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Quiz Show

Play trailer Poster for Quiz Show PG-13 1994 2h 10m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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97% Tomatometer 116 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Queens-born Herbie Stempel (John Turturro) becomes an unlikely hero after winning on America's beloved game show, "Twenty One." When the network decides to bring in a more telegenic contestant, the WASP-ish Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes), Stempel takes aim at the show, announcing that the game is rigged. Congressional investigator Dick Goodwin (Rob Morrow) is brought in to examine the claim that winners were given the answers. Goodwin wrote the book on which this true story is based.
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Quiz Show

Quiz Show

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Critics Consensus

Directed with sly refinement by Robert Redford and given pizazz by a slew of superb performances, Quiz Show intelligently interrogates the erosion of public standards without settling on tidy answers.

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Critics Reviews

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Michael Wilmington Chicago Tribune Feb 13, 2024
3.5/4
The movie hums, purrs and shines. But it's also full of contradictions. A big budget picture about mass media fakery that's somewhat rigged itself, a docudrama that stretches the facts, an exposé on class prejudice that almost succumbs to [that] vice. Go to Full Review Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times Feb 13, 2024
Fiennes' ability to project the pain behind a well-mannered facade, to turn intellectual and emotional agony into a real and living thing, is devastating. Impressive as the film is... Quiz Show would have been a very different experience without him. Go to Full Review Dave Kehr New York Daily News Feb 13, 2024
3/4
For all of its occasional naiveté, this is a movie that practices what it preaches: It's a fine, worthy film, devoid of pandering or commercial compromise, that allows a number of talented people do some very good work. Go to Full Review Joe Baltake Sacramento Bee Feb 13, 2024
4/4
Robert Redford's soft-spoken, intelligent but never less than entertaining movie reminds us of exactly what we've been missing -- a story that seems utterly fresh and a filmmaking style best described as civilized. Go to Full Review Stephen Hunter Baltimore Sun Feb 13, 2024
3.5/4
What's so good about Robert Redford's sleek version of the story is how delicately such issues as motive and emotions are sketched, and how ambiguity, not glib moralizing, is prized. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ian S @RT48225084 Sep 21, 2026 True story about a network TV scandal in the 60's. Well directed by Robert Redford and superbly acted by a great cast, especially Ralph Fiennes and John Turturro. See more James P @JamesMP Aug 8, 2026 A beautifully crafted movie. See more Forrest M @RT32281296 Jun 9, 2026 "Quiz Show" is way overrated as it received more praise than it deserved. No question that it the fraudulent activities happening on the quiz show was staged and the contestants - Herb Stempel and Charles Van Doren - were both involved and knew that the fix was in. The movie provides a fictional view of what really happened. It was evidently the 1950's when the process of social engineering particularly media subjugation was beginning to take place as the media particularly television starts to control the minds of the Americans sociologically. Instead, it just became a movie about being a victim when Herb was actually complicit in the supposed events for ratings. See more S. O @Col._Angus Apr 8, 2026 An amazing look back at a different time and generation, through the lens of television, and the television game show. Not much has changed in 70 years. The ones who get hurt are the little people. The TV executives walk away unhurt, as well as the pharmaceutical executives who sponsored and got rich off the whole thing. See more Geo3 F @RT82897544 Dec 19, 2025 A really great movie all the cast was great I love how as the film progresses it becomes an investigating one and its then when the film shines with all drama going on. Given its age its still a great film to watch in todays time a worthy oscar best picture nominee. Great film. See more Zach J. @Jenkins158 Dec 14, 2025 8/10 See more Read all reviews
Quiz Show

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Cast & Crew

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Robert Redford

Director

John Turturro

Herbie Stempel

Rob Morrow

Dick Goodwin

Ralph Fiennes

Charles Van Doren

Paul Scofield

Mark Van Doren

David Paymer

Dan Enright

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Quiz Show

Quiz Show (1994) Quiz Show (1994) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Queens-born Herbie Stempel (John Turturro) becomes an unlikely hero after winning on America's beloved game show, "Twenty One." When the network decides to bring in a more telegenic contestant, the WASP-ish Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes), Stempel takes aim at the show, announcing that the game is rigged. Congressional investigator Dick Goodwin (Rob Morrow) is brought in to examine the claim that winners were given the answers. Goodwin wrote the book on which this true story is based.
Director
Robert Redford
Producer
Robert Redford, Michael Jacobs, Julian Krainin, Michael Nozik
Screenwriter
Paul Attanasio
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co
Baltimore Pictures, Wildwood Enterprises, Hollywood Pictures
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 14, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$24.8M
Runtime
2h 10m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
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