Morning Glory is what I would describe as one of those good old fashioned kinda movies - - and when I say old fashioned I really mean earnest. This dang thing is so heartfelt that it's hard to acclimatize to when everything else in entertainment is hip flip these days.

Luckily, Morning Glory kicks up it's heels now and then with some nice turns by the supporting characters and the satisfyingly expected story arcs of the three leads. It's actually laugh out loud funny in it's best sequences. But then before you can catch your breath, you're drawn back down into that warm inky sea of earnestness.

So, depending on how you react to that allergen, you're mileage may vary. Tonight I was in the mood for a bit of the ol' ultrafervor, so I'll rate it a solid...


4 out of 5.



(Note: I had such high hopes for Rachel McAdams after her 2004 one-two debut punch of Mean Girls / The Notebook - - POW - - POW - - but sadly she hasn't always made the best career choices since then. Morning Glory is good, but it's not going to be the one to turn her career around in my books. I'm still hoping for that next great role that will catapult her back up into the stratosphere, just like her character does to the ratings of Daybreak.)

MORNING GLORY - 8/10 (A-)

Delightful! Rachel McAdams is incredibly charming here. I've fallen back in love with her.

This is a charming, but imperfect film with a pair of brilliant performances at its heart. Rachel McAdams has been known to moviegoers for close to a decade now, but she has at last found a great role: a career-first, energetic, super-creative television producer who has limited time to save a failing television morning show. Her various obstacles include feuding co-hosts: a hard-edged veteran journalist (Harrison Ford) who feels he's above "entertaining," light stories vs. an A.M. veteran (Diane Keaton) who doesn't mind sharing the screen with adorable animals or television chefs, but wishes she didn't have to do it on such a low-rated, underfunded program.

McAdams is nothing short of splendid here. She reveals a Lucille Ball-esque flair as a comedienne. It's a heartwarming, intelligent, and spirited turn, and an award-caliber one. I've long admired her as a "solid" talent, now I can't help but declare myself a true fan. She's never been better. Though this is 100 percent McAdams' film, Harrison Ford is also deserving of praise. The iconic American actor hasn't been this engaging and fresh in over fifteen years. When people reflect on late-era Ford movies and performances, I doubt, say, Firewall or the disappointing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will inspire much enthusiasm, but his precise portrayal of a smart journalist who feels furious and left behind in this new era of soft (entertainment-centric) news should. The contrast between McAdams and Ford's characters--one who wants to charm, entertain, and inform vs. one who wants to slice through the feel-good bullshit and just inform, inform, inform--is fascinating, as are the ways they clash and compromise. The rest of the ensemble cast is fine, though no one else stands out. Diane Keaton's role is thinner than expected; she has a handful of great one-liners, but the film never explores her character's personal life or deeper thoughts. The role, to be honest, just stands out because it's Keaton, one of the great American actresses, playing it. Faring worst is poor Patrick Wilson, the gifted actor known to audiences for his roles in Angels in America and Watchmen. Here he's the blander-than-bland love interest, present just to create situations where McAdams' character can return to his bed (emotion!) or answer her ever-ringing cell (the job!). The problem is, it's obvious she would always rather answer the phone, deal with a problem, be creative, etc. than return to him. There's nothing the audience can detect between them, just a script insisting there is genuine warmth.

The film is well-crafted by Roger Michell, a South African-born English director whose diverse credits include crowd-pleasing studio fare (Notting Hill) and smaller films (Venus, which garnered Peter O'Toole his most recent Oscar nomination). At times Michell strays a bit far in the "soft," B.S. direction--there's one too many cute scenes set to uptempo pop songs (by Michael Bublé, Natasha Bedingfield, Paolo Nutini, etc.)--but in general he remains focused and subtle. This is also an attractive film. Michell and cinematographer Alwin H. Kuchler (Sunshine) conjure several interesting, almost magical shots. They are also good at navigating the crowded, people-shouting-over-people newsroom settings.

Overall, this is a nice, warm, oft-hilarious film for adults. It touches on a couple legitimate issues--including the state and value of news today--without ever becoming too somber or threatening to alienate the Friday night date crowd. The real reason to go, though, is to see McAdams deliver an instant classic of a performance, as well as Han Solo himself reviving his A game in the face of her comedic supernova.

A-

^^^^ Good Review by Gunslinger....(Too long to quote) and some other points.

* McAdams and Ford are the stars of the movie...and it would have been too much to give Keaton more but she adds enough early until it turns to Ford in the second half (at the dressing room standoff).

* think the love interest was good and needed. As early it showed how awkward she was both in love and at the new job...and later, how she got and mastered it all.

* good small roles by Jeff Goldblum and Modern Families, Ty Whatishis name?

Anyway, Thought Ty had 2 of the best short scenes in the movie. Really Funny! What a Perv and a Ass. ( Yeah your Fired!)

And also by the Wacky Special Features Actor. They were very funny.

