I will never look at a quiz show with the same eyes I had before I saw this movie.

Rating: 9/10 (30 May 1999)

Directed by Robert Redford who was nominated for an Oscar. Redford in my opinion is great director. He has the eye for it! Brilliant writing by Paul Attanasio, who was nominated for Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. This is a true story, which makes this movie even more interesting.
John Turturro (The Big Lebowski) is just outstanding in the part of Herbie Stempel, who has been winning the Geritol Quiz Show, and really gets addicted to the attention. The favored contestants had the answers before hand, but Herbie is asked to lose to a successor Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, Schindler's List) Charles Van Doren. Van Doren is a lovable, well bred, educated, nice looking young man who teaches literature at Columbia University, and that infuriates Herbie, who hates him.
Rob Morrow (Northern Exposure, Last Dance) plays Dick Goodwin who is an attorney with the Federal Government working for a Congressional subcommittee investigating the scheme in the late 1950s. Morrow and Van Doren are of Jewish background, and Goodwin likes Charles Van Doren and wants to protect him. His wife Sandra Goodwin, Mira Sorvino (Jake's Women, Mighty Aphrodite), even tells him about over protecting Van Doren. After many lies and cover ups, there is a congressional hearing and everything is brought to light. All this with Redford master touch directing.
Look who is acting in the role of one of the sponsors of the quiz show! It is the talented director and N.Y.U. Professor, Mr. Martin Scorcese. Scorcese was one of Oliver Stone's (Any Given Sunday) teachers at N.Y.U. He is also excellent at that as well.
Favorite Quotes: Charles Van Doren: "I flown too high on borrowed wings." A Senator:" An adult should simply not be commended for telling the truth." Favorite Scenes: The Van Doren family picnic with everybody quoting poetry, Van Doren father and son, sharing a piece of chocolate cake and a glass of milk and their dialogue, Van Doren Jr. purposefully losing the contest.
The music is great as well. All in all, this is a great movie. I highly recommend it. I will never look at a quiz show with the same eyes I had before saw this movie. It changed my perspective.