‎The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) directed by Joel Coen • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

The Hudsucker Proxy

1994 Directed by Joel Coen

They took him for a fall guy... but he threw them for a hoop.

A naive business graduate is installed as president of a manufacturing company as part of a stock scam.

Tim Robbins Jennifer Jason Leigh Paul Newman Charles Durning John Mahoney Jim True-Frost Bill Cobbs Bruce Campbell Harry Bugin Joe Grifasi Steve Buscemi Anna Nicole Smith Joanne Pankow Thom Noble Stan Adams John Seitz Roy Brocksmith I.M. Hobson Jon Polito John Goodman Colin Fickes Todd Alcott Richard Schiff Roderick Peeples

111 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by matt lynch ★★★★½

Time is a flat circle.
Review by Arielrocks5 ★★★★★ 22

"The Hudsucker Proxy" is something I can only describe as.......I, honestly don't know. I'm joking. I've been having the hardest time trying to come up with what to say about this movie.

There's just something about it that keeps me from figuring out the perfect words to properly describe it. It's a dark screwball comedy with plenty of the typical things you'd expect from a Coen brother's production (Along with co writer Sam Raimi) but, I don't know what it was, I just, couldn't get enough of it.

There's this weird charm to it that lasts throughout a the entire run time that I never wanted it to end and even if I knew where most of the story beats…
Review by Steve G ★★★★ 10

Easy As ABC

"I need unguent" - Steve G Does The Coens

I'd like a tickbox when I do Letterboxd reviews marked 'This review isn't really about this film at all and is of no use to you at all if you were looking for an opinion on this film'. I would probably end up ticking that a lot.

I would definitely have been in with a great chance of ticking that box with The Hudsucker Proxy - and I think I would have been considering doing it after just a couple of minutes of Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance. I would like to know at what point she is going to be recognised as the outstanding actor that she is…
Review by Disgustipated ★★★★★

Between this and The Big Short, it inspired this list Ive put together:

I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore list
Review by ScreeningNotes ★★★½

"You know, for kids!"

Misunderstood period comedy from the Coen brothers which was panned on its release. While it's certainly not up to the standard set by the duo's other works, it's also much better than critics would have you believe. Great unity of visual composition (the shots of the Hudsucker board room and the mail room as well as the shot straight down the front of the building are all structurally identical), and Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh are a delight.
Review by Emily Housel ★★★★

Better than Meet John Doe. The only way to do old hollywood. This was so much fun.
"You know... for kids!"

Recent reviews

Review by Kyle Alan Hale ★★★½ 1

Very fun, and the cover is dumb for having a hula hoop on it. I wasn't expecting how over-the-top it is, but I loved it, and now I can see a streak of that running through the rest of their work.
Review by D ★★★★½

3/23 in my Birth Year Challenge! This was, um, a lot better than the Steven Seagal movie I watched before it.

"I used to think you were a swell guy. Well, to be honest, I thought you were an imbecile. But then I figured out you WERE a swell guy... A little slow, maybe, but a swell guy. Well, maybe you're not so slow, But you're not so swell either. And it looks like you're an imbecile after all!"

This is considered one of the Coenn brothers' lesser works?! I loved this fiercely. The bros are on their bullshit channelling Preston Surges to create a powerful megamix of screwball comedy and corporate farce. Coming hot off Barton Fink and creating…
Review by Lewis Bell ★★★★★

The Coen's do classical Hollywood and it may be the greatest thing I have ever seen.
Review by Joe ★★★ 2

There's a pretty funny movie buried in here but its pretty hard to get over just how miscast Tim Robbins is.
Review by Neil ★★★★

For the camera work and framing alone much less JENNIFER JASON LEIGH & PAUL NEWMAN.
Review by wingedbeaver ★★★★★

The scene where the hula hoop is thrown out of the store and rolls down the street to the kid is one of the most fantastic sequences in film. Roger Deakins is a genius and this is some of his best work. Jennifer Jason Leigh is excellent as well. Her hard nosed reporter and the perfectly written and cliched speech work perfectly in this wonderfully imagined world.
Review by Raul Bauza ★★★

Comedia de humor negro, que pese a contar con un guion lleno de momentos bizarros y extraños (típico de los Coen) se hace entretenida y divertida, cuenta con unos escenarios muy depresivos que reflejan mucho el mundo laboral de forma exagerada, una buen reparto (Donde Paul Newman destaca como el mejor) y una banda sonora excelente.

El único fallo es que se puede hacer larga por la lentitud de las tramas y la resolución final, bastante irreal y que puede no guste a todos. Sin duda de esas películas con fondo critico, donde se refleja como el mundo empresarial a veces apesta, donde de las pequeñas y simples ideas se puede sacar un buen negocio y de como nunca se debe juzgar a una persona sin conocerla. Se le puede echar un vistazo.
Review by Chuck Winters ★★★★★

Never mind Film School; they should teach this movie in High School. It’s just one perfect, inspired, batshit sequence after another.
Review by stevie3969 ★★★½

Good dialogue, kinda weak characters, but definitely a great style.