Quiz Show

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Quiz Show

PG-13

Released Sep 14, 1994

2h 10m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

117 Reviews

87%

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25,000+ Ratings

Queens-born Herbie Stempel (John Turturro) becomes an unlikely hero after winning on America's beloved game show, "Twenty One." When the network decides to bring in a more telegenic contestant, the WASP-ish Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes), Stempel takes aim at the show, announcing that the game is rigged. Congressional investigator Dick Goodwin (Rob Morrow) is brought in to examine the claim that winners were given the answers. Goodwin wrote the book on which this true story is based.

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Critics Consensus

Directed with sly refinement by Robert Redford and given pizazz by a slew of superb performances, Quiz Show intelligently interrogates the erosion of public standards without settling on tidy answers.

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Michael Wilmington

Chicago Tribune

The movie hums, purrs and shines. But it's also full of contradictions. A big budget picture about mass media fakery that's somewhat rigged itself, a docudrama that stretches the facts, an exposé on class prejudice that almost succumbs to [that] vice.

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 13, 2024

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Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

Fiennes' ability to project the pain behind a well-mannered facade, to turn intellectual and emotional agony into a real and living thing, is devastating. Impressive as the film is... Quiz Show would have been a very different experience without him.

Feb 13, 2024

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Dave Kehr

New York Daily News

For all of its occasional naiveté, this is a movie that practices what it preaches: It's a fine, worthy film, devoid of pandering or commercial compromise, that allows a number of talented people do some very good work.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 13, 2024

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Joe Baltake

Sacramento Bee

Robert Redford's soft-spoken, intelligent but never less than entertaining movie reminds us of exactly what we've been missing -- a story that seems utterly fresh and a filmmaking style best described as civilized.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 13, 2024

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Stephen Hunter

Baltimore Sun

What's so good about Robert Redford's sleek version of the story is how delicately such issues as motive and emotions are sketched, and how ambiguity, not glib moralizing, is prized.

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 13, 2024

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Gary Thompson

Philadelphia Daily News

If you were truly shocked when you found out NBC blew up a "faulty" truck in order to get exciting video, well, then Quiz Show may chill you to the bone. Everyone else can enjoy it simply as an example of impeccable moviemaking.

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 13, 2024

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Anton H

This one does something very rare: take a relatively uninteresting topic, and through incredible writing, acting and directing, make it an absolute THRILLER. If it comes available to you, see it. You’ll not regret it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/08/24

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julie b

God I love Ralph and the character he plays in such a sympathetic way. I desperately want to eat corn on the cob and tomato salad at the Van Doren Connecticut home. Also a performance by Martin Scorsese, Ethan Hawke cameo, and directed by Robert Redford???? Overall great performances and building of drama while being understated, with biting commentary on corruption, morality, privilege, the lure of fame, and society during the television-as-truth era. Didn’t realize it was based on a true story but not surprised.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/23/24

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Gerald D

Great movie excellent performances. Wouldn't expect less from a Robert Redford Movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/10/24

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Alec C

This scandal shocked people all over the airwaves and on national television! A contestant on a quiz show learns that he is given the answers in advance to the question, putting his morals into question as an investigation into the station leads to him making a decision of right or wrong. This retelling of the infamous "Twenty-One" quiz show scandal, we are forced to rethink everything we know about ourselves and what we would do in that situation!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/24

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Tim

Solid movie with a great cast. Bit over the top but enjoyable.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/31/23

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AB L

Easily Redford's best directorial effort. I like that the movie teases a triumphant ending only to ultimately deliver a total bummer. Great work from Fiennes here as you get the sense that this character could easily sleepwalk into more morally compromising situations.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/31/23

Full Review

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Robert Redford

Director

John Turturro

Herbie Stempel

Rob Morrow

Dick Goodwin

Ralph Fiennes

Charles Van Doren

Paul Scofield

Mark Van Doren

David Paymer

Dan Enright

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Synopsis

Queens-born Herbie Stempel (John Turturro) becomes an unlikely hero after winning on America's beloved game show, "Twenty One." When the network decides to bring in a more telegenic contestant, the WASP-ish Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes), Stempel takes aim at the show, announcing that the game is rigged. Congressional investigator Dick Goodwin (Rob Morrow) is brought in to examine the claim that winners were given the answers. Goodwin wrote the book on which this true story is based.

Director: Robert Redford
Producer: Robert Redford, Michael Jacobs, Julian Krainin, Michael Nozik
Screenwriter: Paul Attanasio
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Baltimore Pictures, Wildwood Enterprises, Hollywood Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 14, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $24.8M
Runtime: 2h 10m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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