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Quiz Lady
Quiz Lady
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Quiz Lady
Release poster
Directed byJessica Yu
Written byJen D'Angelo
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAdrian Peng Correia
Edited by
Music byNick Urata
Production
company
Distributed by20th Century Studios
Hulu
Release dates
  • September 9, 2023 (2023-09-09) (TIFF)
  • November 3, 2023 (2023-11-03) (United States)
Running time
99 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$23.8 million[2]

Quiz Lady is a 2023 American comedy film directed by Jessica Yu and written by Jen D'Angelo. The film stars Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, Tony Hale, Jon "Dumbfoundead" Park, and Will Ferrell. Ferrell, Awkwafina, and Oh also served as the film's producers, along with Jessica Elbaum, Maggie Haskins, Itay Reiss, and D'Angelo.

Quiz Lady premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2023, and was released by 20th Century Studios via Hulu in the United States on November 3, 2023, to positive reviews. It earned the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.

Plot

[edit]

As a child growing up in Greater Pittsburgh,[3] Anne Yum finds comfort in the TV game show Can't Stop the Quiz to escape her stressful family; her father leaves them, her mother is a gambling addict, and her older sister Jenny abandons Anne and their dog, Mr. Linguini, to pursue dreams of fame. Years later, a tightly wound Anne lives alone with Mr. Linguini and feels invisible at work but still watches Can't Stop the Quiz every night.

Learning that her mother has escaped her nursing home and fled to Macau, Anne reunites with the reckless, chaotic Jenny. Unemployed and living in her car, Jenny comes to stay with Anne and claims to have won a lucrative lawsuit against a restaurant chain after choking on a fish bone. While watching Can't Stop the Quiz, Jenny secretly records Anne answering every question at remarkable speed, and the video goes viral, much to Anne's horror. She is tracked down by Ken, a loan shark who has kidnapped Mr. Linguini and demands that Anne pay off her mother's $80,000 debt.

Jenny encourages Anne — whose video gained the attention of the Can't Stop the Quiz casting directors — to go on the show and win enough money to get Mr. Linguini back. Anne refuses, but Jenny kidnaps her and drives her to Philadelphia to audition for the show, admitting on the way that she lied about winning the lawsuit. Jenny dislocates her wrist at a bar. Waiting at the hospital, they reminisce about the childhood summer they spent with their cousins in Burbank, who didn't like them and never invited them back. Anne reveals that she felt too uncomfortable and unwelcome to use the cousins' bathroom, leading her to defecate in a hole in the backyard.

At the audition, Jenny calms a nervous Anne with drugs that are soon revealed to be hallucinogens. After taking a different drug to counteract the others, Anne does well, impressing the crowd and the producers. Jenny reveals that she lied about lying about the lawsuit, and really does have a large settlement coming; this was all part of her plan to become a self-described life coach, knowing Anne would not have tried out for the show otherwise. An angry Anne lashes out at Jenny, who reveals that their cousins discovered the hole in the backyard, but Jenny willingly took the blame.

Anne returns home and bonds with her cantankerous neighbor Francine, who urges her not to worry about getting people to like her. Invited to compete on Can't Stop the Quiz, Anne finally stands up to her obnoxious coworkers and decides to go on the show with Francine as her partner. Meanwhile, Jenny tries to negotiate with Ken, discovering that he and his gang are running a struggling animal shelter, and she steals Mr. Linguini back.

Traveling to Los Angeles with Francine to film the show, Anne meets her idol, host Terry McTeer, and maintains her disdain for Ron, the show's obsequious long-running champion. Anne is too used to answering questions at home with her dog at her side and finishes the first round in a distant second place to Ron. Jenny arrives with Mr. Linguini, and the sisters reconcile as she convinces Anne to finish the game. She also forces the producers to let Mr. Linguini join Anne, who catches up to Ron in the second round.

During a commercial break, an anxious Anne is comforted by Terry. When the third round is chosen to be a game of charades, Anne switches partners to play with Jenny instead, and they share a heartfelt moment on the winning word, as Anne admits that Jenny is her hero. Anne wins, while Ron has an on-camera meltdown until he is told off by Terry. The sisters arrange for Francine to meet Paul Reubens, her celebrity crush, whom she thinks is Alan Cumming.

