The Hoax

In the 2006 comedy-drama "The Hoax," Richard Gere plays Clifford Irving, a struggling author who concocts an elaborate hoax by selling a fake biography of Howard Hughes to a publishing house in the early 1970s. With the help of his friend and researcher Richard Suskind, Irving creates a convincing story that even dupes handwriting experts, but as the publication date draws near, the pressure mounts and Irving's paranoia grows. The film is a witty satire on the nature of lies and deception, exploring how we come to believe in what suits us, and its clever writing and direction earn praise from critics.