Quiz Show

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Fine movie, intelligent script. The movie speaks quiet volumes about TV, ethnic groups in New York City, what it meant to be an intellectual, what it meant to tell the truth and why people cheat. Paul Scofield turns in a mostly-unhearalded but wonderful performance as Mark Van Doren, a poet and professor whose son gained noteriety during the quiz show scandal of the late '50s.

A few words about accents: Ralph Fiennes and Paul Scofield, both fine British actors, speak in fine, educated, "upper class" American accents. Rob Morrow gives a great "Bahstahn" accent technically, but tries too hard. Fiennes and Scofield were completely natural. He should have learned stuff from them about natural delivery.

The cast is great. Redford made only one misstep---casting director Barry Levinson as Dave Garroway. Levinson was completely the wrong physical and psychological type for Garroway. But the actor who played Jack Barry was errily on-target.