Can a rigged show still be entertaining?

Rating: 10/10 (25 April 2006)

This thought provoking film poses the question of whether a rigged outcome can still produce an entertaining show. Along the way, it looks at who we route for, and why. And the answers are most surprising.
Quiz Show is set in the 1950's, and revolves around the popular game show "21," where contestants who answered questions correctly won big jackpots. At the start of the movie the big champion of "21" is Herbie Stempel (John Turturro), a very intelligent man, who also happens to be brash, abrasive, and Jewish. Unfortunately, this is not a combination that resonates well with the public. Consequently, when Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes), the son of respected college professor, Mark Van Doren (Paul Scofield), and himself a very intelligent college professor, auditions for the show. He seems like a godsend. He's young, handsome, charming, and Christian. While it's very likely that he would beat Stempel in head to head competition, the producers decide to make sure that the more likable contestant wins by asking Herbie to take a dive. Herbie does, but when his popularity disappears once he is no longer on the show, he seeks revenge by cooperating with Dick Goodwin (Rob Morrow), the agent investigating the quiz show. Meanwhile, the producers of the show have decided to keep Van Doren winning no matter what, so over his protests, they give him the answers ahead of time. Goodwin investigates Van Doren, and is charmed by him, not wanting to believe that Van Doren is involved in fixing the outcome of the show. However, the more Goodwin delves, the more things point to an answer that he wishes weren't true. The resulting scandal shocked the nation.
It's an interesting premise, in that, you can rig the outcome of a show, but still give the audience a suspenseful and entertaining program. And also, the most capable or knowledgeable is not always the one the public wants to see win. This dilemma is presented very well. The characterizations are wonderful, in that all characters have both their good and bad points, and no one really emerges as totally hero or villain. All of which makes us take a hard look at ourselves.
The acting was superb. Morrow portrays Goodwin's tenacious well, and contrasts it with a surprisingly down to earth person. Turturro does an excellent job of playing a man who is book smart, but people stupid. Fiennes is charming as Van Doren, so much so that you don't want to see him fall, but his weakness is too well defined to allow him not to. Scofield's portrayal of the loving and yet disappointed father is touching and heartbreaking.
The movie really has the feel of the fifties, which is a good touch.
All in all, a thoughtful and though provoking film, well worth viewing.