Anne goes on to win a record-breaking 93 consecutive games and is hired as a writer on the show. Jenny receives her obscenely large check from the lawsuit, paying off their mother's debt and buying a Malibu mansion where Anne, Jenny, and Mr. Linguini live together.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

In October 2020, it was announced that an untitled comedy film was in development at Netflix, with Jen D'Angelo writing the screenplay, and Sandra Oh and Awkwafina starring.[5] In December 2021, Netflix reportedly left the film, and the rights were acquired by 20th Century Studios. Jessica Yu was also set to direct.[6] Will Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum were to produce the film under their Gloria Sanchez Productions banner with Artists First; Alex Brown served as an executive producer. Sarah Shepard oversaw the film for 20th Century.

Principal photography began on June 7, 2022, and was expected to last until July 22 of that year, with filming taking place in Los Angeles and New Orleans.[7] By the beginning of production, Holland Taylor, Jason Schwartzman, Tony Hale, and Ferrell were revealed to star in the film.[8] On September 9, 2023, it was revealed that actor Paul Reubens (who died on July 30, 2023) would posthumously appear as himself in a cameo.[4]

Music

[edit]

Release

[edit]

In June 2022, the film was reported to be scheduled for release by 20th Century Studios as a Hulu original film in the United States, It premiered on Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in other territories the same day.[8][9] In July 2023, the film's title was revealed to be Quiz Lady, with a release date of November 3, 2023.[10] The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2023.[11][1]

Reception

[edit]

Audience viewership

[edit]

According to Whip Media's viewership tracking app TV Time, which tracks viewership data for the more than 25 million worldwide users of its app, Quiz Lady was the fourth-most streamed movie in the U.S. during the week of November 3,[12] and the fifth during the week of November 13, 2023.[13]

Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 92 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Quiz Lady's perfectly matched leads help Jessica Yu's occasionally uneven comedy overcome its periodic wobbles and land on the right side of hilarious and heartfelt."[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[15]

Accolades

[edit]

The film received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie, marking Oh's 14th Emmy nomination and her first win.[16]

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2024
Astra TV Awards Best TV Movie Quiz Lady Nominated [17]
Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie Awkwafina Nominated
Sandra Oh Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie Jason Schwartzman Nominated
Best Directing in a Limited Series or TV Movie Jessica Yu Nominated
Best Writing in a Limited Series or TV Movie Jen D'Angelo Nominated
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Movie Made for Television Quiz Lady Won [18][19]
NAMIC Vision Awards Original Movie or Special Nominated [20]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Television Movie Alex Brown, Erika Hampson, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum,
Maggie Haskins, Itay Reiss, Jen D'Angelo, Awkwafina, and Sandra Oh
Won [21]
Producers Guild of America Awards Outstanding Producer of Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures Quiz Lady Nominated [22]
The ReFrame Stamp Feature Won [23]
Writers Guild of America Awards TV & New Media Motion Pictures Jen D'Angelo Won [24]
2025
Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Film, First Released for Television or Streaming Nicole Abellera Hallman, Jeanne McCarthy, Erica Johnson, Ryan Glorioso, Justin Coulter Nominated [25]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Quiz Lady is a 2023 American buddy comedy film directed by and written by Jen D'Angelo. The story centers on (), a brilliant but socially awkward young woman obsessed with the fictional Can't Stop the Quiz, and her estranged Jenny (), a chaotic free spirit, who reunite to cover their mother's substantial debts after 's beloved is kidnapped by a loan shark. The sisters embark on a frantic cross-country , entering in high-stakes quiz competitions to win the needed cash and rescue the pet, blending humor with themes of family reconciliation and personal growth. The film premiered on on November 3, 2023, and runs for 99 minutes. The supporting cast includes as a quirky contestant, as the sisters' sharp-tongued mother, as a sympathetic , and in a cameo as the host of Can't Stop the Quiz. Production was handled by , with taking place in , , and New Orleans, , standing in for various U.S. locations. Key producers include , , and the film's lead actresses and , alongside Jen D'Angelo and others. , an Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker making her narrative feature debut, emphasized the sisters' dynamic. Upon release, Quiz Lady received generally positive reviews from critics, earning an 83% approval rating on based on 92 reviews, with praise for the chemistry between and and its heartfelt take on sibling bonds. The critics' consensus notes that the film's "perfectly matched leads help Jessica Yu's occasionally uneven comedy overcome its periodic wobbles and land on the right side of hilarious and heartfelt." It also holds a 6.7/10 average rating on from over 24,000 users. The film won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie in 2024. The movie was rated R for language and some drug material.

