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Quiz Show (1994) is one of few factual dramas over the last several decades to be executed with such an unusual degree of wit, style, and amazing attention to detail. Nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award in 1994 and based on the scandalous reality that stunned a nation, this movie is entertainment at its best and most compelling. The set designs, costumes, and atmosphere echo that of the late 1950's with perfection and the storyline is strong enough to keep you engrossed for the entire movie. Directed by Robert Redford, this often underrated gem is a brilliantly detailed and well executed film about the infamously rigged television quiz show, Twenty One (1956-58) and the producers of this quiz show do not seem to care how many contestants they corrupt in pursuit of the highest ratings. How could Twenty One beat I Love Lucy in the ratings anyway? In addition to this true storyline, I think the characters are really engaging and this keeps us focused on this intense movie until the end. The plot centers on Dick Godwin (Rob Morrow), an investigator for a congressional subcommittee who reads an article in the paper that grabs his attention about a closed-door judicial hearing regarding a quiz show that he enjoys watching. Godwin decides to investigate the case when he is aided by a show's former contestant Herbie Stempel (John Turturro), a blue-collar Jew trying to make ends meet and is enraged, both by the fact that his 15 minutes of fame are up, and also by the fact that the producers of the show made him take a "dive" when his ratings were up. Dick Goodwin is eager to go along with Herbie Stemple until the ex-contestant claims that the show's current reigning champion, Ivy League college professor Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes) is cheating. Dick Goodwin, a Harvard graduate himself, has befriended Charles Van Doren in his investigation and starts to ask himself what's really going on? The beauty of the movie is that we are asking ourselves that question too as the script cleverly keeps some of the secrets from us until a little later in the movie. Robert Redford is to also be commended for the performances he drew from his cast. The stand-outs are obvious, but what's important overall is Redford's attention to character development and realism. This is something that many famous directors cannot seem to manage today. Instead they give us visual spectacles, shallow characters, and lots and lots of special effects. Perhaps it takes a senior member of the acting community to liberate us from these insipid directors. Robert Redford encourages the quality skills of Ralph Fiennes as seen in his stand out performance as the sadistic German commandant in Schindler's List (1993). In Quiz Show (1994), he performs equally as well as he carefully embodies college professor Charles Van Doren, the educated man who is tempted and ultimately lured by the promise of money and fame on the game show made for the revolutionary television. He portrays a believable anxiety and disillusionment when among his peers – those are namely his father and other intellectuals – and he has even adapted a slight stutter that plays ingeniously well in his role with appropriate facial expressions and exact quirkiness. His performance is brilliant. Opposite him is John Turturro in what I consider his finest performance to date as Herb Stempel – the former game show champion who is found to be much too geeky, greedy, and "Jewish" for the network and therefore ordered to forfeit his winning streak. Rob Morrow, with his great impression of a Boston accent, plays the role of Dick Goodwin as if he were actually him. He is very convincible as the objective attorney who vacillates between moral objectivity and the devil's advocate. John Turturro's desperate thirst for revenge and Rob Morrow's cool methodology make for excellent interactions and fantastic dialogue. The remainder of the cast is also terrific with Martin Scorcese (Martin Rittenhome) as the Geritol man; Barry Levinson (Dave Garroway) as the Today Show host; and Paul Scofield is riveting as literary professor, Dr. Mark Van Doren, especially in the scene when his proud face crumbles in such a way that we see him shocked into emotional disappointment. The musical score is perfect by Mark Isham, who is among the top Hollywood film composers of the times with a career spanning more than 50 film and television credits including The Majestic (2001), Men of Honor (2000), and Of Mice and Men (1992) to name a few. This film will have high entertainment value and broad appeal, making the DVD a great addition to any movie collection. I passionately recommend this film. It is an example of nonfiction storytelling on film at its absolute best. This movie is one of my favorites not just for its overall attention to detail, but also how its true story is intertwined into entertaining suspense and drama with very clever dialogue and superb acting. email this review to a friend
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