Morning Glory
Tags: romantic, cute, satire, entertaining

Plot synopsis:
Aspiring news producer Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) has dreamed since childhood of working for the Today show, but her dedication to her career is off-putting to potential suitors. After being laid off from her job at the local Good Morning New Jersey, her mother advises her to give up her dream before it becomes an embarrassment. However, Becky perseveres, sending many different résumés out. She finally receives a call from IBS, which is looking for a producer on its struggling national morning show, DayBreak.
After a discouraging job interview with Jerry Barnes (Jeff Goldblum), who dismisses both her and DayBreak as also-rans, Becky bumps into one of her heroes, veteran television journalist Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) in an elevator. She is brushed off rudely, but is told by the other passenger that this is just typical of Mike. Seemingly against his better judgement, Jerry hires Becky to be DayBreak's executive producer. On her first day, Becky realizes she has signed on to a show in turmoil, lacking in direction and money. After meeting the acerbic but long-suffering co-host Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton), who predicts Becky's demise, she fires the conceited co-host Paul McVee (Ty Burrell), much to the delight of her co-workers. Becky chooses a reluctant Mike as Colleen's new co-host. Mike is under contract to IBS, but has managed to mostly escape being utilized while still getting paid. Becky finds a clause in his contract by which he is obliged to accept an official job offer or lose his salary, effectively blackmailing him into accepting the position.
Becky gets to know Adam Bennett (Patrick Wilson), another IBS producer who had worked with Mike previously. After initially teaming up to deal with Mike, they begin dating, and he is initially supportive of her dedication to her job. Pomeroy proves to be hard going, throwing his weight about, trying to sabotage his debut on the show by getting drunk, refusing to banter with Colleen on air, and ensuring he only does serious news stories by making use of a clause in his contract that allows him to refuse certain assignments, like cooking segments, that he considers beneath him. As ratings begin to drop, Becky is told that DayBreak may be canceled.
After a heated confrontation with Mike, Becky snaps and decides on a radical approach to save the show. She improves ratings by persuading Ernie (Matt Malloy), the DayBreak weatherperson, to do the weather while doing stunts, such as riding a new Six Flags roller coaster. Colleen also expresses a keen interest in Becky's campaign to rejuvenate the show, and appears on a number of colorful segments that help the show's ratings. Jerry remains unconvinced that Becky can get the ratings up enough to stave off cancellation. Adam, not realizing what is on the line, teases Becky about how caught up she is in improving the ratings, but she sees it as a criticism that she has heard from previous men, and walks out. Mike tells her that he was once the same way, but ended up with no life outside of work.
During a staff meeting, Pomeroy shows interest in doing a story, surprising colleagues. Becky goes along but realizes that he is going to the governor's summer house instead of the destination she expected. Mike ends up confronting the governor on charges of racketeering, and breaks the story of his arrest on live television. This increases DayBreak's ratings enough to secure another year for the show. Due to DayBreak's rise in popularity, Becky receives a job interview from Today. During the interview, DayBreak is on. Between segments, Colleen tells Mike about the interview, and that his refusal to adapt has driven Becky away. He goes to the kitchen where food segments are done. Becky watches in shock as Pomeroy tells the viewers how to make a good frittata. Becky runs back to the set and decides to remain at DayBreak.

Review: 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.
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".
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.
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.
She was ably assisted by some of the finest people in Hollywood in the persons of Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Jeff Goldblum, John Pankow, Patrick Wilson, Matt Malloy, Ty Burrell, Patti D'Arbanville and a long list of equally great supporters.
Not to be outdone, Diane Keaton was as terrific as ever in her turn as Ford's cynical, combative co-anchor; which she carried off with a wonderful exuberance and energy.Jeff Goldblum - who always seems to land roles as some kind of "different" personality - was excellent as Ms. McAdams' crabby boss.