Synopsis and Cast

Plot

Quiz Lady follows Anne, a meticulous and socially isolated in her thirties whose life revolves around her obsession with the fictional Can't Stop the Quiz, which she has watched religiously since childhood as a form of from her troubled history. Growing up in a dysfunctional household marked by her parents' , her father's early , and her mother's chronic , Anne has built a rigid routine centered on her job and her beloved , Mr. Linguini, to avoid the chaos of her past. Her estranged older sister, Jenny, a nomadic and impulsive former aspiring actress who left home years ago to escape their mother's neglect, reenters her life abruptly when their mother, Crystal, abandons her and flees to with a boyfriend, leaving behind an $80,000 debt to local bookies. This debt, accrued through Crystal's compulsive betting, underscores the film's exploration of 's devastating impact on bonds, forcing the sisters to confront their shared history of abandonment and resentment. The crisis escalates when Jenny, in a misguided attempt to help, films Anne flawlessly answering Can't Stop the Quiz questions at home and posts it online, where it goes viral and catches the attention of the bookie, Ken, who responds by kidnapping Mr. Linguini as leverage to collect the debt. Motivated by desperation to save her dog—the one stable element in her life—Anne agrees to Jenny's impulsive plan: enter the game show in , win the grand prize of $, and pay off the debt. This sets off a comedic from Washington, D.C., to the audition site, during which the sisters' clashing personalities—Anne's need for control versus Jenny's chaotic spontaneity—lead to tense arguments revealing deep-seated motivations. Flashbacks illustrate their childhood dynamics, including Jenny's secret sacrifice of shielding Anne from embarrassment during a humiliating incident, highlighting themes of unspoken sisterly amid dysfunction. Along the way, they encounter quirky characters, such as the eccentric proprietor of a Ben Franklin-themed inn who insists on staying in character, adding levity and forcing Anne to step outside her . Through these misadventures, Jenny begins to reveal her own vulnerabilities, transitioning from a self-destructive wanderer seeking redemption to a protective , while Anne starts to embrace unpredictability, fostering their gradual . Upon arriving in , Anne auditions successfully despite anxiety-fueled mishaps, like accidentally getting high on Jenny's medication, and advances to the main competition against the smug reigning champion, Ron, known for his long . The game show itself serves as a for , with its high-stakes rounds testing not just but emotional resilience; Anne excels in the factual questions drawn from her encyclopedic but struggles with the interactive segment, symbolizing her difficulty with interpersonal chaos. Jenny, barred from the studio initially, sneaks in after rescuing Mr. Linguini from the bookies in a daring confrontation, and replaces Anne's original partner to assist in the , using their rekindled bond to intuitively decode clues. In the climactic final round, facing elimination questions tied to personal family , Anne draws strength from memories of her and , ultimately defeating Ron and securing the championship with a record streak. The victory provides financial closure by repaying the debt and retrieving Mr. Linguini, but more profoundly, it catalyzes emotional redemption: Jenny apologizes for past absences, Anne forgives her, and they achieve a healed sisterhood, transforming their legacy of dysfunction into one of mutual support. Post-win, Anne pursues a writing for the show, while Jenny channels her energy into stability, illustrating the film's theme that game shows, like , offer paths to confronting and overcoming personal demons.

Cast

The film stars as Anne Yum, the uptight, quiz-obsessed protagonist who works a mundane CPA job and harbors a deep passion for the game show Can't Stop the Quiz. portrays Jenny Yum, Anne's estranged older sister, depicted as a chaotic, free-spirited and eccentric figure whose energetic personality contrasts sharply with Anne's rigidity. Supporting roles include as Terry McTeer, the affable host of Can't Stop the Quiz, bringing a charismatic presence to the game show environment. plays Ron Heacock, a self-involved contestant with a long winning streak who serves as Anne's rival on the show. appears as Francine, Anne's grumpy and intrusive neighbor who adds layers of comedic tension through her interactions. Additional ensemble members feature as Ben Franklin, the quirky receptionist at a Benjamin Franklin-themed , contributing oddball humor to key scenes. Jon "Dumbfoundead" Park portrays Ken, a character who injects streetwise into the narrative. The diverse cast, blending Asian American leads with a mix of comedic talents, enhances the film's humorous exploration of family bonds and sibling reconciliation.

Production

Development

In October 2020, Netflix acquired Jen D'Angelo's original screenplay for an untitled comedy project, with Awkwafina and Sandra Oh attached to star as estranged sisters competing on a game show to resolve family debts. By December 2021, Netflix had exited the project following the expiration of its licensing agreement, prompting 20th Century Studios to acquire the rights and retitle the film Quiz Lady for distribution on Hulu. Awkwafina remained attached as the lead actress and a producer, while Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jessica Yu was hired to direct, marking her narrative feature directorial debut in the comedy genre after a career in documentaries and television. The production carried a budget of $23.8 million. D'Angelo drew from her personal family experiences to craft the script, infusing it with themes of Asian-American sibling dynamics, parental pressures, and the absurdity of culture as a for high-stakes . During , Yu, , , and Oh collaborated on revisions in to deepen the cultural specificity and emotional authenticity of the family portrayal.

