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The Hoax
The Hoax

The Hoax

October 14, 2006· 1h 56m
Directed by
Cinemagraphs Score6.9

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.

Critics Sentiment

Critics6.9
No audience data yet —
1 — Hated it5 — Neutral10 — Masterpiece
Critics
|
8+ Great
6-8 Good
<6 Poor
14 reviews·Last updated 2mo ago
Peak Moment

Irving records passages while impersonating Hughes with costume and mustache

8.1at 1h 00m
Lowest Moment

Film suggests Irving's hoax led directly to Watergate burglary

5.8at 1h 54m
Biggest Swing

The film drops from its peak during Irving's Hughes impersonation sequences to growing confusion and repetitiveness in the paranoid fantasy scenes.

The Hoax builds steadily from Irving's initial desperation through the elaborate con's peak moments, with critics consistently praising Gere and Molina's performances. The film's sentiment peaks during the central impersonation sequences but gradually declines as the plot becomes more convoluted and the ending feels forced. Overall, reviewers found it an entertaining but imperfect character study of a fascinating real-life fraud.

14 reviews analyzed|Sources: Imdb
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15.510

Rate each story beat:

0 of 8 rated

Irving presents his novel Rudnick's Problem to McGraw-Hill publishers
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Hated itNeutralLoved it
Life editor rejects Irving's novel as unsatisfactory
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Irving storms into boardroom promising the book of the century
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Hated itNeutralLoved it
Irving and Suskind begin intensive research on Howard Hughes
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Hated itNeutralLoved it
Irving records passages while impersonating Hughes with costume and mustache⬆ Peak moment
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Hated itNeutralLoved it
Edith deposits Hughes's check using forged Helga R. Hughes passport
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Hated itNeutralLoved it
Irving is arrested and agrees to cooperate for Edith's immunity
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Hated itNeutralLoved it
Film suggests Irving's hoax led directly to Watergate burglary⬇ Lowest moment
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