brilliant

Rating: 9/10 (28 April 1999)

I'm not sure why I'm so surprised that Redford made such a great film; ORDINARY PEOPLE is compelling, and certainly a showcase for great acting. But QUIZ SHOW is superlative.
Much of the thanks can go to the screenwriters, who have fashioned a script which is fascinating, full of great scenes, rigorous, and propulsive. The opening scene sets up the conundrum: we are a people who often smirk at what we're being sold (either in media or by other salesmen); still, we buy it, knowing full well it just ain't so.
Paul Scofield is astonishing; Ralph Fiennes is outstanding. Rob Morrow's accent is unstable, but otherwise he's not bad. Redford's direction -- in spots, influenced by Scorsese (who has a good cameo) -- is nice and tight. Very good production design, as well.
A very wise decision was made to move the father/son confrontation (the son's confession) from a restaurant to the father's classroom. The Shakespeare-toned verbal sparring is wonderful, and when Scofield protests "your name is my name!" the impact is formidable. Later, when the parents are standing by their son after his testimony, a reporter notes that the academics are meeting to discuss whether or not to let Charlie go; Scofield's brave face crumbles in such a way that we see the father hadn't even really considered this possibility, and a new nightmare is beginning to unfold.
QUIZ SHOW is a movie with fierce intelligence. It succeeds wildly because it isn't some bland, filmed thesis; it's a fast, smart piece of real entertainment. One of the best films I've ever seen.