Morning Glory

It's no secret that people go to see movies touted as being comedies for one reason, they want it to be funny and thereby make them feel a little better, or at least lighten their mood. That's what I was looking for when I went in to see this film. Thankfully, I was rewarded with more feel good value than I had paid for. This film is terrific entertainment.

I'll add that I enjoyed this film on a number of levels.

First, was the pure comedic value, which was high. Rachel McAdams owned nearly every scene she was in with not just her drop-dead-gorgeous-good-looks but with her well applied talent invested into this somewhat quirky, high energy character. McAdams' Becky was a finely crafted portrait of a warm, likable, very intelligent, hyper-kinetic, lovable screwball of a young woman. Her every moment on screen exuded lovable charm by the truckload; she's never looked more appealing or more lovely.

But McAdams certainly didn't have to carry this funny film on her own. She was ably assisted by some of the finest people in Hollywood in the persons of Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Jeff Goldblum, John Pankow, Patrick Wilson, Matt Malloy, Ty Burrell, Patti D'Arbanville and a long list of equally great supporters. What a great selection of professionals.

Ford was splendid as the emotionally parsimonious codger of an over-the-hill anchor. Not to be outdone, Diane Keaton was as terrific as ever in her turn as Ford's cynical, combative co-anchor; which she carried off with a wonderful exuberance and energy.

Jeff Goldblum - who always seems to land roles as some kind of "different" personality - was excellent as Ms. McAdams' crabby boss. McAdams' colleague Lenny was well worn by John Pankow who seems to add to everything I've ever seen him in. Patrick Wilson as McAdams' love interest wasn't given much material to work with but his time on screen was well spent, adding a quality performance in just the right place. Ty Burrell was funny and at the same time kind of spooky as an unappealingly unctuous departing anchor. Though a small part, it was pleasant to see Patti D'Arbanville play McAdams' mother with appropriate love and concern.

I saved Matt Malloy for last because he was an unexpected treasure. His portrayal of the show's weatherman suddenly thrust into a new and challenging role was particularly hilarious; the proverbial icing on the cake.

The second area of enjoyment was the overall effort put into the sets, art direction, sound and the other technical areas. Everything was first rate which added to the realism.

Finally, their depiction of the behind the scenes areas of a hectic television studio came across as spot on, actually heightening the chaos that seemed to follow McAdams everywhere. You can't go wrong seeing this film if you're looking for a fun night at the movies.

A big thank you to the makers of this entertaining gem! By Bruce L. Jones http://webpages.charter.net/bruce.jones1/

Rachel McAdams is taking the lead this time in a rom-com that adds a little pathos, shows the rest of the world what it's like to be totally committed to a job (being a former workaholic, I can totally relate to this.) The pace is set at "sprint" and actually does a great job of going the distance. 10 cuts above a sit-com, but could possibly be turned into a very successful one about a fictional struggling #4 slot on the network morning show circuit. Adding to the mix and a lot of credibility, Jeff Goldblum, Dianne Keaton, and Harrison Ford, looking every bit his 60+ years, but still has a boyishness to his demeanor that hearkens back to Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Patrick Wilson is the rom in "rom-com" and he holds his ground against the whirling dervishness of Rachel's character. The writing is outstanding and the one-liners, priceless. Check it out.

At a loss of what to do, on a whim, I decided to go to the cinema. Being the opening night of 'Black Swan', I decided to leave that particular feature for another day. There were a few horrors, a few kids movies and then there was Morning Glory.

The Plot: Morning Glory is the story of one enthusiastic workaholic, Becky Fuller (Rachael McAdams), who is fired from her job at a Morning television show. Unemployed and desperate, she jumps at the offer of Executive Producer for a low budget, failing Morning show. The presenter of which, is the sour wannabe diva Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton) and the employees of which are under constant pressure to raise the audience ratings. Determined to prove her boss wrong, Becky Fuller goes to great lengths to improve the standard. One of her missions, is to employ world famous reporter, (and the third most horrible person in the world) Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) as co-presenter.

My Opinion: There are some movies that leave you indifferent. You walk out of the theater, shrugging your shoulders and contemplating what to cook for dinner. Then there are those, that leave you with a definite emotion. Morning Glory, for me, was the latter. As the closing credits scrolled, I was inspired. I skipped out with a can-do spirit. Maybe its due to Rachel McAdam's contagious radiance. Maybe its Harrison Ford's excellent acting. Maybe it was the simple plot, and happy ending. I don't really know. All I know, is that even now, the after effect of this light comedy- was pure conviction that anything can happen, if you work hard and really want it.

To put it plainly, this romantic comedy was a pleasure to watch. And an excellent remedy for someone whose a little hopeless in these difficult financial times.

'MORNING GLORY': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Rachel McAdams shines in this surprisingly clever and uplifting news comedy, reminiscent of similar films from decades ago. It's directed by Roger Michell (who also directed the exceptional 'CHANGING LANES' and 'NOTTING HILL') and written by Aline Brosh McKenna (who's written a handful of similar themed rom-coms including 'THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA', 'LAWS OF ATTRACTION' and '27 DRESSES'). It's produced by J.J. Abrams and features a top notch supporting cast including Diane Keaton, Jeff Goldblum and Patrick Wilson. It's co-star Harrison Ford that really steals the show though, giving one of his best performances in years.

McAdams stars as a work obsessed TV show producer named Becky who's so obsessed with her job that she's relationship challenged and awkward around men (of course not convincingly so but McAdams does a more than adequate job trying to pull it off). As the film opens she's let go from her current job and hired on to the struggling morning news show 'Daybreak'. The show is long past it's prime and it's ratings are barely able to keep it on the air. On her first day Becky fires the sexist co-host Paul McVee (Ty Burrell, of TV's 'MODERN FAMILY') and then is faced with the dilemma of replacing him with no budget. She soon discovers that legendary veteran news anchor Mike Pomeroy (Ford), who she idolized as a kid, is still under contract with the station for two years. So she forces the aged superstar, who thinks the show is beneath him and his standards, into taking the job. He of course clashes with his veteran co-host (Keaton) and everyone else on the show. Becky fights hard to make it work though and save the show from it's dismal ratings while trying to juggle a new-found relationship.

The film is somewhat clichéd and predictable fluff but it's pumped with a lot of lovable energy from it's A list cast. I've been a fan of McAdams for several years now and this might be one of her best performances yet. She brings a believable likability to the role that the usual bigger stars that are typically cast in a movie like this (Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, etc.) never could. Her energy and enthusiastic performance really make the movie and the only thing that possibly outdoes her is Harrison Ford. He hasn't been this funny and likable in several years and he and McAdams have great chemistry together. The rest of the cast is adequate but those two really make the film work. There's some clever writing and the directing is fitting (although the film feels a little rushed towards the end). As far as this type of material goes it's definitely not a bad little film.

Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVckRO-OANw

This film is about a young executive producer's struggle to revive an unpopular morning show.

I thought "Morning Glory" is just another romantic comedy that happens to be set in a television setting, but it pleasantly surprised me. The plot in fact focuses a lot more on the stress and frustration of being an executive producer, with romance being sidelined as an almost dispensable subplot. The intensity of Becky's job is well portrayed, the two anchors' verbal wars and Mike's indifferent and selfish attitude all makes "Morning Glory" entertaining to watch. "Morning Glory" is a pleasant surprise!