For Becky (Rachel McAdams,
The Notebook), running a TV show in New York City was the big break she dreamed of…until star co-anchors Mike (Harrison Ford,
Indiana Jones) and Colleen (Diane Keaton,
Something’s Gotta Give) declare an all-out, on-air war. Making the show work with its cast of eccentric characters and outrageous story angles will take a major miracle, but Becky is ready to rise and outshine. From the writer of
The Devil Wears Prada and
27 Dresses,
Morning Glory is a “Tart, terrific comedy*” that critics rave is, “Smart! Fresh! Brilliant! Heartwarming! Morning Glory has it all!*” *Peter Travers , Rolling Stone **Neil Rosen, NY1
Morning Glory showcases the comedic (and romantic) talents of two cute couples of different ages--Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton (never sparklier) and the adorable Rachel McAdams and Patrick Wilson. Love can bloom, no matter what time of life, or, as the setting of
Morning Glory underscores, no matter what time of day. McAdams is excellent and darling as an ambitious TV producer who vows to turn around a sinking morning TV news show by bringing in a heavyweight anchor (Ford) to pair with the lighthearted, deft Keaton. But Ford wants none of the "news lite" that morning shows need to surface, so sparks fly between the bickering co-anchors almost immediately. Happily, Ford is easier in his skin in
Morning Glory than he has been in some of his past romantic efforts (
Six Days Seven Nights), so he and Keaton play off each other easily and believably. In a parallel story, McAdams's Becky is pursued by Wilson's Adam, which takes Ms. Focused Career Girl (if not the viewer) by surprise. The direction by Roger Michell (
Notting Hill) is crisp, although the script by Aline Brosh McKenna (
The Devil Wears Prada) isn't particularly funny. (Adam thinks Ford's character, Pomeroy, is the "third worst person in the world," after Kim Jong Il and… Angela Lansbury.) But the world of TV news portrayed in
Morning Glory is as immersive as it is in
Broadcast News, and the romantic subplots truly
are romantic. There's love in the air--and on the air--in
Morning Glory. --
A.T. Hurley
List Price: $ 19.99
Price: $ 9.40
All Star Cast,
I never have time to go to the movies these days with my busy schedule. I usually enjoy the comfort of my home and refuse to pay the ridiculus prices at the theaters. I promised my wife I would take her to the movies when “Morning Glory” came out. My wife loves Rachel McAdams, ever since she made “The Notebook”. I was expecting to be bored and asleep by the first half hour. I was surprised that I was really getting into this movie. I laughed at the poor anchorman who is put through hell to boost ratings. I also found myself enjoying Harrison Ford’s character. Nobody plays a better grouch then Ford. I loved Rachel McAdam’s characters spunk and refusal to give up. I’m surprised by many reviewers hating that about this character. I don’t understand why everyone expects dedicated workers to be unpleasent people. I am always joking around and having a good time. I put in over 14 hours of work a day and seldom get enough sleep. I work 7 days a week sometimes. I can relate with this character. Just because you put in a ton of hours of work doesn’t mean you have to be a social outcast. If you like Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, or any of the other actors in this film. You are going to love them in this film. It is a funny film with great actors. I would watch this movie again and knowing my wife she will probably buy the dvd when it comes out.
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|Morning Glory Review,
MORNING GLORY
STARRING: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, John Pankow and 50 Cent
WRITTEN BY: Aline Brosh McKenna
DIRECTED BY: Roger Michell
Rated: PG – 13
Genre: Comedy
Release Date: 10 November 2010
Review Date: 28 October 2010
Becky Fuller is an absolute delight to be around. Not only is she irresistibly attractive and adorable, she’s funny, smart, dedicated, and truly talented at her job, which not too many people on the planet could pull off. So why on Earth a television network would let her go is beyond her comprehension and ours. Nevertheless, she’s fired from her job as executive producer, due to budget cuts. Rachel McAdams gives one of, if not thee best performance of her career as Becky, in Morning Glory.
Now that she’s been let go she is desperately seeking employment elsewhere only to find dead end after dead end. Finally, she catches a break when she’s hired on as executive producer for a morning show in the slumps.
She has her work cut out for her to say the least. The show is a disaster. The lead anchor is a chauvinistic creep, the network can offer only pathetic jokes for stories, and virtually no one really has a desire to be there, nor do they take their job seriously.
The person that displays this best is Colleen Peck, played by the lovely Diane Keaton. A veteran of the morning show, she wakes up every day no doubt asking herself why she is still there. Along with everyone else, Colleen cannot really see any potential in Becky, offhand.
It’s evident the news cast needs immediate revamping to get their ratings up, if they are to stay on the air. Enter: Harrison Ford. Ford plays Mike Pomeroy, a television legend who has long since hung up his hat as a news reporter. His solid plans of lackadaisically waiting out the time left on his contract are interrupted when Becky is struck with the notion that Pomeroy could be precisely what the show needs.
Becky forces him out of his fantasy world and back into reality, where he must lower himself to the likes of a morning news caster. As he showed in his previous film Extraordinary Measures, when it comes to playing a bitter recluse, Ford has the act down. Together they will try to do all they can do to save this sinking show and that’s where the laughs come in.
Morning Glory scored big laughs with the packed audience I shared the experience with; especially when Becky has to `up the ante’ so to speak, by orchestrating some hilariously drastic interviews and broadcasts that include a feeble man screaming his brains out on a roller coaster, with a camera mounted two inches from his head. Cut to Harrison Ford’s face as he watches open mouthed, out of sheer morbid curiosity – and we are laughing our heads off.
Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna knows comedy and she knows romance and she knows how to balance the two perfectly in an artistic melody. She’s shown this before in 27 Dresses, The Laws of Attraction and Three to Tango. Morning Glory isn’t a rom-com by any means, but it has a little romance nestled in there for good measure. Patrick Wilson has a small part as the office hunk and he is charming and likeable without bogging the story or the comedy down with heavy romance.
Director Roger Michell who’s brought us such gems as Changing Lanes and Notting Hill, has delivered another one. He lets great actors do great acting and he brings us to a world that I found fascinating and that I haven’t seen too much of in movies, which is: what it takes to produce a live television broadcast. Not sure it’s a venture I’d sprint to the head of the line to work in personally; but I certainly enjoyed watching humorous and believable movie-people at each other’s throats in it for nearly two hours. You will too.
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|Cute, fun comedy,
This is yet another variation on a basic Hollywood formula movie – a few name actors, up and down struggles followed by happy resolution, the tension between career and personal life, friends supporting each other, heartless and selfish corporate bosses, older people who still “have it”, a little casual sex, and no deep message or purpose. I have to like a movie, however, that made me laugh really hard, smile a lot, and like the characters. I also found the story a good parody on TV morning variety shows. Moring Glory makes a nice “date” movie, or fluffy escape after a hard work week.
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