Rachel McAdams is taking the lead this time in a rom-com that adds a little pathos, shows the rest of the world what it's like to be totally committed to a job (being a former workaholic, I can totally relate to this.) The pace is set at "sprint" and actually does a great job of going the distance.
Working with Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) and Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton) as her 2 co-hosts, the challenge just begins when she starts her plan to increase the show's viewer count.McAdams' character Becky Fuller is inspired, the hard charging workaholic personality, on the laptop late at night searching for that next breaking news story.
One of the finer moments with Pomeroy we discover that his workaholic mentality voided him of any close family relationships, and we feel for him, hoping that Fuller will take his wisdom and adjust her approach.Diane Keaton plays Colleen Peck, the primary face of the show, who has been through all the changes over the years, including 15 different executive producers.
Did they not read the script beforehand and realize how pathetic this was?Rachel McAdams is the star of this as Becky Fuller, a young producer who gets a job putting out the worst morning show in the country on the fictional IBS network.
Keaton is his co-anchor, and Goldblum is head of the network's news department.There's some humour in this - mostly provided by Ford, although at times I couldn't figure out if his deadpan approach and rather bored look throughout was his take on the character or his take on the movie as a whole.
The only bearable moments were those with Patrick Wilson just because he looks good, not that he had something to do in this movie.I don't know if it had potential given the script and lead actress (sorry, but Rachel is awful when she tries to pull off the type of roles Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts shine (shined) in).
It is a good movie that does justice to the role of the quintessential,career oriented urban women today.Rachel McAdams,many will agree, is very pleasing to the eye and looks great on-screen.She plays her part convincingly.I am a new fan!With a few quirks ,smart lyrics,a few unexpected hilarious moments and decent cinematography,it makes for an entertaining watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon with your friends,spouse or even office colleagues,come to that!
'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.
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.
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. The whole movie was too loud too fast, watching Rachel McAdams acting out of her zone was painful..
Additionally, though it has plenty of light moments, it also carries a bit of depth in breaking down a couple of lead characters.Rachel McAdams plays Becky Fuller, morning TV show producer.
She is hired by Jeff Goldblum in his final attempt at resurrecting ratings for "Daybreak", a mere blip of competition to "The Today Show".The story gets interesting when Becky recruits/blackmails news legend Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) to co-anchor the show with Diane Keaton's character.
Thank goodness there was no May-September romance between McAdams and Ford.The film itself, directed by Roger Michell (Venus, Notting Hill) and Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada), does a nice job with insight into those whose personalities are bound tightly to their job.
Rachel McAdams plays perky 28 year old Becky, hard working All American girl TV news show producer.
The shows ratings remain low, the two lead anchors (Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford) refuse to stop arguing, and another T.V. worker, played by Patrick Wilson, falls in love with her.
Diane keaton and Harrison Ford really lowered their career standards in this film, playing two old timers who think they are still great.
Morning Glory (2010)A great title, a great pair of leading actors--Rachel McAdams and Harrison Ford--and a so-so not totally terrible not very good movie.So what's up with this predictable, sometimes horrible, sometimes charming romantic comedy?Start with the director, Roger Michell.
Morning Glory is an uplifting and refreshing glass half-full kind of movie, featuring a winning combination of contagious optimism from Rachel McAdams, and dry wit and cynicism from Harrison Ford.
McAdams plays a convincing, conscientious executive producer of a morning TV show and her career driven passion encourages viewers to both work hard and strive to achieve their goals, while also suggesting that a healthy balance between work and relationships is essential for a fulfilling and rewarding life.Bottom line, this is an engaging and sweet movie with endearing characters, charming, stylistic direction, a soundtrack reminiscent of a hipster coffee house and is just a generally funny and lighthearted film that will probably make you say "awh!".
The problem for me was that I couldn't help but feel that everybody involved from cast to creative team could (and has) done so much better work elsewhere.Rachel McAdams is the big name driving this film and in an attempt to get us to root for her as her character tries to get along with those portrayed by Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton they make her endearing and lovable.
