Production Company: Miramax Films
Director: Lasse Hallström
Cast: Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Marcia Gay Harden, Julie Delpy, Hope Davis
Rating: Rated R for language

By Gregg Tubbs

(UMC.org)—Sir Walter Scott wrote, "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!" Although we have all told lies—from little white lies to the bigger, darker variety—few of us can match the audaciousness or impact of Clifford Irving. The Hoax tells the amazing, true story of Irving’s audacious lie—that he was co-authoring Howard Hughes’ autobiography—and with wit and irony, shows how the web of lies grew into a vast net that snared both the lowly and the powerful. Along the way, this hoax captured the imagination of the world, and very possibly had a hand in the downfall of a president. The Hoax vividly illustrates why Jesus called Satan "the father of lies," since once you’re caught in a web of lies, you can have a devil of a time getting free!

By 1971, Clifford Irving was a moderately successful novelist; yet, for the ambitious Irving (Richard Gere) moderate success was more like failure. He found nothing more frustrating than watching less talented writers sell more books and become part of New York’s literary upper crust. His agent Andrea Tate (Hope Davis) assures him that his latest novel, the product of more than a year’s hard work, will launch Irving onto the best seller’s list. But when his publisher, McGraw-Hill, unexpectedly rejects the novel, Irving becomes desperate—to save face, to get another chance and to prove McGraw-Hill wrong. So he does what desperate people often do—he lies through his teeth. He announces to McGraw-Hill that reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes is prepared to write his memoirs, and Hughes will work with no one but Clifford Irving!

McGraw-Hill takes the bait and even pays Irving a steep advance on what could be the "book of the decade." There’s only one problem—Irving has never met or talked to Hughes. Irving’s last successful book was called "Fake" and profiled a famous art forger. Taking what he learned from writing "Fake," Irving and his best friend Richard Suskin (a hilarious Alfred Molina) set out to fake the Hughes autobiography, betting that the reclusive, phobic billionaire will never emerge to dispute their work.

Directed by the talented Lasse Hallström, The Hoax is briskly entertaining, with one foot in topical drama and the other firmly in social farce. Gere portrays Irving less as a wicked huckster than an envious opportunist, with just enough charm and tattered good looks to make his schemes seem respectable. Those of us old enough to remember the real Hughes autobiography scandal will smile at the perfect period detail and the way Hallström folds the story upon itself, blurring the line between reality and Irving’s growing web of lies.

Most of all, The Hoax explores the insidious destructiveness of one of the great, but often overlooked sins—lying. Lying doesn’t get much press these days, as we focus on trendier, more glamorous "hot button" transgressions (insert your favorite here). Watching Irving lie himself deeper and deeper into a hole, while hurting and betraying those around him, reminds us that lying hurts both the liar and deceived alike. We also see the devastating effect that persistent lying has on one's moral compass. The more Irving lies, the easier the next lie gets and the harder it ibecomes for him to even recognize the truth. Irving comes to believe that an alternate truth can be constructed with enough convincing lies. In fact, in the end, he actually comes to believe his own deceptions.

As comic as The Hoax is, Irving’s story is a sad one. He remains an unrepentant liar. Confronted time and again with the chance to "come clean" and begin to undo the damage his deceitfulness has done, he instead unloads another fib. In the end, only the total collapse of myriad falsehoods—and the cagey intervention of the even more Machiavellian Hughes himself—stops him. As we know, Irving went to prison for fraud, but the story of how the tangled web he wove stretched all the way to the Whitehouse gives the film a surprising twist.

Irving (Richard Gere) and his best friend Richard Suskin (Alfred Molina) set out to fake the Hughes autobiography, betting that the reclusive, phobic billionaire will never emerge to dispute their work. Copyright © 2007 Miramax Films.

The Hoax is a comic symphony of dishonesty, but if lying makes up the melody, greed provides the harmony. Sadly, we see that nothing makes a lie more attractive than the prospect of profit. Even though Irving’s accomplices—including top executives—knew he was deceiving them, they were more than willing to go along, and even break the law, so long as there was a pot of gold at the end. Now I understand the old W.C. Fields line, "You can’t cheat an honest man."

Study Questions:

If you remember the Irving scandal from the 1970s, what were your feelings about it? Did you feel Irving committed a crime? Why or why not?
In the film, Irving was motivated by envy of more successful writers. What does the Bible tell us about envy? Are we supposed to envy others or those who have more? (See Psalms 73:2-17; Proverbs 23:17; Psalms 37:4; Romans 7:7-12; 1 Corinthians 13:4.)
The Bible tells us there are more important things to value than material wealth. What are some of these? (For examples, see Proverbs 3:13-15; 16:16; 22:1-2.)
Do you believe lying is a sin? Does the Ten Commandments’ prohibition against "bearing false witness" literally mean "thou shalt not lie"?
Why do you think Jesus called Satan "the father of lies?" Do you think Satan propagates lies? Can he influence us to lie?
What other major scandals can you recall that involved lying? Are any of them current?
Irving didn’t limit his lying to his profession. Where else in his life did we see dishonesty?
How did Irving’s lying hurt those around him? Have you ever been hurt by a lie? If so, how?
Irving’s wife urged him to "come clean" and confess his lies. How important is it to confess our sins to God? Can God’s forgiveness help make us "clean"? How does the assurance that we are forgiven in fact enable us to confess our sins?
Is there such a thing as a "harmless lie"? Is a lie wrong, if it is spoken in kindness or to spare someone hurt?