Quiz show

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Movie
German title Quiz show
Original title Quiz show
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1994
length 133 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director Robert Redford
script Richard N. Goodwin ,
Paul Attanasio
production Michael Jacobs ,
Julian Krainin ,
Michael Nozik ,
Robert Redford
music Mark Isham
camera Michael Ballhaus
cut Stu Linder
occupation

Quiz Show is a film directed by Robert Redford . It is based on the quiz show scandal to Charles Van Doren , a true story. Richard N. Goodwin's book Remembering America: A Voice From the Sixties was used as the script .

action

In the 1950s, a quiz show kept America in suspense: The Twenty-One show regularly attracts millions of viewers in front of the television. The show principle is simple: two candidates compete against each other in soundproof boxes and have to answer quiz questions correctly. You can choose how many points you want to use for a certain question: If you answer the question correctly, you will receive the points, if you answer it incorrectly, the number of points will be deducted. Whoever has 21 points first wins, whereby the two opponents do not know the points total of the other. The winner of a show is allowed to compete against a new challenger in the next show, the money wins in each show are very high.

The Jewish Herbie Stempel has been winning the show for weeks, and although he caused high ratings at the beginning, viewers are getting tired of him: The ratings are stagnating and Herbie is instructed by the show's creators to give a wrong answer. He is told which question to answer incorrectly and is even given the wrong answer. Herbie feels humiliated because it's an easy question. His opponent in the decisive show is the young and eloquent Charles Van Doren, a professor of literature at Columbia University and a member of a well-known family of intellectuals. Herbie answers the question incorrectly as stated, while Charles receives a crucial question that he had to answer during his introductory test - for the creators, Charles is the new quota guarantee, for whom they do not want to leave anything to chance.

In the next broadcasts, Charles initially receives questions that he already knew in the introduction test, later questions are assigned to him before the broadcast and finally even questions with associated answers that, unlike his opponent, he receives long before the broadcast. He wins the quiz show numerous times in a row, earns more than his father, a respected literature professor, and becomes so popular in the country that he even makes the cover of Time magazine . Herbie, in turn , charges NBC , which produces the show, with fraud. He testifies in court that the entire show is constructed, but the files are sealed after the hearing is over and cannot be viewed by the public.

The real Charles Van Doren (right) next to presenter Jack Barry (1918–1984) on the show Twenty-One

The young attorney Dick Goodwin reads about the sealing of the files in the newspaper and begins to investigate. Over time, he learns the truth and also learns that even the intelligent Charles knows the answers to the questions of the show days in advance. Previous participants in the show also received questions and answers before the show. Dick can prove this because some time ago a candidate sent the question and answer sheets to himself by registered mail two days before they were sent and now leaves the unopened letter to Dick. He wants to hold program executives and the NBC director accountable. A committee set up by the 86th Congress is to investigate the matter. Meanwhile, Charles, pressured by the House Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight investigation and longing for his old life without the press, gives an unconditional wrong answer on the quiz show and loses. He hopes to be able to teach at the university in peace again. But finally, against his intention, Dick has to call Charles, who is considered the epitome of the show in public, as a witness to the "Quiz Show" cause before the grand jury .

During the trial, which in this case takes place in front of an audience, Charles makes a statement in which he admits to having cheated on the public and the viewers of the show. While he and his family have to reckon with personal consequences, since Columbia University is subsequently advising on Charles' dismissal from university and his father's reputation is damaged, those in charge of the station call themselves innocent and reject all responsibility for the hoax: Everything is just for show, and as long as the audience feels entertained, you haven't made a mistake. Dick Goodwin realizes that with his commitment, in the end, he achieved the opposite of what he wanted.

criticism

"A film designed as an animating (negative) example of a time of intellectual and moral upheaval that entertains and encourages reflection."

- film service
  • Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars out of four and called the script "smart, subtle and ruthless".
  • Film critic James Berardinelli praised "the excellent performance of Fiennes" and also praised John Turturro.
  • On rotten tomatoes the film has a positive rate of 96%.

Awards / nominations

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Richard N. Goodwin: Remembering America. A voice from the sixties . (English). First edition. Little / Brown, Boston (Mass.) 1988, ISBN 0-316-32024-2 ,
    -, Matthias Müller (transl.): Quiz show. From the memoirs of Richard N. Goodwin . German first edition. Rororo, Volume 13654, ZDB -ID 48948-7 . Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 1995, ISBN 3-499-13654-6 .
  2. ↑ film service No. 31182
  3. ↑ Review on Rogerebert.com (Engl.)
  4. ^ Critique by Berardinelli
  5. ↑ Rotentomatoes (Eng.)