Quiz Show is my #1 answer whenever anyone poses the hypothetical "what would you add to the Criterion Collection" question. It's not perfect, but it is notable and underseen. I really love this movie, appreciate you putting the spotlight on it.
I mean, it depends what you consider a studio "middlebrow" film, and what you consider a masterpiece, but just looking at the Best Picture nominees only we've got
Jerry Maguire, Good Will Hunting, The Insider, Erin Brockovich, The Hours, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, Up in the Air, The Descendants, Moneyball, Hidden Figures, The Post, Green Book, Ford v Ferrari, etc.
In 1994, I was 17 years old and saw two movies twice in theaters — Pulp Fiction and Quiz Show. I don’t even think I registered that it was considered a commercial bomb.
I went to the movies with a buddy on September 23rd, 1994, with the vague idea of seeing SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. While in line, I mentioned that maybe we see PULP FICTION, and he agreed. It was opening day for both. PF blew us away.
Loved this film. Quiz Show and Contact were the first movies I bought on DVD. Haven’t seen it in forever though, I think my ex has the disc now. But looks like it got a European Blu Ray release.
I think QUIZ SHOW, JFK and ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN instilled a level of institutional distrust in me at a young age that shapes my world view to this day. My faith also took a dive on Marty, so to speak.
I think a complaint that QUIZ SHOW may receive if released today is that there are only primarily men in the movie, if I remember correctly. There are maybe 3 parts for women in IMDB. This could have hurt its success. If the historical memory says that mainly men were in positions of power for this story, then I can see how this movie can justifiably be as such. A book I very much admire, Albert Camus’s THE PLAGUE, receives criticism for virtually having strictly males as its main characters and I’m disappointed that many don’t read it out of hand because of this. I don’t believe I’m sexist for appreciating a piece of media that happens to be as such.
I guess my response would be that '50s television and politics were male-driven, and that's where the story goes. But I think the film does well with the women in the margins. Herb's wife has a much more grounded perception of the situation than he does, and seems to anticipate his congressional hearing going astray. And it's Goodwin's wife, played by Mira Sorvino, who chastises him most harshly for not going after Van Doren. ("You're like the Uncle Tom of the Jews," or something to that effect.)
To date, I’ve only listened to the audiobook of THE PLAGUE several times over the years as read by James Jenner in 2006. I recommend that. I’m overdue to read it in book format.
I wasn’t a cinephile growing up, but I have a distinct relationship with Quiz Show, which I saw in a late night slot on broadcast, using rabbit ears, at some point in either late high school or an early summer home from college. I knew nothing about it, got immediately sucked in, and have always remembered it fondly as a result.
Quiz Show got two thumbs up and had a great cast so I watched it in the theatre when it came out. I loved it and remember being shocked when I later found out it made something like 4 million at the box office. It was a depressing realization. For the record I was also depressed when Master and Commander was not a smash hit.
Scott, thanks so much for highlighting this film -- the tie-in to Trump is perfect (and sadly undeniable). I've known about this movie forever but never actually sat down to watch it, and I really enjoyed it. Some notes:
1) I had such a great time picking out flashes of future stars -- Ethan Hawke! Calista Flockhart! Harriet Harris (Frasier's Sunset-Boulevard-esque agent Bebe)! Ben Shenkman has a decent-sized role, too. Blink and you'll miss Illeana Douglas and Timothy Busfield before the beard.
2) I was surprised John Turturro was first on the credits, but after seeing the film, there's no question he's the star. He's just delightful, and although it becomes more of a Fiennes vehicle in the latter half of the runtime, Turturro never entirely goes away. You can't keep him away -- he'll crawl on the floor to get to where the action is, damn it!
3) Commenter Small Mosey is absolutely spot on that the women take a backseat, but both Sorvino and Turturro's wife Toby (Johann Carlo) deliver significant morals. The hurt in Toby's voice when she discovers Herb was also given the answers is really affecting, and that killer line by Sorvino you cite ("You're the Uncle Tom of Jews!") has bite.
4) How about the fine performances by two directors, Scorsese and Levinson? They give Sydney Pollack a run for his money.
5) The best pics from this year were Forrest Gump, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, and The Shawshank Redemption. Pulp Fiction is the only one that stands out, the non-middlebrow; how cool it got the nod. As a firm fan of Forrest Gump (still!), I do believe the right movie won. (And PF rightfully won best original screenplay.)
Wonderful piece on a wonderful film. I'm gonna make my high school-aged kids watch it with me over the holidays, then have them read this essay, calling out the connections to our modern political/entertainment landscape.
My favorite part of the piece: "(Fun fact: His widow is the revered historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.)" That cracked me up.
