Quiz Show (film)

Quiz Show is a film by Robert Redford. It is based on the quiz show scandal involving Charles Van Doren, a true story. As a screenwriter Richard N. Goodwin's model for this book Remembering America: A Voice From the Sixties.

Action

In the 1950s, a quiz show stops across America in suspense: the show Twenty-One regularly attracts millions of viewers to their TV. The show concept is simple: Two raters occur in soundproof boxes separated from each other and have to answer quiz questions correctly. You may choose how many points they use for a particular question, they answer the question correctly, they get the points, they will answer it wrong, the score is deducted them. First to 21 points wins, the two contracting parties do not know the score of the other. The winner of a show may compete in the next mission against a new challenger, the cash prizes in each show are very high.

For weeks, the Jewish Herbie stamp wins the show and although he made at the start for high ratings, viewers are tired of his: stagnating ratings and Herbie is instructed by the makers of the show to answer a question incorrectly. He is told what question he should answer wrong, and even the wrong answer is given him. Herbie feels humiliated because it is a simple question. His opponent in the crucial mission is the young and eloquent Charles Van Doren, literature professor at Columbia University and a member of a known family of intellectuals. Herbie answered the question as incorrectly specified, while Charles receives one as a crucial question he had to answer this on his imagination test - for the makers Charles is the new rate guarantee for which they want to leave anything to chance.

Charles gets into the next program first questions he already knew the idea test, later questions him be allocated prior to the mission and eventually even been questions with their answers, which in contrast to his opponent, he receives a long time before transmission. He wins the game show numerous times in a row, earning more than his father, a respected professor of literature, and is so popular that it even comes on to the cover of Time magazine in the country. Herbie again shows the NBC, which produces the show, for fraud. He says in court and that the entire show is constructed, but the records are sealed after completion of the hearing and are not visible to the public.

The young lawyer Dick Goodwin reads in the newspaper from the sealing of files and begins to investigate. By the time he comes to the truth on the track and also learns that even the most intelligent Charles knows the answers to the questions of the show already days before. Even former participants of the program have received questions and answers before the show. Proof that may be thick this as a candidate had sent some time ago the question and answer sheets, two days before the shipment by registered mail to himself and the still unopened letter now leaves Dick. He wants to pull the program manager and the head of NBC to account and can testify in court. Meanwhile, Charles 's, which is set by the investigations under pressure and without the press craves his old life back, in the quiz show without setting an incorrect answer and loses. He hopes to teach at rest at the university again, but it must be thick under the pressure of public opinion as a witness Causa " Quiz Show" before the court call - Charles is in the public not less than the epitome of the shipment.

During the trial, which takes place with present audience, Charles admits to defrauding the public and spectators of the show. While he and his family have to reckon with personal consequences, as in the sequence, the Columbia University discusses the dismissal of Charles ' from the University service and his father now has a bad reputation, the actual program managers show innocent: Everything is just for show and as long as the audience feel entertained, you 've made ​​a mistake. Dick Goodwin realizes that he has with his commitment at the end reaches the opposite of what he wanted.

Criticism

" An inspiring show as (negative ) example of a time of spiritual and moral upheaval scale movie that entertains equally and prompts for reflection. "

  • Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars out of four, calling the screenplay "smart, subtle and ruthless ."
  • Film critic James Berardinelli praised " the great game of Fiennes " and also praised John Turturro.
  • RottenTomatoes on the film has a positive rate of 96 %.

Awards / Nominations

  • There was Oscar nominations in 1995 for Best Supporting Actor Paul Scofield, Robert Redford for Best Director, Best Film and for Best Adapted Screenplay.
  • Best Screenplay, 1995, BAFTA Award
  • Best Screenplay, 1996, London Critics Circle Film Awards
  • Best Film, 1994, New York Film Critics Circle Award
1994 in film Film score Mark Isham Michael Ballhaus Quiz show scandals Twenty One (game show) Ordinary People The Legend of Bagger Vance
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