An Intellectual Movie about an Intellectual

Rating: 9/10 (23 March 2006)

I understand that a few liberties were taken with the facts in this film. They always are. The fundamentals of the quiz scandal of the fifties, however, did come through. This is a movie about men and their integrity. From Herbert Stempel to Charles Van Doren we have a range. These men were both geniuses, but Van Doren was the son of one of or great poets and critics and Stempel was just, well, Stempel. We idolize our pretty people (nothing new). Van Doren, of course, had to eventually face the music or face jail time. There were two golden ages of television. The first was when Milton Berle and his ilk caused people to put away everything early and watch each week. Jackie Gleason was also a part of this. The second began when TV began to exert its power. These big buck quiz shows were all over the place and the advertising revenue became phenomenal. How could one not begin to see the orchestration going on behind the scenes when such money began to speak loudly? Like the internet today, the media had moved beyond the legal system. One had to almost ask: Did anyone do anything illegal beyond the basic limits of fraud. And if they did, who was harmed by it?
The performances are wonderful here. Rob Morrow, who should be doing a lot more, is excellent as the bulldog investigator. Ralph Fiennes comes across so well as Van Doren. He has that little snobby accent down cold. We want to hate him, but he is part of a great family and so automatically demands respect. John Turturro as Stempel is a juggernaut. He knows what they have done to him and he is really offended. He is crash and boorish and smart. Not what TV really wanted. The scandal plays itself out in a believable, realistic way that is so nice to see. If you want a movie that requires you to see the entire issue and make your own decision, see Quiz Show.