Who won the movie
Robert Redford
Roger Ebert
Just one Oscar
Paul Attanasio’s screenplay
Cruise or Hanks
Tom Hanks
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award · 59:52
Bill Simmons: Rob Morrow should have become one of the world’s biggest movie stars after this performance.
Bill Simmons: Had the film opened in 1995, it could have beaten Braveheart for Picture and Director.
The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson · 1:28:07
Bill Simmons: The TV executive’s warning that speculation becomes fact was one choice.
Selected cast credits · Film reference
In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.
No consensus: Van Doren–Stempel game/montage; Goodwin–Van Doren friendship/Connecticut
The chocolate cake
1994 Martin Scorsese
The class world, father–son relationship, rigged-reality prescience, character actors, and enduring craft all drew praise.
The opening NBC/quiz-show camera movement and editing
Charles Van Doren
Herb Stempel
Morrow’s accent, Geritol’s claims, damage to quiz shows, and altered history
Rob Morrow should have become a movie star; releasing a year later might have won Best Picture and Director
Redford’s Van Doren search, Paul Newman declining Mark Van Doren, and an uncertain Soderbergh/Tim Robbins path
John Turturro as Herb Stempel
Young Russell Crowe as Dick Goodwin
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
Research covered Van Doren’s roadster, the original and revived 21, and Barry and Enright’s later careers.
Quiz-show movies: yes
The hosts split: Spielberg, Scorsese, and Curtis Hanson were each named.
Charles Van Doren
Prize-money structure, the Reuben claim, and insufficient period smoking
A prestige series about broader 1950s television corruption was considered possible but not especially desired.
Teddy KGB as Herb Stempel
Paul Attanasio’s screenplay
Geritol, Van Doren’s alternative life, 21 today, and accepting supplied answers
The Mark Van Doren painting and silverware box
The hosts split between “speculation becomes fact” and “not till you have a kid of your own.”