* Think the above review described McAdams great performance, except to say she has a GREAT Ass!!! And had a couple of scenes where she looked stunning. Like at the Today Interview.

* On Ford, he was very good, except he got just a little tired in the middle saying the same stuff - over and over.

I do not wish to derail this thread, but I have to say (without a hint of sarcasm) that it is very nice to see Goldie writing some actual reviews lately!

It was better when it was called Broadcast News.

Morning Glory is the kind of film that needed McAdams, Ford, and Keaton for it to have even been watchable. It's a formula film from beginning to end that has nothing to substantial to say about journalism or news, except to point out how depressing our society is when they need to be entertained in the morning, god forbid they're actually informed before they leave their homes. On one hand I was rooting for McAdam's character to do well because she's likable. Yet on the other hand I can help but think that the fewer "Daybreak's" that are on the air, the better.

The romantic subplot is also pretty much wasted. The emotion that should've come out of that relationship is instead manufactured into the relationship between Ford and McAdams, and it doesn't work. Patrick Wilson's in the film for a good chunk of the first half, and then he disappears until the end. Why am I rooting for a relationship to work if it's barely shown?

If it weren't for the three leads this would barely have been good enough for even Lifetime.

** (C)

McAdams better get a Globe nomination for this. Can't stop thinking about her .

You liked the 3 leads and you were rooting for McAdams, think that is enough for a movie that is not going for the more serious Oscar type movie that Broadcast News was.

And if the boyfriend was in more of this, it would have taken away from the 3 leads.

Anyway, I still think he was in it enough. They didn't need to show the solid boyfriend relationship in the second half, (especially since this movie was more about her and Ford at work). They just had to show, you got it all in this end.

It's not enough. I liked the three of them and I was rooting for McAdam's character because she was likable. Stick someone who isn't as talented as McAdam's in her role and the only reason you'd root for her is because the script and the formula told you to do so. That doesn't mean the movie was a success though. It's predictable (and doesn't try to be anything else), and Ford's sudden change of character at the end felt more forced then genuine. He's an asshole for the entire film until he gets a lead? Okay, what changed for him? He had a sudden change of heart? McAdams grew on him? The film didn't do a good job of explaining any of this.

What changed for Ford at the end? Well, he realized that she was at the Today Show Interview and the Show would be cancelled. And he probably liked doing the show more than doing nothing.

Also I forgot besides the 3 leads, the Wacky Feature Reporter was funny and Ty and Jeff Goldblum were nice character additions. IMO.

Anyway to compare this to Broadcast News is so wrong and unfair. Especially since Broadcast News was so different ... And the Broadcast News Show was never close to being cancelled.

And this was a one actor vehicle for McAdams with everyone else along for the ride.

PS. Different Format but Working Girl would be a better comparison. (That was the one with Melanie Griffith right? And I think it co-starred Ford also!

An old-fashioned "working girl" comedy with a sparkling lead performance from Rachel McAdams. Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton are also a lot of fun here, although McAdams' romance with Patrick Wilson is mostly lifeless and feels extraneous. I'm glad I finally caught this on DVD, it's not trying to make profound statements about the news world but just aims to present some quality entertainment. At which it succeeds. B+

Glad you enjoyed it.

McAdams truly was a delight in this movie. A perfect comic performance. Very underappreciated during the awards season (predictably, but no less sadly).

It's alright, she could get her awards due pretty soon: she has roles in new Woody Allen and Terrence Malick films.

I didn't really like this at all. McAdams is a great actress with a plethora of natural charm, but her character is too desperately clumsy and awkward in an attempt to create bad slapstick humor to be very interesting. Ford was fine as the gruff and their relationship worked, however nothing else in the movie really did. The storyline gets increasingly cliche and cheesy as the fllm progresses. I don't like that they taunt the idea of this becoming a legitimate dissection of quality news vs. entertainment to get ratings only to dismiss it and focus on everyone being lovey-dovey. Also the actual love side-story was one of the most underdeveloped and unneeded aspects I've seen in a film. It felt completely and utterly useless and like it only existed because the producers wanted a love interest.
1.5/5or*orC-or33%

I still think Ford might get a globe nom at of this. He was hilarious and good acting here. It could have been awesome but it is extremely safe outside of the Ford vs mcadams vs keaton moments.

Wait, what?

He's being 'sarcastic'.

Hmm. lol

I posted that months ago, after I saw it opening weekend, did threads merge or something? still doesn't explain why it says I posted it yesterday. I wasn't even on here yesterday.

The forum is conspiring against you.

Morning Glory is a charming film thanks mostly to Rachel McAdams. Her performance is very quirky, and while can be nerve-wracking in spirit at times, doesn't break character. Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton are good but Ford especially is written almost too bitter at times that he becomes repetitive. The film runs smoothly and in the end it is a good broadcast comedy. ***

solid, but slight

reminds me a lot of in good company

i laughed a few times, esp when harrison ford suggested replacing morning coffee w/ morning dump in the tagline