The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

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 | Business | Suicide | Reporter | Baldness

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

Colour:

Black and White | Colour

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:

Dr. Hugo Bronfenbrenner, the psychiatrist who evaluated Norville for the board, was likely named after famous developmental psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner.

Goofs:

Continuity: Za-Za is standing next to Buzz when he hits Norville. After Norville falls to the ground, Za-Za is missing from the scene.

Quotes:

Amy Archer: Norville Barnes, you don't know a thing about that woman. You don't know who she really is. Only a numbskull thinks he knows things about things he knows nothing about.

Movie Connections:

References Safety Last! (1923)

Soundtrack:

Carmen

A perfect film.

Deftly mixing elements from Sturges, Capra, and yes, even De Palma, the Coens along with Sam Raimi have fashioned a modern masterpiece. As with all Coen films, they invite you into their jokes, and if you don't get them, they just don't seem to care-- and that's a good thing. A huge flop, film lovers with a sense of history and humor will be gushing about this one for a long..long..time. Bordering on a musical version of "Brazil" at points, it is as deliberately studied a critique of contemporary American capitalism as it is a searing stare at Hollywood. Paul Newman like all of the Coens' and Raimi's meticulously selected actors seem literally born for their parts. Using the most classical of Hollywood stylistic techniques in the most seamless manner, but with added auteur hyperbole they show us who we are through the comic lens of the camera, always reminding us that it is just a movie. Listen for the title of Amy Archer's Pulitzer prize winning article. Favorite line: "the people look..like..ants."