In Character Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Devil Wears Prada

While Ms. Streep did play a role in all of the films listed above, she was Miranda Priestly, who ruled the world of high fashion with iron fists and a nasty temperament in "The Devil Wears Prada". The 2006 film was based on the book by Lauren Weisberger, published in 2003. Anne Hathaway played Andy Sachs, Miranda's new overworked and overburdened 'second' assistant, fresh out of journalism school.

The movie's tagline was, "Meet Andy Sachs. A million girls would kill to have her job. She's not one of them." I believe Meryl Streep could play any role convincingly!

Answer: Rio Bravo

Howard Hawkes directed "Rio Bravo" in 1959. This Western starred John Wayne as John T. Chance, the sheriff of a small town, who arrests a bad guy and knows the evil-doer's brother will be along soon to break him out. He enlists the aid of a cripple (Walter Brennan), a drunk (Dean Martin) and a young gunfighter (Ricky Nelson) to help him until the Marshall can arrive. All this, while trying not to fall for Feathers, played by Angie Dickinson. Oh, and Dean and Ricky sing too!

Answer: Glenn Close

Was there ever a scarier female 'nutcase' than Alex Forrest? She was remarkably portrayed by Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction", a cautionary tale for men who decide to go off and have a casual, extra-marital fling. Michael Douglas played the not so faithful husband who decides to have a one-night stand while his wife and daughter are out of town, in this 1987 thriller directed by Adrian Lyne. Steamy sex, obsession and a burning bunny are all part of what the Gallagher family must endure when they couldn't see the "Forrest" for the trees.

By the way, the incorrect choices all starred with Close in "The Big Chill" (1983).

Answer: Charles Laughton

Charles Laughton was in the 1935 film "Mutiny on the Bounty", but he played Captain William Bligh (the one against whom the mutiny was staged). In fact, in April 1789 there was an actual mutiny on the Royal Naval vessel, the HMS Bounty; it was led by Assistant Lieutenant Fletcher Christian who sent the captain and his followers adrift, while he and his mutineers sailed on to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Bligh eventually safely reached England and had the mutineers court-martialed.

The 'reel' Fletcher Christians were Gable (1935), Brando (1962) and Gibson (1984).

Answer: Clarice Starling

In 1991, Jodie Foster played FBI cadet Clarice Starling opposite Anthony Hopkins' cannibalistic Hannibal Lecter in the Academy Award Winning film "The Silence of the Lambs". Hopkins is the incarcerated killer and psychiatrist whom Starling goes to for help to catch another serial killer who skins his victims.

In the 2001 movie "Hannibal", Juliannne Moore played Starling, who is now a disgraced FBI agent who must once again deal with Lecter. Both movies are adaptations of Thomas Harris' books "The Silence of the Lambs" and the sequel, "Hannibal".

Answer: American Beauty

Talk about your mid-life crises... Lester Burnham was your basic suburban husband and father until he quit his job and decided to reinvent himself as a responsibility-shirking teenager in the 1999 film "American Beauty". The film was artfully directed by Sam Mendes and won the Best Picture Oscar.

This movie took the ordinary and turned it on its head into both tragedy and comedy, with Kevin Spacey putting in another brilliant performance as Burnham. The wrong choices are Spacey in "The Life of David Gale", as Jim Williams in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" and "L.A. Confidential's" Jack Vincennes.

Answer: Susan Sarandon

Geena Davis was with Susan Sarandon in "Thelma and Louise", the chick flick that may have made men think twice about women's vulnerabilities. Sally Field played the lead in the drama "Not Without My Daughter" about Betty Mahmoody whose husband brings the family to his home in Iran but won't let them return to the U.S. Kate Winslet was an Oscar winner for "The Reader" which took place in Post-WWII Germany. Sarandon won an Oscar for her portrayal of a compassionate nun in "Dead Man Walking" (1995). Sister Helen finds she not only empathizes with the families of the victims of a killer, but with the convicted killer on Death Row as well.

Answer: Alan Arkin

"The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" was a poignant film from 1968, adapted from Carson McCullers' 1940 novel. It centered around John Singer, who is deaf by birth and mute by choice. Singer (Alan Arkin) moves to a small town to be near his friend who is confined in a hospital.

He becomes friendly with a teenager who lives in the house where John rents a room. This man becomes the linchpin and confidante for the people around him, as he tries to help them with their problems... but what of his? Alan Arkin has been acting for numerous decades in films like "The Russians are Coming, The Russians Are Coming" (1966), "Wait Until Dark" and "Little Miss Sunshine" (2006).

Answer: Hairspray

John Waters directed the original "Hairspray" in 1988 starring Ricki Lake and Divine in his final film role. The film was remade in 2007 and was still the story of dance-loving, overweight Tracy Turnblad, in Baltimore, Maryland in 1962, who is trying to get on "The Corny Collins Show" (a take-off on "American Bandstand" with Dick Clark).

In the remake, Tracy's mother, Edna Turnblad, was played by John Travolta (yes, Vinnie Barbarino himself!), while Tracy's father, Wilbur, was played by Christopher Walken.

In between the two film versions, the musical became a Broadway hit in 2002, this time with Harvey Fierstein as Edna in the Original Broadway Cast.

Answer: Beverly Hills Cop

Eddie Murphy's career has certainly had its highs ("SNL", "Dreamgirls" in 2006, "Trading Places" from 1983) to its very lows ("Norbit", "Daddy Day Care", "Pluto Nash"). But, in 1984, one of the higher notes was his role as street-smart Detroit policeman Axel Foley in "Beverly Hills Cop". Foley goes to California to find out who murdered his childhood buddy, despite the bumbling officers (Taggart and Rosewood) on the Beverly Hills Police Force. What also made this film a big hit was the soundtrack with Patti LaBelle's "New Attitude", The Pointer Sisters' "Neutron Dance" and Glenn Frey's "The Heat Is On".