Quiz Show
After Robert Redford’s passing, there were a number of his films I wanted to watch- or rewatch- for a “Repertory Revue.” I went with his 1994 drama, “Quiz Show,” in part because I haven’t seen it since its theatrical release, but it also felt in keeping with the mood I’m in as a moviewatcher. I wanted something politically-adjacent that dealt with American controversies. I’ve already reviewed “All the President’s Men,” and I will get to “The Candidate”- which he starred in- at some point, but “Quiz Show” is one I’ve wanted to revisit for a while.
As a moviegoer in 1994, I didn’t really appreciate what Redford and screenwriter Paul Attanasio were doing with their film, and how it indicted television’s need for ratings and eyeballs over honesty. We live in a time now when “reality TV” has taken over for game shows, but game shows still exist, but we do not question the legitimacy of them the way that we probably should, because they’re entertaining. Over the past few years, I’ve started to watch “Survivor” and “Amazing Race” and “Hell’s Kitchen” with Meredith, and while I know they stretch the notion of “reality TV,” I do think the results are genuine, because they rely on the decisions of more than just hosts and producers. One of the things that “Quiz Show,” and the scandals of shows like “Twenty One” in the ’50s, illustrates is that TV is not so much about reality as it is about entertainment and business. Watching TV of all kinds now, that is abundantly clear.
“Quiz Show” is one of those mid-budget films that the ’90s did so well. At the time, I think you’d look at this cast, and maybe say that Ralph Fiennes- off his Oscar nomination for in “Schindler’s List”- is the biggest name in the cast. Yes, John Turturro was an established character actor, and Rob Morrow was known for TV, but Fiennes was the draw, along with Redford behind the camera in his follow up to “A River Runs Through It.” Here, he’s made a period piece that begins with following Turturro’s Herbie Stempel, who is the reigning champion of “Twenty One,” but the ratings are starting to sag, and for the sponsors, some fresh blood is needed. We see Charles Van Doran (Fiennes), an author and professor at Columbia- and the son of prestigious Mark Van Doren (Paul Schofield)- as he decides to try out for one of the shows. In his audition, he’s noticed by producer Albert Freedman (Hank Azaria), who thinks he’ll be a great fit for “Twenty One.” The question is, can Freedman and Dan Enright (Dave Paymer) rig it to get Van Doren to win.
Even in the 1950s, it’s not hard to see why a scandal like this could occur. Television was still working on taking a foothold of market share away from movies, and this type of trivia game seems like a low-budget way of doing so, even if they find themselves shelling out thousands in winnings. What’s surprising is why it didn’t seem like anyone caught on immediately, considering the ease of the question Stempel lost on (he was forced to say that the Best Picture winner for 1955 was not “Marty”). As he’s portrayed by Turturro, it’s not hard to see why he wasn’t taken seriously until Dick Goodwin (Morrow)- a Congressional lawyer who also wrote the book Attanasio’s script is based off of- started looking into it. That involved pressuring Van Doren, who was the fresh face of the show, and a ratings bonanza.
Redford’s approach is methodical, much like his Bob Woodward was in uncovering Watergate in “All the President’s Men.” He uses close ups and staging to build tension and emotional heft into a story whose outcome is known, but the trajectory of how the story unfolds is complicated. This was a great look at the fine line between showing actual drama and manufacturing tension, and whether the bottom line is important. In the end, Stempel and Van Doran- played brilliantly by Fiennes- made the correct choice. And yet, television learned no lessons whatsoever, which is what makes “Quiz Show” so timely now.
