History Film / Hitchcock

''Hitchcock'' is a 2012 biographical film by Sacha Gervasi about Creator/AlfredHitchcock, and stars Creator/AnthonyHopkins as the title role and Creator/HelenMirren as Hitchcock's wife Alma. ''Hitchcock'' revolves around the creation of one of Hitch's most prominent works, ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' from its inception as a titillating book he is reading to watching the first theater goers scream in fright at the infamous shower scene.

''Hitchcock'' is a 2012 biographical film by Sacha Gervasi about none other than Creator/AlfredHitchcock, one of the most prominent film directors of the 20th century, and stars Creator/AnthonyHopkins as the title role and Creator/HelenMirren as Hitchcock's wife Alma. ''Hitchcock'' revolves around the creation of one of Hitch's most prominent works, ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' from its inception as a titillating book he is reading to watching the first theater goers scream in fright at the infamous shower scene.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Alfred Hitchcock puts the decayed corpse prop used as Mrs. Bates in Creator/JanetLeigh's room. Janet screamed and ran out of her room, demanding an explanation from Hitchcock, who says, "What? Mrs. Bates asked if she could take a nap in your room. I told her that would be fine." Despite the fact that Janet still looked rather mad, we see her grin a little and roll her eyes before she walks off, suggesting this trope.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hitchcock_4348.jpg]]

The cast is rounded up by Creator/ScarlettJohansson as Creator/JanetLeigh, Creator/JessicaBiel as Creator/VeraMiles, Creator/JamesDArcy as Anthony Perkins, Creator/DannyHuston as Hitchcock contributor Whitfield Cook, and Creator/ToniCollette as Hitchcock's script supervisor Peggy Robertson.

The cast is rounded up by Creator/ScarlettJohansson as Creator/JanetLeigh, Creator/JessicaBiel as Creator/VeraMiles, James D'Arcy as Anthony Perkins, Creator/DannyHuston as Hitchcock contributor Whitfield Cook, and Creator/ToniCollette as Hitchcock's script supervisor Peggy Robertson.

The film also deals with his relationship with his wife Alma, their struggles with each other and the occasionally petty jealousies that can drive them apart. The film does justice to them as a great couple, though, and shows their ability to work together to create great works, as well as their ability to work apart and create, not so great works.

!!This Film Contains Examples Of:

* WritingAroundTrademarks: The filmmakers weren't allowed to use any footage from ''Film/{{Psycho}}'', resulting in the film's focus on the Hitchcock marriage as opposed to the nuts-and-bolts of filmmaking.

* BookEnds: The film starts and ends with Hitchcock speaking directly to the audience about a production he will soon start on.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: Hitchcock will occasionally speak directly to the audience as he was known to do in real life. The Book Ends are the most direct example.

** The BookEnds, as well as the closing credits music, reference ''Creator/AlfredHitchcockPresents''.

** A non-Hitchcock example has Hitch needling the financiers by saying the finger cakes are actually fingers. [[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Charming, Dr. Lecter....]]

* TransparentCloset: InUniverse, Anthony Perkins is relatively commonly known to be homosexual. In RealLife this claim is a... more contentious subject.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: An InUniverse example: Hitch turns down Creator/IanFleming's ''Literature/CasinoRoyale''. He could have been the first director of the ''Film/JamesBond'' series.

* AdaptationDyeJob: Vera Miles was blonde in real life. She's played by brunette Jessica Biel - though she does wear a blonde wig on the set of the film.

** Vera Miles is shown with short hair, and has to wear a blonde wig on set. She had shaved her head for ''Film/FiveBrandedWomen'', which is why she had to wear a wig in ''Psycho''.

[[quoteright:236:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hitchcock_4349.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:236:[[IncrediblyLamePun Beware of the knife ones...]]]]

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Alfred Hitchcock puts the decayed corpse prop used as Mrs. Bates in Janet Leigh's room. Janet screamed and ran out of her room, demanding an explanation from Hitchcock, who says, "What? Mrs. Bates asked if she could take a nap in your room. I told her that would be fine." Despite the fact that Janet still looked rather mad, we see her grin a little and roll her eyes before she walks off, suggesting this trope.

* EnforcedMethodActing: In-universe; Hitchcock torments Janet Leigh with increasingly explicit sexual fantasies while she's filming the car scene.

** The trailer makes it seem as though Alma suggests killing off Janet Leigh's character midway through the film as a grudge against Leigh herself. Not only is that not the case, but also Alma carefully compliments Leigh at the end on her "professional" behavior--that is, on her ability to resist Hitchcock's attempts to seduce her.

* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Alma Hitchcock in real life was very matronly and ordinary, very unlike the shapely and stunning Creator/HelenMirren, and Hitch himself was far more wrinkly and flabby around the jowline than AnthonyHopkins in the fatsuit.

