THE REWATCHABLES · October 20, 2025
A 1994 mystery / drama movie directed by Robert Redford—and decision no. 78 in the Hanks–Cruise tape.
ON THIS EPISODE
FROM THE CONVERSATION
WHY IT WORKS
WHAT DID NOT WORK
SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO
Used to establish Goodwin’s outsider status, class aspiration, and the film’s period texture.
About 32 minA key rewatchable sequence that introduces the show’s mechanics and Stemple’s volatility.
About 32 minThe cat-and-mouse exchange where Goodwin and NBC test Van Doren’s honesty.
About 32 minA celebrated quiet scene of class, inheritance, and intimacy between Charles and his father.
About 16 minThe moment on the recorded episode when a clue reveals the fraud.
About 1:12A suspenseful stretch where the scandal becomes inevitable and the lie deepens.
About 40 minA major emotional scene where the truth reaches the family and Scofield escalates.
About 56 minWHERE THEY DISAGREED
Bill SimmonsQuiz Show and Shawshank/Pulp Fiction were all worthy; Shawshank probably should have won screenplay.
Brian KoppelmanPulp Fiction or Shawshank should have won a lot of the awards; Quiz Show belonged in the conversation.
Bill SimmonsIt is distracting and a real problem for him.
Brian KoppelmanThe accent is rough, but the performance is unfairly maligned and still works.
Bill SimmonsLeans toward Stemple’s first scene and the show/montage stretch.
Brian KoppelmanPrefers the almost-friends run and the Connecticut seduction sequence.
Bill SimmonsThe smart move would have been to refuse the question and call out the setup.
Brian KoppelmanThe movie makes you wonder if you would have done the same under pressure.
Calls it his most rewatched film after the obvious all-time favorites and says he’s grateful to discuss it.
Opening minutesSays the movie makes him feel good because it captures flawed people trying to transcend themselves.
About 8 minArgues the script is one of the best modern screenplays and a model of efficiency and scene purpose.
About 8 minSees Goodwin as a believable outsider who thinks others are better than him until he realizes they are just people.
About 16 minCalls the father-son chocolate cake scene one of his favorite movie scenes ever.
About 16 minFrames Redford as a great director whose casting choices and instincts make the film work.
About 16 minMarvels at Scofield’s stage pedigree and how remarkable he is in the father role.
About 16 minThinks Morrow is excellent and should have become a much bigger movie star, despite the accent joke.
About 32 minSays the film seduces the audience through the relationship as Goodwin and Van Doren nearly become friends.
About 40 minArgues the movie’s core idea has aged well because reality TV is now openly manipulated.
About 48 minThe hosts frame the scandal as an early warning about television shaping reality and public belief.
Opening minutesThe movie is praised as a story of a smart outsider entering an elite WASP world and feeling seduced by it.
About 8 minBoth the contestants and the network people are described as rationalizing bad behavior while preserving a sense of self.
About 32 minThey present the film as a portrait of a country moving from idealism toward cynicism.
Opening minutesRedford wanted Paul Scofield so badly that the team reportedly found him during a silent retreat by contacting a lighthouse.
About 24 min · medium confidenceThe movie was released in September 1994 amid Pulp Fiction and Shawshank.
Opening minutesRoger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars and praised the screenplay’s moral focus.
About 40 minThe hosts say 21 had huge ratings and later cite a revival hosted by Maury Povich.
About 1:04Van Doren’s dad quote about spotting the sucker is connected to Rounders.
About 1:04Rob Morrow hosted Saturday Night Live with Nirvana during Northern Exposure era.
About 1:20Used as one of Bill’s core rewatchable classics.
Opening minutesAnother all-time rewatchable benchmark in Bill’s personal list.
Opening minutesBill’s personal core classics list included Stripes and The Princess Bride rather than this title, but the transcript mentions his general rewatch stack.
Opening minutesUsed as part of the crowded 1994 awards field and remembered as a theatrical experience.
Opening minutesDiscussed as the other major 1994 film that overshadowed Quiz Show.
Opening minutesThe 1994 Oscar winner that beat Quiz Show and Shawshank in several categories.
About 40 minCited as another Paul Attanasio script with outsider-seduced-by-a-world themes.
About 16 minUsed as a comparison point for the elite closed-society theme.
About 16 minReferenced as a source of the 'if you can’t spot the sucker' line.
About 1:04Used as a comparison for awards and for a double-feature idea.
About 48 minMentioned as another Redford film and evidence of his casting power.
About 16 minCited as one of Redford’s earlier directorial successes in his renaissance.
About 16 minMentioned as Redford’s earlier apex as a director and Best Picture winner.
About 16 minCraig uses it as a comparison point for inward-looking industry films.
About 1:12Another industry self-scrutiny reference in Craig’s closing comments.
About 1:12The hosts repeatedly joke about how directors and movie stars are casually called Bob or Marty.
About 32 minBill keeps returning to Morrow’s Boston accent as a running joke and critique.
Opening minutesThey repeatedly celebrate cast members as 'that guy' types and imagine special awards for them.
About 1:04They riff on the chocolate cake and Geritol as if they were award-worthy props/brands.
About 16 minThe hosts repeatedly place cast members at their career peaks, especially Rob Morrow and Ralph Fiennes.
About 1:20“The truth is, television is going to get us.”Opening minutes
“Everyone wants to think the best of you.”About 8 min
“I sell Geritol, you think I don’t know?”About 24 min
“They gave you the answers? You got the answers.”About 56 min
“If you can't spot the sucker”About 1:04
MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Three movies to watch before Quiz Show, and three to watch next.
ON THE MIC
Bill Simmons125 tracked appearances · 56 H / 64 C / 5 tiesCATEGORY CONTEXT
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