The Hudsucker Proxy
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Template:Infobox Film The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) is a screwball comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, telling a fictitious story about the invention of the hula hoop. It stars Tim Robbins, Paul Newman, and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
At $25,000,000 (USD), Hudsucker had the largest budget of any Coen film until Intolerable Cruelty, but it was a box office flop, grossing less than $3,000,000 in the US.
The score was composed by Carter Burwell and sampled many themes from Khachaturian's Sabre Dance and his ballet "Spartacus". One of the film's narrative devices is repeated reference to the wheel of fortune.
Plot
Following the suicide of the company's founder, the board of directors of a large company mounts a scheme to buy up a controlling interest in the company's stock before the founder's shares are made available for sale to the public. The directors install a naïve business school graduate as the company's new head, hoping to temporarily depress the stock price. A newspaper reporter, sent to learn about the previously-unknown newcomer, hides her identity in order to win his confidence. To the great chagrin of the board, the company becomes more successful when the proxy's new invention, the hula hoop, becomes a hit.
Quotes
Norville: For instance, take a look at this sweet baby. (Shows a drawn circle on a piece of paper) You look like you can keep a secret. Something I developed myself. Yessir, this is my ticket upstairs. You know, for kids.
Moses: Strictly speaking, I ain't ever supposed to do this. But do you have a better idea?
Board of Directors: Long live the Hud! Long live the Hud! (This seems to be an homage to Hud which starred Paul Newman -- who plays the evil Sidney J. Mussburger in The Hudsucker Proxy)
Mail Room Orienter: [Spoken/Shouted very quickly] You punch in at 8:30 every morning, except you punch in at 7:30 following a business holiday, unless it's a Monday, then you punch in at 8 o'clock. Punch in late and they dock you. Incoming articles get a voucher, outgoing articles provide a voucher. Move any article without a voucher and they dock you. Letter size a green voucher, oversize a yellow voucher, parcel size a maroon voucher. Wrong color voucher and they dock you! 6787049A/6. That is your employee number. It will not be repeated! Without your employee number you cannot get your paycheck. Inter-office mail is code 37, intra-office mail 37-3, outside mail is 3-37. Code it wrong and they dock you! This has been your orientation. Is there anything you do not understand, is there anything you understand only partially? If you have not been fully oriented, you must file a complaint with personnel. File a faulty complaint and they dock you!
Smitty: That gag's got whiskers on it! Template:Footer Movies Joel and Ethan Coen