Principal photography

Principal photography for Quiz Lady commenced on June 7, 2022, and wrapped on July 22, 2022, encompassing roughly six weeks of shooting. The production filmed primarily in , , to capture urban environments and interior sequences, including the construction of the game's show set, while New Orleans, , served as the key location for the portions, lending a distinctive Southern vibe to those scenes. The script's narrative directly shaped the selection of New Orleans for its exterior authenticity. A purpose-built studio in Los Angeles housed the set for the fictional game show Can't Stop the Quiz, designed by production designer Jeff Mann with influences from The Price Is Right to create a zany, vibrant aesthetic evoking an Oz-like wonderland through bold colors and dynamic lighting. Practical effects were integral to the quiz show scenes, merging Jeopardy!-style trivia questions with improvisational charades elements that encouraged on-set spontaneity from the cast. Filming navigated logistical hurdles inherent to multi-location shoots, including coordinating exterior work in New Orleans amid variable weather, while maintaining precise comedic timing across both controlled studio environments and on-location exteriors. Following editing, the film achieved a final runtime of 99 minutes.

Music

Original score

The original score for Quiz Lady was composed by Nick Urata, who previously scored (2006). Urata's score for Quiz Lady adopts an upbeat and energetic style, featuring an eclectic fusion of orchestral swells, percussive rhythms—including South American and orchestral percussion for character-specific themes—and game show-inspired motifs that punctuate the film's blend of humor and tension. Notable tracks include "Can't Stop the Quiz," which drives the high-energy sequences with its pulsating, motif-heavy structure; "Jenny's Theme," providing emotional depth through intimate orchestral lines for moments of vulnerability and bonding; and shorter comedic stings like "All the Answers" that deliver sharp, playful accents to absurd situations. Composed and orchestrated in 2023 following , the score integrates diegetic elements from the fictional "Can't Stop the Quiz," blending them seamlessly with non-diegetic music to heighten the narrative's sense of through .

Soundtrack album

The soundtrack album for Quiz Lady, titled Quiz Lady (Original Soundtrack), features the film's original score composed by Nick Urata and was released digitally by on November 3, 2023, coinciding with the movie's premiere on . The 23-track runs approximately 35 minutes and is available for streaming and download on major platforms including , , and , with an emphasis on to reach fans of comedic films.

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1Can't Stop the Quiz0:44
2Jenny's Theme1:43
3All the Answers1:04
4Jenny's Ideas1:10
5The Quiz Lady Is Born2:44
6Who's Called Ken Anymore?2:48
7You Are Not Marybeth1:13
8Poop Story1:43
9It's Just an Audition0:44
10Because I Want Some0:51
11Anne's First Audition1:13
12You Crushed It1:15
13Ken's Den1:52
140:41
15Ron and Terry0:57
16Gametime2:18
17Mr. Linguini1:59
18Wisdom from Terry2:12
19The Final Showdown2:39
20Hero0:58
21Not Alan Cummings1:27
22Sisters0:58
23We Got It – Meilee1:42

Release

Premiere

Quiz Lady had its world premiere on September 9, 2023, at the (TIFF) in the Special Presentations program. Director attended the screening, where she read a message from star , who was unable to appear due to the ongoing strike; co-star was also absent for the same reason. The event featured a with limited celebrity presence amid the labor action, but it generated early promotional buzz for the film's comedic take on family dynamics. The festival screening received positive initial reception, with critics praising the humor and the lead performances by and as estranged sisters navigating a scheme. Reviews highlighted the film's delightful and heartfelt moments, noting the strong chemistry between the duo and the satirical elements of its . This buzz positioned Quiz Lady as a crowd-pleasing entry in TIFF's lineup, emphasizing its blend of laughs and emotional depth. Promotional activities around the premiere included interviews with director , who discussed the film's themes of Asian-American sisterhood and the script's appeal. Hulu released first-look images in July 2023 and an official trailer on , just before the debut, spotlighting the sister duo's antics and the game's high-stakes parody. These efforts built anticipation for the comedy's streaming release later that year.