Luckily she manages to get hired as Executive Producer for morning news show "Daybreak." Becky decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford).
Rachel McAdams is as cute as ever, Harrison Ford is a big grumpy teddy bear, and Diane Keaton is a firecracker.I highly recommend this movie for anyone to watch, especially on a day you need to be warmed up!
I was also pleasantly surprised to see that, while she was cast alongside legends like Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton, the two senior actors allow McAdams to own 'Morning Glory'.
The supporting cast that includes Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Wilson, John Pankow, Matt Malloy, Ty Burrell and Patti D'Arbanville is equally convincing.Not only does 'Morning Glory' work as a comedy but it also tells a heartwarming story of a workaholic young lady who finally becomes a TV producer but she learns that success comes from good teamwork and in the process she creates a family.
And even though screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna and director Roger Mitchell obviously wanted us to compare it with classics such as Network or Broadcast News, the truth is that Morning Glory has so little dramatic weight and is so light that it does not go beyond from being a moderately entertaining but mediocre movie.This is my theory: McKenna watched various episodes from the series 30 Rock (or for the case, The Mary Tyler Moore Show), she liked the dynamic between the characters and she thought: "This could work as a film with some famous actors and good production values".
The problem is that McKenna is very far from having the talent from Tina Fey and her team of screenwriters, so Morning Glory feels like an insipid copy with a sense of humor which feels too obvious in various occasions, some tiring routines which seem extracted from any soap-opera and a poor ending which solves everything arbitrarily and tries to move out feelings with the typical "big gestures".However, I mentioned on the first paragraph that I found this movie to be moderately entertaining, and I think that the main reason of that is because of the cast.
And I also liked the enthusiastic performances from Diane Keaton, John Pankow and Jeff Goldblum.In conclusion, Morning Glory is a mediocre film, but the performances, a few funny moments and some interesting observations about the news world make it passable and worthy of a slight recommendation..
McKenna's script will remind viewers of "Prada" in that both stories focus on a young career-minded woman trying to buck the odds in order to take her place in a profession filled with sharks and naysayers.This time, her name is Becky Fuller, an upbeat, Type-A producer of a New Jersey morning TV show.
Of course, getting the ratings up for her show makes her less available to romance "young buck" evening news producer Adam Bennett.Harrison Ford plays Pomeroy strictly on a constant note of indifferent constipation, which is fitting for his character but not all that interesting to watch over the course of the film.
As well as Sandra Bullock's performance in The Blind Side (2009), Rachel McAdams' performance is subtle even though some moments seems exaggerated, and her comedy time is great, making her character human and charismatic.The film focuses the troubled life of Becky Fuller, a TV executive producer that's hired to revitalize a breakfast TV program that is on air for decades and now is losing its audience every day.
There's a moment in the movie when Harrison Ford's character says that people are smart and they want information and not junk, then Becky tells him that they have to get the ratings up or have a lot of high mighty ideas and not be on the air.
No matter which category, the movie has to be good enough in its purpose and there's when Morning Glory succeeds because it is pure entertainment, it's fresh, loose, have interesting dialogs and some hilarious moments in a genuine comedy feeling provided most by their brilliant cast.Harrison Ford is fabulous and for sure is one of his best roles in years, showing that he stills in a amazing comedy shape, a zone he hasn't been exploring since a long time.
Even being annoying in most of her roles, Diane Keaton provides a great performance in right doses because her appearance also happens in tolerable doses which is a relief, and when both Keaton and Ford are together, the chemistry is superb.Who watched Laws Of Attraction (2004), The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and 27 Dresses (2008) is already familiar to Aline Brosh McKenna's writing as well as her ability to fall for clichés which most of the times doesn't fit but lucky enough isn't a problem in this movie because she gives the right amount of everything and special moments for every single character without getting away of its central plot overshadowing its absence of consistence, and that's the difference between Morning Glory and current ordinary comedy flicks, making it watchable and joyful..
