The infamous Twenty-One scandal of 1956 rocked the nation when viewers across the nation learned that the charming, All-American contestant Charles Van Doren was a fraud. Now we wonder how audiences could *not* have known this. Kind of like how hard it is to believe audiences were too naïve to realize George Michaels was gay.
He makes Tinker Bell look manly.
Game shows were so new that no rules governed what studios could and could not do with their audience. Back then we were, quite frankly, naïve fools. TV was new, celebrities were new, and it was unknown that, when combined, the two lead to a total takeover of one’s own dickish nature.
Robert Redford’s 1994 historical drama chronicles the scandal. And while it does stray from facts, it is a very enjoyable film. Redford – famous for his cinematography – recreates the fifties with a glamorized charm. He approaches the story as a detective story; he lets viewers piece together the pieces as the story unfolds. Which I imagine to have been a surprisingly daunting task, since anyone who has heard of the story know what happened and who is to blame.
Ralph Fiennes plays prettyboy Charles Van Doren, college professor who begins the story as a victim, then willingly succumbs to the spoils of fame and fortune. We do not blame him, we do not hate, we feel pity for him. For, while we see his fate far down the path, he does not.
John Turturro plays Herbie Stempel; a man as dorky as his name. Turturro does a magnificent job of showcasing everything we love and hate about nerds; even the 1950’s McFly-brand.
Topping it off are an abundance of fine character actors and two very enjoyable hours.
9/10 – Superb Entertainment
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