Quiz Show is my #1 answer whenever anyone poses the hypothetical "what would you add to the Criterion Collection" question. It's not perfect, but it is notable and underseen. I really love this movie, appreciate you putting the spotlight on it.
I mean, it depends what you consider a studio "middlebrow" film, and what you consider a masterpiece, but just looking at the Best Picture nominees only we've got
Jerry Maguire, Good Will Hunting, The Insider, Erin Brockovich, The Hours, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, Up in the Air, The Descendants, Moneyball, Hidden Figures, The Post, Green Book, Ford v Ferrari, etc.
In 1994, I was 17 years old and saw two movies twice in theaters — Pulp Fiction and Quiz Show. I don’t even think I registered that it was considered a commercial bomb.
I went to the movies with a buddy on September 23rd, 1994, with the vague idea of seeing SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. While in line, I mentioned that maybe we see PULP FICTION, and he agreed. It was opening day for both. PF blew us away.
Loved this film. Quiz Show and Contact were the first movies I bought on DVD. Haven’t seen it in forever though, I think my ex has the disc now. But looks like it got a European Blu Ray release.
I think QUIZ SHOW, JFK and ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN instilled a level of institutional distrust in me at a young age that shapes my world view to this day. My faith also took a dive on Marty, so to speak.
I think a complaint that QUIZ SHOW may receive if released today is that there are only primarily men in the movie, if I remember correctly. There are maybe 3 parts for women in IMDB. This could have hurt its success. If the historical memory says that mainly men were in positions of power for this story, then I can see how this movie can justifiably be as such. A book I very much admire, Albert Camus’s THE PLAGUE, receives criticism for virtually having strictly males as its main characters and I’m disappointed that many don’t read it out of hand because of this. I don’t believe I’m sexist for appreciating a piece of media that happens to be as such.
I guess my response would be that '50s television and politics were male-driven, and that's where the story goes. But I think the film does well with the women in the margins. Herb's wife has a much more grounded perception of the situation than he does, and seems to anticipate his congressional hearing going astray. And it's Goodwin's wife, played by Mira Sorvino, who chastises him most harshly for not going after Van Doren. ("You're like the Uncle Tom of the Jews," or something to that effect.)
To date, I’ve only listened to the audiobook of THE PLAGUE several times over the years as read by James Jenner in 2006. I recommend that. I’m overdue to read it in book format.
Walked to the library to borrow the DVD after reading this and just finished my rewatch. Thanks for the essay.
Awesome.
I wasn’t a cinephile growing up, but I have a distinct relationship with Quiz Show, which I saw in a late night slot on broadcast, using rabbit ears, at some point in either late high school or an early summer home from college. I knew nothing about it, got immediately sucked in, and have always remembered it fondly as a result.
Quiz Show got two thumbs up and had a great cast so I watched it in the theatre when it came out. I loved it and remember being shocked when I later found out it made something like 4 million at the box office. It was a depressing realization. For the record I was also depressed when Master and Commander was not a smash hit.
Scott, thanks so much for highlighting this film -- the tie-in to Trump is perfect (and sadly undeniable). I've known about this movie forever but never actually sat down to watch it, and I really enjoyed it. Some notes:
1) I had such a great time picking out flashes of future stars -- Ethan Hawke! Calista Flockhart! Harriet Harris (Frasier's Sunset-Boulevard-esque agent Bebe)! Ben Shenkman has a decent-sized role, too. Blink and you'll miss Illeana Douglas and Timothy Busfield before the beard.
2) I was surprised John Turturro was first on the credits, but after seeing the film, there's no question he's the star. He's just delightful, and although it becomes more of a Fiennes vehicle in the latter half of the runtime, Turturro never entirely goes away. You can't keep him away -- he'll crawl on the floor to get to where the action is, damn it!
3) Commenter Small Mosey is absolutely spot on that the women take a backseat, but both Sorvino and Turturro's wife Toby (Johann Carlo) deliver significant morals. The hurt in Toby's voice when she discovers Herb was also given the answers is really affecting, and that killer line by Sorvino you cite ("You're the Uncle Tom of Jews!") has bite.
4) How about the fine performances by two directors, Scorsese and Levinson? They give Sydney Pollack a run for his money.
5) The best pics from this year were Forrest Gump, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, and The Shawshank Redemption. Pulp Fiction is the only one that stands out, the non-middlebrow; how cool it got the nod. As a firm fan of Forrest Gump (still!), I do believe the right movie won. (And PF rightfully won best original screenplay.)
Wonderful piece on a wonderful film. I'm gonna make my high school-aged kids watch it with me over the holidays, then have them read this essay, calling out the connections to our modern political/entertainment landscape.
My favorite part of the piece: "(Fun fact: His widow is the revered historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.)" That cracked me up.