Distribution and home media

Quiz Lady was released as a Hulu original film on November 3, 2023, distributed by . The streaming debut emphasized the film's direct-to-platform strategy, bypassing a wide theatrical rollout in favor of immediate accessibility to subscribers. Internationally, the film became available on Disney+ in select markets and on Star+ in beginning in late 2023. This rollout expanded its reach through Disney's global streaming ecosystem shortly after the U.S. premiere. Marketing efforts centered on promotions that leaned into the film's theme, including interactive Instagram Stories featuring trivia parodies of the in-story program Can't Stop the Quiz. Additional campaigns on and incorporated cast memes, countdown graphics, and trend-based content to build anticipation for the streaming launch. The screening earlier that year helped generate initial buzz leading into the release. For home media, Quiz Lady is available for digital rental and purchase on video-on-demand platforms such as and Apple TV, allowing viewers to access the film outside of subscription streaming services.

Reception

Viewership

Upon its release on Hulu on November 3, 2023, Quiz Lady quickly garnered significant audience attention in the United States, ranking as one of the top streamed films. According to data from Whip Media's TV Time app, which tracks viewing habits among over 25 million global users, the film placed fourth among all streaming movies across platforms for the week ending November 5, 2023. It sustained strong performance the following week, ranking fifth for the period ending November 12, 2023. The film's viewership was concentrated in , reflecting Hulu's primary market, with initial engagement highlighting its appeal as a lighthearted . While exact global streaming figures are not publicly detailed, the U.S.-focused rankings underscore its solid debut within the competitive streaming landscape. Quiz Lady resonated particularly with family audiences through its exploration of sibling reconciliation and parental challenges, contributing to Hulu's success in the . It also drew Asian-American viewers, who connected with its nuanced depiction of immigrant family dynamics and cultural humor. Into 2024, the film continued availability on and international platforms like Disney+, following its Emmy recognition.

Critical reception

Quiz Lady received generally positive reviews from critics, earning an 83% approval rating on based on 92 reviews, with an average score of 6.4/10. On , the film holds a score of 59 out of 100, indicating mixed reviews from 12 critics. The critics' consensus states: "Quiz Lady's perfectly matched leads help Jessica Yu's occasionally uneven comedy overcome its periodic wobbles and land on the right side of hilarious and heartfelt." Critics widely commended the chemistry between and , highlighting their portrayal of estranged sisters as a highlight that drives the 's humor and emotional depth. The of culture and the heartfelt exploration of drama were also noted as strengths, with Marya E. Gates of describing it as reminiscent of '90s buddy comedies like , blending zany physical humor with earnest sibling reconciliation. Variety's emphasized the 's effective balance of comedy and sincerity, crediting the leads for making the quiz-show scheme a vehicle for familial bonding. However, some reviewers criticized the uneven pacing and predictable plot elements, with The Guardian's Cath Clarke calling it a "ho-hum road trip comedy" that offers only brief moments of hilarity amid formulaic tropes. The film was appreciated for its Asian-led comedy that subverts , portraying flawed immigrant family dynamics without relying on clichés, as noted in reviews that praised its representation of Asian American experiences. Some critics observed that the supporting cast, including and , felt underutilized despite their capable performances in brief roles. Despite the mixed critical response, the film's viewership success on suggested broader audience appeal.

Accolades

Quiz Lady received significant industry recognition following its release, particularly for its comedic storytelling and performances. The film won the for Outstanding Television Movie at the 76th in 2024, with producers including and accepting the honor at the Creative Arts ceremony. This victory marked 's first Emmy after 14 prior nominations and highlighted the film's success as a original in the television movie category. At the in 2024, Quiz Lady won Best Movie Made for Television, further affirming its standing among top limited series and TV films. The film also garnered multiple nominations at the 4th Astra TV Awards in 2024, including for Best TV Movie; Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie for both and ; Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie for ; Best Writing in a Limited Series or TV Movie for Jen D'Angelo; and Best Directing in a Limited Series or TV Movie for . Although the Astra ceremony was ultimately postponed, these nods underscored the contributions across the production. The critical praise for the lead performances influenced several of these acting recognitions.
AwardCategoryResultNominee(s)
(2024)Outstanding Television MovieWonQuiz Lady (producers: , , et al.)
Critics' Choice Awards (2024)Best Movie Made for TelevisionWonQuiz Lady
Astra TV Awards (2024)Best TV MovieNominatedQuiz Lady
Astra TV Awards (2024)Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV MovieNominated;
Astra TV Awards (2024)Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV MovieNominated
Astra TV Awards (2024)Best Writing in a Limited Series or TV MovieNominatedJen D'Angelo
Astra TV Awards (2024)Best Directing in a Limited Series or TV MovieNominated
These accolades elevated Quiz Lady's legacy, demonstrating Hulu's strength in producing award-worthy original content and celebrating Asian American-led comedy.

References

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