!! This Film Contains Examples Of:

''Film/{{Hitchcock}}'' is a 2012 biographical film by Sacha Gervasi about none other than Creator/AlfredHitchcock, one of the most prominent film directors of the 20th century, and stars Creator/AnthonyHopkins as the title role and Creator/HelenMirren as Hitchcock's wife Alma. ''Hitchcock'' revolves around the creation of one of Hitch's most prominent works, ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' from its inception as a titillating book he is reading to watching the first theater goers scream in fright at the infamous shower scene.

-->''You may call me Hitch. Hold the Cock.''

* UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode: Censors almost refuse to certify ''Psycho'', which would have left the film unviewable in the United States.
* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Alma Hitchcock in real life was very matronly and ordinary, very unlike the shapely and stunning HelenMirren, and Hitch himself was far more wrinkly and flabby around the jowline than AnthonyHopkins in the fatsuit.

* TrailersAlwaysLie: The trailer makes it seem as though Alma suggests killing off Janet Leigh's character midway through the film as a grudge against Leigh herself. Not only is that not the case, but also Alma carefully compliments Leigh at the end on her "professional" behavior--that is, on her ability to resist Hitchcock's attempts to seduce her.

* TransparentCloset: InUniverse, Anthony Perkins is relatively commonly known to be homosexual. In {{Real Life}} this claim is a... contentious subject. [[{{RuleofCautiousEditingJudgement}} And that's all that need be said on that front.]]

* DidTheyOrDidntThey: Alma and Whitfield go off to work on a story at his beach house, Hitchcock accuses them of having an affair, to which she responds by attacking him for putting her in that situation, but never denies the affair.
** TruthInTelevision: Both Alma and Whitfield would, after Hitchcock's death, admit that they did in fact have a brief affair during the production of ''Film/{{Psycho}}''.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Discussed while editing the film as Alma notices a bit of nudity in a few frames of the shower scene.

* ThePeepingTom: It shows up constantly as a theme for Hitchcock himself.
** A small hole in the trailer walls allows Hitchcock to do this to his female starlets.

* ShoutOut: The BookEnds, as well as the closing credits music, reference ''Creator/AlfredHitchcockPresents''.

* ThePeepingTom: It shows up constantly as a theme for Hitchock himself.

** Alto a cute moment in the trailer has someone asking how ''Psycho'' ends, to which Hitch replies "I promised Mother I wouldn't tell." This joke, alas, is not in the movie.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Alfred Hitchcock puts the decayed corpse prop used as Mrs. Bates in Janet Leigh's room. Janet screamed and ran out of her room, demanding an explanation from Hitchcock. "What? Mrs. Bates asked if she could take a nap in your room. I told her that would be fine." Despite the fact that Janet still looked rather mad, we see her grin a little and roll her eyes before she walks off, suggesting this trope.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Alfred Hitchcock puts the decayed corpse prop used as Mrs. Bates in Janet Leigh's room. Janet screamed and ran out of her room, demanding an explanation from Hitchcock. "I hope you don't mind. Mrs. Bates asked if she could take a nap in your room. I told her that would be fine." Despite the fact that Janet still looked rather mad, we see her grin a little and roll her eyes before she walks off, suggesting this trope.

The film also deals with his relationship with his wife Alma, their struggles with each other and the occasionally petty jealousies that can drive them apart. The film does justice to them as a great couple though and shows their ability to work together to create great works, as well as their ability to work apart and create, not so great works.

* TrailersAlwaysLie: The trailer makes it seem as though Alma suggests killing off Janet Leigh's character midway through the film as a grudge against Leigh herself. Not only is that not the case, but also Alma carefully compliments Leigh at the end on her "professional" behavior--that is, on her ability to resist Hitchcock's attempts to seduce her.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Alfred Hitchcock puts the decayed corpse prop used as Mrs. Bates in Janet Leigh's room. Janet screamed and ran out of her room, demanding an explanation from Hitchcock. "What? Mrs. Bates asked if she could take a nap in your room. I told her that would be fine." Despite the fact that Janet still looked rather mad, we see her grin a little and roll her eyes before she walks off, suggesting this trope.

* TransparentCloset: InUniverse, Anthony Perkins is relatively commonly known to be homosexual. In {{Real Life}} this claim is a... contentious subject. [[{{CautiousRuleofEditingJudgement}} And that's all that need be said on that front.]]

* TransparentCloset: InUniverse, Anthony Perkins is relatively commonly known to be homosexual. In {{Real Life}} this claim is a... contentious subject. [[{{CautiousRuleofeditingjudgement}} And that's all that need be said on that front.]]

* TransparentCloset: InUniverse, Anthony Perkins' sexuality is relatively common knowledge.