Quiz Lady

Matt Roush says...

Awkwafina and Sandra Oh are polar-opposite sisters in a charming, silly and sentimental comedy that finds its sweet spot in an obsession with TV game shows. (I can relate.) Playing somewhat against type, Awkwafina is the mousy, timid and bookish Anne, who’s dismayed when her frantic hot mess of a sister, Jenny (Oh in rare form), appears after their wayward and gambling-addicted mom goes missing. The sibs have been left deep in debt, and when Anne’s beloved dog Mr. Linguini is kidnapped and held for ransom, Jenny urges Anne to make good on her daily obsession with the fictional Can’t Stop the Quiz TV show and win the day—maybe also a fortune. Will Ferrell, who used to lovingly parody the late Alex Trebek on Saturday Night Live, plays the quiz show’s affable host, the bow-tied Terry McTeer, with Holland Taylor as Anne’s crabby neighbor, Jason Schwartzman as a smug contestant and a surprise celebrity cameo from a beloved star we lost earlier this year.

What's Worth Watching (Nov 3)