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Quiz Show
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Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786303407166
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC
ISBN: 6303407161
Label: Walt Disney Video
Languages: English (Unknown), AnalogEnglish (Original Language), Analog
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Walt Disney Video
Release Date: March 18, 1997
Running Time: 133 minutes
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Theatrical Release Date: September 14, 1994
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Editorial Review:
This vigorously entertaining film, sharply directed by Robert Redford from Paul Attanasio's brilliant screenplay, is based on the game-show scandals of the 1950s, when TV quiz shows were rigged to attract higher ratings and lucrative sponsorships. The fact-based story focuses on the quiz show Twenty-One and popular contestant Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes), a charming, well-bred intellectual who agreed to win the game by using answers supplied by the show's producers. This unfair advantage turned Van Doren into a prototypical media darling at the expense of reigning Twenty-One champion Herbie Stempel (John Turturro, in a bravura performance), a working-class Jewish contestant who, according to the show's sponsors, had worn out his welcome in the public eye. When a congressional investigator (Rob Morrow) catches on to the scam and Stempel blows the whistle on this backstage manipulation, Quiz Show becomes a smart, political exposé about the first generation of television, the corrupting effect of celebrity and success, and the ongoing loss of innocence in American society. Bristling with superior dialogue and energized by an excellent cast including Paul Scofield as Van Doren's morally upstanding father, Quiz Show succeeds as history lesson, intelligent thriller, and morality tale, setting the stage for the countless scandals that would follow in a nation addicted to television. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - TIP OF THE ICEBERG
Considering the quality of this film, one would think that it should have won more awards,more acclaim. One factor might have been that anyone under the age of 46 in 1994 would have had little or no recollection of the television scandals which "broke" in 1959. Secondly, since there were no laws pertaining to television ethics, nobody went to jail. Indeed,years later, the "Bobsey Twins"- Jack Barry and Dan Enright were right back at it again making handsome sums on "The Joker's Wild". ... Read More
Rating:  - Wonderful.
Quiz Show (Robert Redford, 1994)
The brilliance of Robert Redford's Quiz Show is related, in retrospect, in the film's opening sequence, where Dick Goodwin (Northern Exposure's Rob Morrow) is considering buying a car. The effect of the scene is completely lost the first time you see the film; go back and watch it again once you've got a handle on everything that goes on. That's why Robert Redford is a fantastic director, and Quiz Show is a fantastic film.
Based on the true ... Read More
Rating: - Deception by Intellectuals
Its 1957 and the very popular show "Twenty-One" attracts the national eyeballs. A patent medicine is the sponsor. Just answer a few questions and you can win a big prize. It seems so easy! Then we see the whims of the top managers affect the show. Herb Stempel is a hero to his neighborhood. The college instructor Charles Van Doren applies to be a contestant. The producers think he has star quality and want him on "Twenty-One". They also explain how things work. A new face will perk up interest. The ... Read More
Rating: - Quiz Show
Tackling the quiz-show scandals that rocked the days of early television, Robert Redford's intelligent, absorbing drama digs into the murky ethics of mass-media entertainment. Turturro and Fiennes are both excellent, playing antagonists whose ethnicity is as much a concern to image-conscious programmers as their smarts. Paul Scofield won an Oscar for his turn as Van Doren's patrician father, while Rob Morrow is memorable as a Boston attorney who helps Turturro blow the whistle. "Quiz Show" remains one ... Read More
Rating: - Mass Deception
This is a great film--the acting, writing, and directing are superb. Especially noteworthy was John Turturo--his performance was great! The others were also excellent. The story was believable and it developed at a nice pace. My only regret was that at times it slowed down considerably and unnecessarily, making the movie longer than necessary, especially in all the trivia scenes which were meant to increase audience believability in the characters. And yes, the characters were real, many dimensional, and ... Read More
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