reviewed by: Charity Bishop
          

What would you do if you were offered a thirty-thousand-dollar contract and the cover of TIME just to give the right answers on a popular game show? A movie full of moral paradoxes, Quiz Show is based on the real-life trials of NBC during the 1950's, when the national network was under investigation for fraud. The movie never quite pushes its point of view, rather leaving the observer to draw their own conclusions. On one hand, those involved in the scheme profess no wrong in their actions, yet don't want the public made aware of their dealings. Even knowing it's all been a farce, game shows retained their high ratings. It becomes a question of morality over the media, one that today's slew of instant-success-stories would be wise to pay heed to. The only question the movie really asks is, "What would YOU do?"

Jewish brainiac Herbie Stempel (John Turturro) has been on a winning streak on Twenty-One for six consecutive weeks. The high-stakes game show involves two competitors striving to reach twenty-one points. The questions are protected in a bank vault and range from movie trivia to Revolutionary War tidbits. Some questions are easy. Some aren't. The losers go home weeping, and the winner stuffs his pocketbook. The show has been climbing in the ratings as all across the nation families drop everything to tune in and see if Herbie can keep up his winning streak. One casual observer is Charlie Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes), the low-profile heir to one of the greatest literary families in history. With numerous degrees in literature and a position as a highly respected lecturer at Columbia, Charlie's intelligence make him a natural competitor.

While attending a book signing, Charles catches the final few minutes of the program, enough to be intrigued. Due to his family's lengthy games of a similar literary nature, most of the questions put to Herbie, Charles could answer in his sleep. Persuaded by friends to give it a shot, he shows up on NBC's doorstep with an impressive resume, instantly gaining the praise and recognition of the show's producers. This is their much-needed break. Herbie is losing popularity. He's a snide know-it-all grating on America's nerves. Yes, he's an "everyman" from the Bronx, but he's unattractive and Jewish. It's time to replace him with a more pliable champion... Charles Van Doren. When the morality-conscious literary professor refuses to participate willingly in their open scheme to force Herbie to lose, they set about ensnaring him by more subtle methods.

They want to ask him questions to which he already knows the answers. Charlie doesn't like that idea. Neither does Herbie, who is told he must lose on a a movie trivia question if he ever wants to see his face on television again. NBC plans to trap Charlie with a simple question guaranteed to win him fame and fortune. But once the professor takes the initial step, there'll be no halting his eventual corruption... or the scandal that unfolds when Herbie seeks revenge. The most interesting thing about this film is the era in which it was set, a time when people actually believed what they saw on television. It wasn't about the sport of the game, as one producer reminds viewers; it's about the money. Everyone wants it. Everyone is willing to go to great lengths to get it, whether it's supporting a crooked game show, paying off contestants, or even wagering your soul on the outcome, as Charles Van Doren is eventually persuaded to do. Halfway into this interesting story of one young man's internal struggle against morality comes the courtroom drama, a federal agent (Rob Morrow) who, like the viewer, finds himself charmed by Charles' down-to-earth intelligence. What happens is the viewer is forced into a paradox of their own, half desiring these cheating clowns to get caught... but also hoping somehow Charles will get away with it. In the end, morality wins... and we're left only with bitter admiration for a man's selfless repentance.

Though the messages throughout the film are both thought-provoking and positive, and the performances in particular by Rob Morrow, John Turturro, and Ralph Fiennes (who looks so convincingly innocent even when cornered) are stunning, Quiz Show also suffers from an unfortunate amount of profane language, which will drive more conservative viewers away. Mild language doesn't bother me, but two f-words (one of them is a replay of a taped conversation), over eight abuses of GD, and several of Jesus and/or Christ really test the audience's patience. The pity here is that, just like another otherwise remarkable thriller Thirteen Days, there's no other content whatsoever. There's one remark about sex by a wife to her husband (reminding him there are other things than work).  There was also one odd and extremely controversial remark made by Van Doren's father, in which he complained his son wasn't yet married, and "even Jesus Christ had a girlfriend by the age of thirty-three." "Yeah, and look how THAT turned out!"

Hollywood has a problem with weighing down good movies with bad language. This is one case where it's a film well worth seeing, but mired down with excess abuse of deity. It's a shame, because it's an otherwise rock-solid period piece all audiences are certain to enjoy.