THE HUDSUCKER PROXY
A film review by Andrew Hicks
Copyright 1996 Andrew Hicks / Fatboy Productions
(1993) **1/2 (out of four)
I've never reprinted reader mail in a review before, but there's a first time for everything. A guy by the name of Brad Nash from the University of Michigan once e-mailed me with the comment, "I was just wondering why you have so blatantly chosen to ignore the films of the Coen brothers, i.e. BARTON FINK, THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, MILLER'S CROSSING and especially BLOOD SIMPLE. All great movies."
Well, I didn't want to say this before, but yes, I have blatantly chosen to ignore the movies of Ethan and Joel Coen. It's all a conspiracy, you see, started by a Coen-hater who paid me an undisclosed sum not to review the above four movies, because it's obvious every time I review a movie, thousands of people instantly run out and watch it. By not reviewing these movies, I am ensuring the failure of the Coen brothers in Hollywood. And I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for that meddling Brad.
Actually, I was blissfully ignorant of this issue until Brad's comment. I had no intention of excluding the Coen brothers from my little orgy of hilarity. And I've seen BARTON FINK, it was just a year or two before I started doing movie reviews. My feeble memory was too hazy on that particular film to construct a review. I do know I liked it, if that's any consolation. I was going to watch THE HUDSUCKER PROXY on Cinemax last summer, but it was bumped at the last minute for the premiere showing of the adult movie parody of FORREST GUMP, entitled TORRID HUMP. ("Life is like a woman's naked chest. You can have everything you want if you'll just take hold of it.") I'd go see MILLER'S CROSSING, but I have about twelve other gangster movies from the early 90's to get to first. BLOOD SIMPLE I've never even heard of.
So there's your answer, Mr. Nash, for God and the rest of the world to see. And I think you should know it's because of you I rented THE HUDSUCKER PROXY (a strange title probably thought up by the same guy who gave the band Toad the Wet Sprocket their name). Unfortunately, I took up so much space replying to that comment I now have to do a condensed review.
The movie's set in 1958, with Tim Robbins working in the mailroom of the Hudsucker corporation with plans to move up in life, through the aid of an idea he's drawn up--a circle ("You know, for kids"). He does move up, straight to the office of president, after the current president jumps to his death and the board members (headed by Paul Newman) decide to put an imbecile in his place to deplete value of company stock so they can buy it cheap. If they'd waited about 30 years, they could have hired Dan Quayle for the job, but Robbins was the best they could do on short notice.
At first, the plan works, and one reporter (Jennifer Jason- Leigh) writes scathing newspaper articles about Robbins' inefficiency while masquerading as his secretary. But everything changes (nothing looks the same through the eyes of love) when Robbins' circular invention--which the board members feel sure to fail--becomes the hottest fad item in the country. That invention's name? The hula hoop. Geez, now I sound like Casey Kasem. And now we're up to our request and dedication. It comes to us from a woman in Sioux Falls, Iowa, who writes, "Dear Casey, my infant child died, my husband left me, I got laid off, my parents refuse to speak to me and I'm being evicted from my apartment next week. So could you please play 'The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades'?"
That's the peak of a good movie that falls from grace toward the end, when silliness dominates and all shreds of believability are removed. Still, THE HUDSUCKER PROXY is a stylish and mostly entertaining movie. Leigh is especially fun to watch, her role as an acid-tongued, independent yet lonely woman seemingly lifted from various movies of the 50's.
This good enough, Brad?
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