Quiz Show
US (1994): Drama
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, this film 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. (Amazon.com)
4 nominations
· Best Picture of the Year 1994: Robert Redford, Michael Jacobs, Julian Krainin & Michael Nozik - Producers (Hollywood Pictures/Wildwood/Baltimore Pictures, Buena Vista)
· Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 1994: Paul Scofield
· Achievement in Directing 1994: Robert Redford
· Achievement in Writing - Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published 1994: Paul Attanasio