Genre: Drama
Premise: The script tells the story of fixed 1950's game show, 21. After contestant Herb Stempel takes a fall, Charles Van Doren becomes reining champion. And a new hotshot Harvard lawyer, Richard Goodwin, investigates the cover-up.
About: The picture was sold by Attanasio, repped by CAA to Disney. Redford almost immediately entered discussion to direct the film. Attanasio was associated with Levinson. Levinson and Mark Johnson were attached as producers. More surprisingly, the product was developed for Richard Dreyfuss. It was in rewrites for most of the early 90's until the proper cast had been lined up. Attanasio based the script over a chapter in
a book by the actual Richard Goodwin.
Writers: Paul Attanasio. Who really, asides from a few episodes of Doctor, Doctor, didn't have any credits at this point. He's the brother of the guy from the Milwaukee Brewers and had worked as a film critic at the Washington Post in the late 80's.
I watched this on video several years ago, and found it unbelievably boring. I believed the script was good, though, because I kept coming across it in books about Screenwriting. Upon investigating further, this is definitely a solid effort if a bit formulaic and predictable. My favorite thing about the script is that it feels honest and it's not afraid to condemn all involved. van Doren is wrong to play the game, Goodwin is ridiculed for taking this case, and one really questions the sanity of Sempel. And the television studios are also made to seem fairly ridiculous. Blows are made all around, and that's a very worthwhile thing. Although, quite like Nixon, it's not particularly the crimes that are evil it's that these people are the first to have been discovered doing such things and set history on a less than dignified track.
But the problem is that, all of the characters are actually as we expect them. Obviously once we find out Sempel takes the fall, we know we'll get mad and get even. Van Doren is so lofty it's inevitable that eventually he'll have moral qualms. It's like Attanasio came to a crossroads: be true to the actual events or alter characters and make a story that was fun to follow. He chooses the former, and opts to make an archaic, predictable script with a framework where we really don't feel committed to the ride. And, when the script ends we don't really feel that the characters have changed. That's the problem with script show, and what I'd anticipate is that the actors behind this thing took the opportunity because the script was issue heavy and they felt the opportunity to pursue these deep roles was Oscar worthy.
While The Truman show condemned the power and untrustworthiness of the media, Quiz Show highlights the advent of television in the 1950's focuses on media's decision to highlight entertainment over enlightenment, which in turn dulls the value of everyone involved: either turning
the educational merits of Van Doren into novelty, the political career of Dick Goodwin into nothing more than a top-notch lawyer who investigates the trustworthiness of unimportant game shows, or the world of literature and high art which are being supplanted by silly television programs. I'm sure this was very scary for intellectuals in the 1950's (I'm thinking of Newton Minow's condemnatory "vast wasteland" speech of 1961) and it's even sure that as television became even more widespread in the early 1990's and the battle over what was appropriate raged, these fear were probably as scary as ever.
The Quiz Show is fun, and it's a breezy read. But ultimately, for me, it lacks real depth and as a result doesn't pique my interest.
Scooby Doo (Complete Crap)
Atilla (Poor, Few Redeeming Qualities)
Wedding Crashers (Mediocre)
Hot Rod (Good)
Definitely Maybe (Pretty Darn Good)
Isla Prospects: No real female roles here, so Isla wouldn't work.
What I Learned: I love learning about people's professions. As do most people. Scripts that offer us an inside view of somebody's profession (Quiz Show, every Michael Mann film) have an easier time getting a steady following from readers.
Script Link: This is all over Google
Premise: The script tells the story of fixed 1950's game show, 21. After contestant Herb Stempel takes a fall, Charles Van Doren becomes reining champion. And a new hotshot Harvard lawyer, Richard Goodwin, investigates the cover-up.
About: The picture was sold by Attanasio, repped by CAA to Disney. Redford almost immediately entered discussion to direct the film. Attanasio was associated with Levinson. Levinson and Mark Johnson were attached as producers. More surprisingly, the product was developed for Richard Dreyfuss. It was in rewrites for most of the early 90's until the proper cast had been lined up. Attanasio based the script over a chapter in
a book by the actual Richard Goodwin.
Writers: Paul Attanasio. Who really, asides from a few episodes of Doctor, Doctor, didn't have any credits at this point. He's the brother of the guy from the Milwaukee Brewers and had worked as a film critic at the Washington Post in the late 80's.
I watched this on video several years ago, and found it unbelievably boring. I believed the script was good, though, because I kept coming across it in books about Screenwriting. Upon investigating further, this is definitely a solid effort if a bit formulaic and predictable. My favorite thing about the script is that it feels honest and it's not afraid to condemn all involved. van Doren is wrong to play the game, Goodwin is ridiculed for taking this case, and one really questions the sanity of Sempel. And the television studios are also made to seem fairly ridiculous. Blows are made all around, and that's a very worthwhile thing. Although, quite like Nixon, it's not particularly the crimes that are evil it's that these people are the first to have been discovered doing such things and set history on a less than dignified track.
But the problem is that, all of the characters are actually as we expect them. Obviously once we find out Sempel takes the fall, we know we'll get mad and get even. Van Doren is so lofty it's inevitable that eventually he'll have moral qualms. It's like Attanasio came to a crossroads: be true to the actual events or alter characters and make a story that was fun to follow. He chooses the former, and opts to make an archaic, predictable script with a framework where we really don't feel committed to the ride. And, when the script ends we don't really feel that the characters have changed. That's the problem with script show, and what I'd anticipate is that the actors behind this thing took the opportunity because the script was issue heavy and they felt the opportunity to pursue these deep roles was Oscar worthy.
While The Truman show condemned the power and untrustworthiness of the media, Quiz Show highlights the advent of television in the 1950's focuses on media's decision to highlight entertainment over enlightenment, which in turn dulls the value of everyone involved: either turning
the educational merits of Van Doren into novelty, the political career of Dick Goodwin into nothing more than a top-notch lawyer who investigates the trustworthiness of unimportant game shows, or the world of literature and high art which are being supplanted by silly television programs. I'm sure this was very scary for intellectuals in the 1950's (I'm thinking of Newton Minow's condemnatory "vast wasteland" speech of 1961) and it's even sure that as television became even more widespread in the early 1990's and the battle over what was appropriate raged, these fear were probably as scary as ever.
The Quiz Show is fun, and it's a breezy read. But ultimately, for me, it lacks real depth and as a result doesn't pique my interest.
Scooby Doo (Complete Crap)
Atilla (Poor, Few Redeeming Qualities)
Wedding Crashers (Mediocre)
Hot Rod (Good)
Definitely Maybe (Pretty Darn Good)
Isla Prospects: No real female roles here, so Isla wouldn't work.
What I Learned: I love learning about people's professions. As do most people. Scripts that offer us an inside view of somebody's profession (Quiz Show, every Michael Mann film) have an easier time getting a steady following from readers.
Script Link: This is all over Google
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