The Quiz Lady is about more than just a fictitious yet familiar game show. It’s a heartwarming comedy that feels just as sentimental as it is ridiculous at times. The film stars Awkwafina and Sandra Oh as estranged sisters that come counter to the typical roles the actresses are known for.
For Awkwafina, she plays Anne, the quiz show obsessed accountant who chose a boring life of stability after the turbulent life she had as a child. Her character felt really relatable to me as I know personally the consequences of feeling you have to suppress your dorky side in order to find some sense of stability in terms of a career and everyday mundanity.
Sandra Oh plays Jenny, a mess of an older sister who hasn’t figured out her place in life but spends the film transitioning towards being a life coach after being an aspiring actress.
The film isn’t afraid to make jokes about life coaching with Sandra Oh’s character, but the sincerity and positive intent behind this choice does trickle through despite being a decision made on a whim at a coffee shop.
Will Farrell plays the game show’s equivalent of Alex Trabek as a game host who is slightly more eccentric, but less ridiculous compared to his other roles.
Dumbfounded plays a debt collector who enters the film to cash in on what is owed to him by Anne and Jenny’s mother, who has run away from her senior care to continue her gambling ways in Macau.
To me, The Quiz Lady is a thematic continuation of the Asian-American sisterhood audiences saw in Joy Ride, but this time focuses more so on the complicated dynamics that can exist in families that lead to distant relationships. The film’s plot classically plays off of this to present not just a hilarious storyline but also one that challenges Anne and Jenny to embrace who they are not just as sisters but also individuals.
Catch The Quiz Lady on Hulu now.
(L-R): Jason Schwartzman as Ron Heacock and Awkwafina as Anne Yum in 20th Century Studios’ QUIZ LADY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by Michele K Short. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. 
(L-R): Sandra Oh as Jenny Yum and Awkwafina as Anne Yum in 20th Century Studios’ QUIZ LADY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by Michele K Short. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. 
(L-R): Awkwafina as Anne Yum and Sandra Oh as Jenny Yum in 20th Century Studios’ QUIZ LADY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by Michele K Short. ©2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. 
(L-R): Sandra Oh as Jenny Yum and Awkwafina as Anne Yum in 20th Century Studios’ QUIZ LADY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. 
Jason Schwartzman as Ron Heacock in 20th Century Studios’ QUIZ LADY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. 
Awkwafina as Anne Yum in 20th Century Studios’ QUIZ LADY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. 
Sandra Oh as Jenny Yum carrying Mr. Linguini (Crosbie Cookie) in 20th Century Studios’ QUIZ LADY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. 
Holland Taylor as Francine in 20th Century Studios’ QUIZ LADY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. 
Tony Hale as Ben Franklin in 20th Century Studios’ QUIZ LADY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. 
(L-R) Awkwafina as Anne Yum and Sandra Oh as Jenny Yum in 20th Century Studios’ QUIZ LADY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
