Morning Glory

Good watch, will likely watch again eventually, and can recommend.

For whatever reason, Rachel McAdams (especially given her range) does a wonderful "Type A" character, and nailed this roll. Between that, Harrison Ford nailing the jerk, and a wonderful supporting cast we get a fascinating look into the production world of morning television.

It's a strange and competitive industry, and Becky's journey is wonderfully crafted for us.

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

Rachel McAdams leads the way in this surprisingly refreshing flick as the workaholic television show producer, Becky, who lands the job of organizing "the worst morning show ever". She only has a short time to save the show's plummeting ratings, and in doing so must battle with low worker morale, conceited anchors, poor working conditions, as well as her own inadequacy in dealing with guy-problems. Desperate for a change, she recruits the legendary newscaster Mike Pomeroy, played by Harrison Ford, who is less than willing to cover any story he does not consider "worthy of his reputation".

The film brings not just a comic story of working with grumpy people, but the beautiful emotional tale of a girl who realizes her dream of being a television producer and, by pulling everyone together against the odds, creates a family in the process. But where the story is rather run-of-the-mill, the chemistry between the impressive cast is the movie's redeeming quality. Across the board, acting was fantastic, and in all honesty the movie owes its success to McAdams and Ford. Rachel McAdams should be commended for her frustrated role as Becky, and has proved that she has much more to offer than a just pretty face. Harrison Ford, perhaps the true star of the show, fully embraced the character of Pomeroy did a wonderfully fantastic job being grumpy, conceited, and an all-around "asshole" in one of his best roles as of late.

Morning Glory is a nice tale that will leave you with a sweet taste in your mouth. Combined with some real solid acting, this is not a movie you'll regret checking out!

Rachel McAdams is what makes this movie so likable and cute. Her spunky optimism and always-on attitude is what drives the movie forward and gives it heart.

This is one of Harrison Ford's funniest roles - he plays the grumpy, I'm too good for this, I will do what I want and you'll just have to deal with it, asshole extremely well.

The witty banter back and forth between Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford is at times laugh out loud hilarious. I loved their chemistry and the weatherman's antics were the beginning of when my ratings for the movie started to go up. Once it all got going I thought to myself, "I'd watch that morning show!"