Film Review - Hudsucker Proxy, The

The Coen brothers are at it again! This time they take an absurd look at corporate America.

Tim Robbins is the bumbling idiot who stumbles from a mailroom job to being the head of the really big company. His invention: The Hula Whoop.

But he's not there by his own design. Paul Newman is the heavy in this picture, determined to drive the company stock into the dirt in order to buy it all cheap.

This is the classic story of the innocent hero vs. the knowledgeable villain. So long as the hero stays true to himself, he cannot fail. But Robbins' hero doesn't really know himself. He has been floundering in the job market of the great Depression. He's been down and out, and now he has power and fame. Who is he? He doesn't know, and he doesn't care. Right now he's having fun with the newly found power.

This type of story usually has a predictable ending, but these are the Coen brothers at the helm. The end might be what you think it's going to be, but how we get there is a very strange twist. If you liked Raising Arizona you'll probably like The Hudsucker Proxy.

Jammed Pipe!

Film Facts

Directed by Joel Coen

Released in 1994

MPAA Rating: PG

Reviewed by Mongo