Broadcast News
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Movie Reviews of Broadcast News
Movie Review: Broadcast News
Summary: 4 Stars
Watchable, with a cynical/realistic view of its topic that hasn't become dated. Interesting that the only place I've seen a blonde anchorman is in this film, especially since it points up one of my prejudices. The romance was about as lame as every other Hollywood romance since Gable and Colbert. Or perhaps since Romeo and Juliet. The basic concept of love and romance hasn't changed in about 20,000 years or more, so why does every author have to write about it? Maybe that's why I quit writing novels. At some point, Joe Q Reader's gonna wanna ask me what's behind Joe Stud Character's bedroom door, and I don't want to answer.
Oh. The film. Sorry. I digressed. Albert Brooks is great. This movie gives me a reason to forgive William Hurt for ALTERED STATES. Jack Nicholson in a minor role, reminding us that yes, he knows (or knew) how to be subtle. (In WOLF he convinced me that he was a wimp. Imagine that.)
At the end of this movie, the writers lost their way. The "plot" overrode everything and the Holly Hunter character went off about something that was far more important to her than it was to the audience. I suppose subtlety requires clarity of thought, so the ending had neither. The fact that you shouldn't enter a relationship with someone so adept at faking sincerity? How about the fact that you shouldn't end an otherwise observant movie with something so irrelevant? How about the question of whether all William Hurt movies end with a blinding flash of the obvious? But still, worth watching if you can find it for under a buck.
Movie Review: Great mainstream comedy
Summary: 4 Stars
Broadcast news is a fantastic example of great mid-80's mainstream comedy. It'd make a fantastic double-feature with Tootsie, with which it shares a bunch of traits, like:- an incredible cast of supporting actors.
- a bunch of seemingly throwaway lines and situations that make you belly laugh at the time and then creep up on you later.
- some moderately serious (simple) questions, asked in an effortlessly funny way.
- a particular sort of mid 80's look and feel. (I was surprised to feel a little nostalgic while watching this again.)
Holly Hunter is amazing in this movie, just amazing and charismatic and lovable and genuine, and Albert Brooks brings a real(ly funnily neurotic) pathos to his corner of the love triangle. Bill Hurt never really comes clear for me in anything, but like Brooks, he's perfectly cast here. (It's creepy that Hurt gets top billing on Amazon and the DVD box. Among the three main characters, his easily pulls the least weight. Holly Hunter's the emotional center of everything in this movie, she's making the choices and carrying every scene, and her name should go first.)
After you watch this one, tell me if you think Cher, in Moonstruck, deserved the Best Actress Oscar over Holly Hunter in Broadcast News (and Meryl Streep in Out of Africa). Yeesh.
Movie Review: One of my all time favorits
Summary: 4 Stars
I saw this movie in the theater back in the 80's and loved it then and always watch it when it comes on TV. The writing, directing and acting is superb. The chemistry between William Hurt and Holly Hunter was great, but Albert Brooks stole the movie as Aaron the super intelligent, super nerdy, geeky reporter who has alot going for him, except the ability to get Holly Hunter's character Jane to fall in love with him. I think this was William Hurts second best performance after "Kiss of the Spider Woman". His character was so cute and sexy.
I think the stereotype of the good-looking witless anchorman may be a thing of the past, but it sure was an issue back in the 80's when the networks were trying to attract more woman viewers. It was really interesting to see what goes on behind the scene in the world of television news with all the politics, competitiveness and backstabbing.
I bought this movie in VHS form back in the day, so I'm going to purchase the DVD version to add to my collection.
Movie Review: Intellegent and Clever Comedy!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great behind-the-scenes inside-look at the news, and a great character study. Great performances by the three leads, Holly Hunter is as great as always, William Hurt brings warmth and intelligence to an other-wise hollow character and Albert Brooks gives one of the best and funniest performances of the 80's. James L. Brooks wrote an extremely clever screenplay with nicely-drawn characters. Inmensely entertaining and funny, while not a laugh-out-loud comedy, it has drama and a bit of romance. Great stuff. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film an 8!Movie Review: 3.5 stars out of 4
Summary: 4 Stars
The Bottom Line:
A fun and funny take on newscasters' love (both of other each other and of their work) in the 1980s, Broadcast News may not have deserved the slew of Oscar nominations it gathered but it's still a very entertaining film that doesn't wear out its welcome and offers 2 hours in the company of people that I'd enjoy spending time with.