Movie Review: Morning Glory

Morning Glory is the sort of film that when you see the ads you think you can make a snap decision as to whether or not you want to see it. In many cases you would be right, although I must ask that you belay the snap decision and think a little bit more on this one. First, you should know that the trailers do not do the movie any justice/ It is portrayed as a standard romcom, although it has more in in common with the likes of The Devil Wears Prada than, say, When in Rome. This is not to say it is a great movie, but it is a fun one that is worth seeing. Not every movie worth its salt needs to be a game changer, some movies can prov worthy by merely executing well and this movie does indeed execute well.



This is a movie that is not about a romance between opposites, it is a movie about someone who loves the job and is coming into her own in how to manage her life. It is a fun movie that does not really say a whole heck of a lot to me, but did prove itself as an entertaining diversion that is well told featuring some of the best in the game.

Rachel McAdams stars as Becky Fuller, a hyper, over-caffeinated up and comer working at a morning new show in New Jersey. It is a thankless job, but one that she has a love for and a hope that i will lead to bigger and better things. Unfortunately, all it leads to is unemployment. Unceremoniously dumped from the show, she finds herself desperately looking for work. Her search does not seem to last all that long as she interviews with Jerry (Jeff Goldblum), a suit looking for a new executive producer for a last place morning show. Great, another thankless job.




Well, needless to say, she takes the job and is immediately put to work wrangling the staff and talent. Her first meeting starts off with her appearing overwhelmed, but it in a blast of dialogue she shows that she can command a room, going so far as to fire one of the co-anchors (Modern Family's Ty Burrell). This changes things, but she still has a long way to go. The other co-host is Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton), a cynical, snarky woman who smiles through every ridiculous moment.

It is up to Becky to get everyone on the same page, get people watching the show, and find a new co-anchor. This leads to the entertaining central portion of the film where she must get legendary anchor Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) off of his ranch and behind the news desk. This leads to some great scenes of Becky getting completely exasperated and Pomeroy being a, well, let's just say he is less than nice.




While Morning Glory is not your standard romantic comedy, it should be pretty easy to see where it is going to go. This is not an experimental movie that is going to go in unexpected directions and probe the depths of a dark comedic mind. This movie means to entertain, to put a smile on your face, and maybe take a cursory look at the world of morning news, and leave you happy.

The cast is a good one. Rachel McAdams seems a lot more comfortable here than she did in Sherlock Holmes and we are all the better for it. She has a great presence on screen and seems completely comfortable. Harrison Ford, who doesn't seem to make many appearances of late, is hilarious as the disgruntled newsman. His reactions, double-takes, and timing are just really funny even if I did not really believe the character. The rest of the cast is filled out nicely with Diane Keaton as that cynical co-anchor, Jeff Goldblum as the slightly askew boss, and Patrick Wilson as the love interest.

Is it great? No, but it is very much smile inducing and just what you need to wash away the cynicism of a work week. So, sit back and enjoy.

Recommended.