Greetings,
You know what I hate? I hate when a great movie is released, and, at the time, it gets a boatload of critical acclaim and such, then it kind of just goes away. I hate it when people forget that certain great movies existed. To be fair, those people probably forgot because they merely heard of these films and did not see them. Case in point, one of my all-time favorite movies that I can't talk to anyone about because apparently no one I know has seen the darn thing, Quiz Show.
Quiz Show is a 1994 film, directed by Robert Redford, about the 1950's quiz show (WHAT!) scandal. And if there is one thing this movie teaches us it's that the reality show television phenomenon did not start recently, nor did the crookedness within it. Reality TV started with game shows, where average people could become well-known to the public for various reasons, and for better or worse. In this case we see that, even from those early days, things weren't always as real as they were purported to be. And here is what happened in both the movie and for real.
In the 1950's, there was a game show called Twenty-One where contestants would try to rack up 21 points by answering trivia questions with different levels of difficulty. After a simple, opening scene that mentions Sputnik, because...topical, and the credits, we begin with the taping of an episode wherein Herbert Stempel is back for yet another time, trying to win some more cash. Stempel, by the way, is portrayed by the disgustingly underrated, master of acting, John Turturro. Yes, prepare yourselves for a performance that will begin another round of "Screw You, Oscars, For Not Giving This Guy AT LEAST a Nomination!" Trust me. Now Stempel, at this point, has been a contestant for quite a while, because he is actually very intelligent, albeit, maybe not educated by way of a ton of degrees, as far as I know. More of an autodidact, he is, from being an avid reader. And, personality-wise, he is kind of an underdog, blue collar and all that, from Queens, which is "not New York", according to someone in this movie. Still, it makes him a favorite with the audience. Also, he's Jewish. I bring this up only because it is brought up quite a lot as a plot point in the story. After a while, the guys running the show decide that he has been on long enough and make him an offer to leave the show. More accurately, he is asked to throw an easy question and, in exchange, he is promised everything from cash to a spot on a panel show, whatever that is. I think it might be like a talk show of yesteryear or something. But who will replace him on the game show?
Enter Charles Van Doren, a handsome, Columbia University instructor from a distinguished and scholarly family. Basically, they see him as the polar opposite of Herbert Stempel. Van Doren is played by Ralph Fiennes. I know, right?. Early 90's Ralph Fiennes cast as the good looking guy? What a shock! I kid...sort of. He actually also gives a phenomenal performance in this film, which you will notice if you aren't distracted by the way they constantly make him look like his face has been kissed by the morning angels! Too much? Sorry. Moving on. Anyway, the producers decide that he is the perfect man to be their new, long-lasting champion. But his staying on the show relies heavily on whether or not Stempel agrees to the deal. Spoilers, he does. But that happens pretty early on, so...spoilers...kind of.
In the midst of all this, a young, congressional lawyer, Richard Goodwin, played by Rob Morrow, begins to investigate rumors about some game shows possibly being rigged. I assume that congress gets involved because it has to do with fraud and conspiracy. Yeah, I'm not smart about stuff like that. Anyway, after this, we follow Goodwin in his investigation, Van Doren as he deals with sudden fame and other things, and Stempel as he tries to get justice for himself, since he feels as though it was he who got cheated. That is all the detail I will go into, because this is a movie that needs to be watched. And though I'm sure many people know of this story at its barest minimum, like I did, this film really takes you inside what went on and into the lives of those involved.
Now, I know I already mentioned a few of the cast members, but let me bring up a few more. And HOLY CRAP, this film has a stellar cast. We get Hank Azaria (P.S. Love when he does drama!), Mira Sorvino, David Paymer, Christopher McDonald, Martin Scorcese (just acting this time) and the great Paul Scofield in an Oscar nominated role. Okay, so they got THAT one right. Actually, I have to say that this is one of the most perfectly cast films I have ever seen. I mean, every single person was absolutely right for the part they played. It is a good thing when that happens. A very, very good thing.
And speaking of the characters, going back to the two main guys, there is something I have to say. I love how they are shown here. I love that, whilst it would be easy to put them in the positions of protagonist and antagonist, neither of them is either of those things. Neither is the full on villain or victim. In fact, they both fall very close to the same place between those two archetypes. It is shown that they both make big mistakes and are both taken advantage of in some capacity. They are not presented just as obvious characters, but well-rounded, real human beings.
So, if you haven't yet, go watch Quiz Show. I know you might think that, based on this plot, it won't be all that exciting. To be honest, it's not exciting in your traditional sense, but it is engaging. It's not a few big, explosive jumps to get to the end, not that there's anything wrong with that. It's a story you follow one beat at a time until you reach the conclusion. A conclusion, by the way, which consists of one of my favorite and most satisfying moments in film of all time. Quiz Show is smart and subtle, well-written, well-directed and obviously, well-acted. It's just plain good. So go see it, then go tell others to see it. This movie deserves it...times ten! Oh, heck, why not? Times Twenty-One!
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
