The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) is a whimsical, screwball satire about ambition, innocence, and corporate greed. When the head of Hudsucker Industries unexpectedly kills himself, the company’s scheming board hatches a plan: install an idealistic but gullible mailroom clerk, Norville Barnes, as president so the stock will collapse and the directors can buy the company cheap. As Norville fumbles his way into power and stumbles on a wildly unexpected invention that could save the firm, tough reporter Amy Archer smells a rat and launches an undercover investigation that turns into a romantic and moral tug‑of‑war. Watching the film you’ll get a deliberately stylized, old‑timey visual world — part comic strip, part 1950s melodrama — full of broad physical comedy, rapid‑fire repartee, and satirical jabs at big business and the media. The tone flips between playful fantasy and sharp irony, with larger‑than‑life characters and set pieces that favor visual invention over realistic restraint. Expect quirky performances, whimsical production design, and a mix of laughs and bittersweet moments as the movie skewers ambition and celebrates naïveté.

Actors: Tim Robbins, Paul Newman, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Runtime: 111 min

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

6.6 /10 53 /100 7.2 /10 6.4 /10