Richard Nixon and Howard Hughes was no place for amateurs. Richard Gere does a fantastic job of become Clifford Irving who becomes Howard Hughes. It is one of Gere's best performances. The sad part is Irving did not deserve either the attention or the movie. The movie is slow, sad and has no hero for the viewers to wish to succeed. The actors all did great jobs. In the spirit of the Son of Sam Laws I hope Irving did not make a dime from the film. Crooks do not need be rewarded. Hoax is a fine way to spend an evening with a rented film. I just can not see buying it with the intention of seeing it again. It is not that kind of movie.Read full review
a movie we wanted to see for a long time -- great study into the workings of of the mind of a narcissistic egotist needing to find his way into the limelight -- and people carried along in his game by the need to have a story that was at the forefront of a lot of peoples minds in that time period -- to learn about the recluse of the century - nothing makes a great story like a public person that wants his entire life kept secret --- and all the tools of his arsenal that he has wielded against the rich and powerful -- what a story that would have been - if it had been authorized by Hughes and allowed to go forward..... and one more time - we see the power and the workings of Howard Hughes mind and his end games ....
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
found this movie a little boring, but since I love Richard Gere..I will give it an acceptable rating..
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