Bostonist at the Movies: The Hoax

The Hoax could have been a terrific movie. Whether or not you know anything about Howard "The Aviator" Hughes or Clifford Irving, the man who tried to pass off a fake autobiography of Hughes, the plot is riveting and familiar. In the light of recent publishing and journalism faux-pas, ranging from Jayson Blair to the sudden squelching of OJ Simpson's "confession," Clifford Irving's desperate drive for fame makes sense.

Richard Gere stars as Clifford Irving, who tried to pass off a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes during the early 1970s. With the help of his friend Dick Susskind and his wife, Edith Irving, he almost got away with it, and made some serious bucks, too. He certainly made fools of everyone who went along with the scheme, and TIME named him "Con Man of the Year."

Some compulsive liars are more successful than others, but they have one trait in common - once they hoodwink one person, they just can't stop, and Irving was no exception. A prosthetic-nose-wearing Richard Gere portrays author Clifford Irving as addicted to praise. Irving wants the money that will come from publishing a bestseller about the reclusive Howard Hughes, sure, but he laps up the praise and attention. As Irving, Gere wants to be loved by everyone - his wife, his mistress, his publishing company, and even Howard Hughes.

This is Gere's movie. He's wonderful, and he's backed by an excellent sidekick, Alfred Molina, who portrays Irving's cowardly partner in crime, Dick Susskind. Molina is often too sweaty and occasionally looks like he's ready to snack on some scenery, but he turns out to be the perfect loyal schlep to Gere's smooth talker.

Unfortunately, the movie stalls when it tries to roast the publishing business. Other than a single good line - "We need anger, which I think will help us in Germany" - the satire is one-note and heavy-handed. The McGraw Hill team is portrayed as a crew of gullible dolts, and neither the actors nor the script can make the audience believe that anyone could be so dumb as to buy Irving's story. Hope Davis, as Gere's link to these bumbling idiots, wears a single constipated expression throughout the movie.

The publishing scenes are only one example of director Lasse Hallstrom and screenwriter William Wheeler trying to pack in too much. Hallstrom throws in gratuitous, easily recognizable songs of the 60s and 70s to remind us - over and over again - that the Vietnam War, during which time The Hoax is set was a rocky time for the States. The message is that people just wanted to believe in something, even if it was a liar who claimed he had a direct line to Howard Hughes - and Hallstrom doesn't stop until the audience screams, "We get it! We get it!"

Hallstrom and Wheeler might both be responsible for the movie's other flaw. They can't decide when to end the movie. Multiple endings come up, and just when you think you're done, it keeps going. Irving runs through several nightmare and daymare scenarios, and some of them don't seem to fit in with the overall trajectory of the movie.

At one point Hallstrom may have thought he was Tim Burton when the movie suddenly changes color and Gere is reveling in Hughes-esque glory. Yes, yes, we get it - Irving flying high, in so deep he thinks he's Hughes!

Despite all Gere and Molina's hard work, The Hoax winds up with an average score simply because the movie could have used some pruning shears and a little more restraint.

Image of Gere and his nose from the Internet Movie Database.