Broadcast News
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Movie Reviews of Broadcast News
Movie Review: One of the 80's Best
Summary: 5 Stars
Every once in a while Hollywood hits one out of the park. See this movie.
In a decade mostly unremarkable in terms of cinematic history, "Broadcast News" stands out like a polished gem. There isn't a single aspect of the film---acting, writing, directing---that can be faulted.
Too, it is a rare Hollywood offering which is actually ABOUT something---in this case, the gradual transforming of a television news department into just another cache of profits and entertainment. All of the characters play their roles skillfully yet humanly and no one is a cardboard cutout.
Director James Brooks passed on any availably facile plot lines and let the story take its own difficult, rocky road, to great artistic advantage. So many directors would have contrived a glossy romantic wrapup to the film and Brooks, to his credit, resisted that temptation.
Jack Nicholson makes a cameo in a rare, subtle performance which I think is one of his best.
To me, this movie is a veritable litmus test of people and their values. If you go to see this picture with someone and they say, "Well, I don't think what William Hurt's character did was so bad," you know you're dealing with one kind of person; if another person says, "Are you kidding? What he did was terrible, a monstrous betrayal!" you know you're dealing with another kind of person. These two types should definitely not attempt to marry or raise kids together!
Movie Review: Too Smart For Academy Awards?
Summary: 5 Stars
At first glance, this appears to be a love triangle movie with a good looking cast. But, there is more to this movie than just three co-workers who fight, play, and cry together. This interesting look at TV news probably best sums up the production of news teams on major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) as well as CNN, FOX, and MS-NBC. The overall big picture of this movie is the sensationalizing of news through a handsome anchor (William Hurt's Tom Grunick), informative but dry correspondent (Albert Brooks' Aaron Altmann), and a clever behind-the-scenes producer (Holly Hunter's Jane Craig). To avoid revealing anymore plot, this lesser-known hit from James L. Brooks probably was too smart for the Oscars. Now days, this movie probably would be given the attention of more controversial films like "Good Night, Good Luck" and such. Overall, this was probably in my opinion the first serious and also funny look into what journalism really is today. The DVD quality is decent and expect a reasonable transfer by FOX. Besides the film, there are the original trailers which are a little grainy. Unfortunately, there are no extras on this DVD but the quality of the film makes it up. Overall, you will enjoy this movie for its chemistry between all three characters and also the deeper truth behind TV news which seems to be more showbiz than actual reporting.Movie Review: "I say it here, it comes out there."
Summary: 5 Stars
This is easily one of the wittiest and most entertaining movies I have ever seen. All the elements of fine filmmaking are here: great acting, great dialogue, and great direction. The three main actors are all excellent, each one recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with Oscar nominations: Best Actor(William Hurt), Best Actress(Holly Hunter), and Best Supporting Actor(Albert Brooks). The Original Screenplay also received a nod, as did the Film Editing, Director(James L. Brooks), as well as the Best Picture nomination. While it did not win any, much to my dismay, I do remember pulling for this film with all my heart. "The Last Emperor" won 9 Oscars, so there wasn't much left over. This is smart movie-making on all fronts. Even the romance works here, which is often under considerable scrutiny from me. Holly Hunter is pursued by two men, at polar opposites with regards to their personalities. One is the man she is physically attracted to but finds intellectually repulsive, while the other is unattractive physically but is a brilliant and funny companion. This is intelligent and witty and ultimately warming. A treasure.Movie Review: Perfect, Clever and Sharp
Summary: 5 Stars
I just watched this movie after not seeing it for several years and I was even more enthralled by it than the many times I had previously viewed it. The film is flawlessly produced, cast, scripted and edited. It's story involves three individuals working in televised news at a time of transition from in-depth reporting by professional journalists to an image industry of recognizable, technically proficient "star" anchors who "sell" the news. They each represent an aspect of this transition from intellectual to entertainment. Their edgy romantic triangle of passion, talent, intellect, professionalism, integrity, friendship and unrequited love is on the surface a fastpaced romantic comedy reminiscent of Hollywood's golden years, and at a deeper level is an accurate mirror of our times, how we got there, who succeeded and what was lost and won in the process. I cannot recommend this enough and if, like myself, you have only watched it on video, seeing it on DVD is a must. Such a perfect, clever and sharp movie should not be fuzzy around the edges.
Movie Review: A Stupendous Movie / Aaron Altman Was A Twinkie
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great movie, explaining why Rolling Stone Magazine named it one of their Top Ten Films of the 1980s. The behind-the-scenes portrayals of newsroom activities and personnel are pricelessly entertaining and interesting, though I have no way of knowing whether it was realistic. I do know, however, that some of the plot details which touched upon journalism principles and practices were substantively accurate, thus it's appropriate to extend some credence to the rest of the material.The character Aaron Altman, however, was an absolute simpering sniveling twinkie pantywaist from the word Go, and it's no wonder a dynamo like Jane Craig (albeit she was a tad flaky) kept finding other guys upon whom to focus her attraction.
And William Hurt's anchor-star Tom was a fine snapshot of the sorts of fifty-dollar-haircut, five-dollar-brain men our major broadcast TV networks put in the anchor spots for their evening news programs. Hurt completely nailed that role to the wall.