Films That Made a Splash Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tom Hanks

Hanks made his film debut with a minor role in the low-budget slasher movie "He Knows You're Alone" (1980). He gained a lead role in the television sitcom "Bosom Buddies" (1980-82) and appeared on "Happy Days" (1974-84) where he met the writers for "Splash" as well as Ron Howard, who directed the film. They entrusted him with his first cinematic lead role. The film was a significant financial success earning nearly $70 million at the box office and received a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Daryl Hannah first starred in "Summer Lovers" (1982) and she had a substantial role in "Blade Runner" (1982) although she is not listed as one of the stars.

Eugene Levy first starred in the comedy horror movie "Cannibal Girls" (1973) (I'm sure his mother was proud).

John Candy first starred in "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time" (1975).

Answer: An ultra-quiet propulsion system

The film posits that the Soviets have developed a practical quiet propulsion system called a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) or caterpillar drive to propel the submarine. These propulsion systems are a real thing. They use electrical currents to generate magnetic fields which accelerate charged fluids, such as water. The first working marine system was a ten foot long submarine, constructed in the US in 1966. The main advantage of these systems is reducing the wear and tear on moving parts that occurs with the use of propellers. However, the need for a large generator and the relatively low speeds produced have resulted in the lack of practical use. Japan developed the first full-size prototype ship using MHD in 1991.

The film was the first in an extensive series using the Jack Ryan character, in both film and television. It was very successful and critically well regarded, earning over $200 million at the box office and gaining an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A Russian submarine captain with a Scottish accent isn't accurate but when you're watching Connery, who cares?

Answer: Elliott Gould

Because their proposed heist appears outlandish, Ocean and Ryan know that funding the heist will be difficult. They turn to Reuben Tishkoff, a former casino owner played by Gould, because he was cheated by the owner of the casinos they plan to rob so he might want revenge. The film was immediately very popular. It had a larger opening weekend than any Brad Pitt or Julia Roberts film at the time. It grossed over $450 million worldwide and spawned three sequels.

Gould played "Trapper John" McIntyre in the film version of "M*A*S*H" while Sutherland and Duvall played two of the other surgeons in the film. Alan Alda was in the television version.

Answer: Surfing

When Willard asks for help to perform his mission, Kilgore is initially uncooperative. He becomes more interested after discovering that a crewman with Willard is a well-known surfer. Kilgore is an avid surfer himself and agrees to escort them through the Nùng river's Viet Cong-held coastal mouth. This leads to some of the classic scenes in the film, including some surfing. Surfing was an actual activity of some American soldiers during the war, to occupy their time.

The film had a myriad of production issues and took more than double its scheduled time and budget to complete. It had a mixed start with audiences and critics but eventually achieved a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was voted a top 30 film of all time on the American Film Institute's surveys in 1998 and 2007.

Answer: Guillermo del Toro

The plot involves a woman who works as a custodian at a high-security government facility who falls in love with a captured creature and decides to help him. The film was nominated for thirteen awards at the Oscars and won four, including Best Picture and Best Director. Guillermo del Toro made his directorial debut with the Spanish-language "Cronos" (1993) and has made both Spanish and English language films since then.

Each of the other directors listed above directed two Oscar-winning Best Pictures: Cuarón directed "Gravity" (2013) and "Roma" (2018), Iñárritu directed "Birdman" (2014) and "The Revenant" (2015), and Lee directed "Brokeback Mountain" (2005) and "Life of Pi" (2012).

Answer: Tim Robbins

Despite appearing in many feature films, including "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994), Robbins' first Oscar nomination for acting was for "Mystic River". He has also directed several films and received an Oscar nomination for directing "Dead Man Walking" (1995). "Mystic River" was nominated for six Oscars and won two with Penn winning the other Oscar which was for Best Actor. Bacon and Fishburne played the other lead male roles in the movie.

Answer: Reese Witherspoon

After the bank forecloses on the family home and in the midst of the Great Depression, Jacob jumps onto a passing circus train. Because of his veterinary knowledge, he is hired by the ringmaster who turns out to be an abusive and controlling person. The film received mixed reviews but was successful at the box office grossing over $115 million worldwide.

Reese Witherspoon gained wide recognition for playing Elle Woods in the comedy "Legally Blonde" (2001) and its sequel, "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" (2003). She won the Oscar for Best Actress for portraying June Carter Cash in the musical biopic "Walk the Line" (2005). She is now considered extremely influential, as evidenced by "Time" magazine naming her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2006 and 2015.

Answer: Geoffrey Rush

Ten years before the events of the first film in the franchise, "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003), Barbossa is said to have led a mutiny against Jack Sparrow and marooned him on an uncharted island leading to their antagonistic relationship. "The Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise was highly successful at the box office earning over $4.5 billion worldwide.

Geoffrey Rush is an acclaimed actor and is one of only 24 people, as of 2023, who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Tony Award. He won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in "Shine" (1996). He has thus far received acting nominations from the Academy for his roles in "Shakespeare in Love" (1998), "Quills" (2000) and "The King's Speech" (2010).

The other three listed actors were also in "The Pirates of the Caribbean": Bill Nighy played Davy Jones, Stellan Skarsgård played Bootstrap Bill Turner and Jack Davenport played James Norrington.

Answer: Fly fishing

In the film, the Maclean brothers grow up in Montana and their father is a Presbyterian minister, from whom they learn a love of fly fishing for trout in the Blackfoot River. The river and the process of fly fishing permeate the story in metaphorical and symbolic ways.

The film is based on the 1976, semi-autobiographical novella of the same name by Norman Maclean. It was nominated for three Oscars and won for Best Cinematography.

Answer: Robert Duvall

"Jaws" was directed by Steven Spielberg and was based on the 1974 novel of the same name by Peter Benchley. It stars Roy Scheider as a police chief, Richard Dreyfuss as a marine biologist and Robert Shaw as a professional shark hunter who hunt down a man-eating great white shark that attacks beachgoers at a summer resort town.

It was shot mostly on location at Martha's Vineyard, an island off the coast in Massachusetts. Regarded as a "watershed" moment in motion picture history, "Jaws" became the prototypical summer blockbuster.

It also won several awards for its music and editing.