I like Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton, but upon reflection, the performances of each of them individually and together was not their best or even close.
Morning Glory is a fine showcase for Rachel McAdams and Harrison Ford with a little help from Diane Keaton.
This is a good vehicle for Rachel McAdams as she plays a perky-but-ambitious morning show producer who gets fired from her New Jersey job but manages to get news head of IBS Jeff Goldblum to take a chance on her taking over as executive producer of the low rated "Daybreak".
One of that show's hosts, Diane Keaton, has seen it all and thinks Ms. McAdams will be another of her bosses who "comes and goes" but Rachel makes a decision that eventually changes the show's direction-hires former news anchor Harrison Ford as her new co-host.
Following in the footsteps of the DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), MORNING GLORY minus the boss from hell, presents an unusually strong ensemble movie with three A-Class stars, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, and Jeff Goldblum that supports Rachel McAdams in the starring role.
What makes this working career comedy shine is how the stellar cast doesn't have to rely on singular Oscar winning performances to present a well balanced, nicely nuanced film about the morning news industry (much like the fashion design of DEVIL WEARS PRADA) and the fascinating, compelling look at the crazy behind the scenes personality and employment difficulties experienced by those in the industry.
The film revolves around the young Becky Fuller, played by Rachel McAdams, who dreams to work in Today show which is the best morning television in the country.
The cast is excellent -- Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, and Patrick Wilson.
She is given one more chance to save it.Becky knows from her new boyfriend (Patrick Wilson) that Mike is the "third most horrible person in the world," but somehow, she has to convince him to get into the spirit of things.Charming film, though Diane Keaton was wasted in her role as coanchor.
I like Rachel McAdams though and she's a fun character here, running around trying to please everyone.She plays a hard working TV producer who (after getting fired) lands a job on a struggling morning show "Daybreak".
This movie is definitely about McAdams' character, Becky Fuller, as it follows her as the new and inexperienced producer trying to revitalise an ailing (and dysfunctional) breakfast TV program.Neither a full on comedy nor a full on romantic movie (but with enough of both) the closest thing I can think of in comparison is The Devil Wears Prada.
As I said, I watched this movie for Harrison Ford, already somewhat fond of Diane Keaton and Jeff Goldblum, but with almost no idea about who Rachel McAdams was.
Great performances by Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Jerome Weinstein, and most of the other constituents in this very watchable, enjoyable, and likable film..
It stars Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson, John Pankow, and Jeff Goldblum.
She's surrounded by the expected misfits and quirky characters, and has to find a way to improve ratings, save the show, and manage her own personal happiness.There's a great cast in addition to McAdams, including Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson, and Jeff Goldblum, but they're all criminally underused.
Becky takes some time to control the confusion of the show but when she manages to pull the strings and do a great job she does: she fires one of the show's co-hots and brings to the daily morning show an veteran but bitter anchor who hates this new job and we'll do anything to ruin the show, Mike Pomeroy (played by an inspired and comical Harrison Ford, we were missing this guy in comedies).
And just like "Devil Wears..." this movie couldn't go on without giving to us another story of workaholic woman who finds the love of her life (played by Patrick Wilson) in her new job but luckily, the story barely touches these two."Morning Glory" doesn't add anything new to TV behind the scenes, of how TV hosts are so full of themselves and how difficult is to make things work on TV and all; it's not inspired and powerful like "Network" or it might not have the same quality of "Broadcast News"; it fails in some dramatic and comical levels so, why you should watch this?
What I'm carrying in that?") This promo was hilarious!The movie is charming and well made but it takes too much time for being a nice funny film which means that Rachel McAdams alone couldn't sustain being funny, neither Diane Keaton with her, they all needed help from Ford.
Another lovely presence comes from John Pankow, playing the only guy who really wants to help Becky in doing her job, he's very light and has great moments in the movie.In terms of disappointments I was expecting more scenes of Diane Keaton (specially when her character were starting to get really funny) and Ty Burrell (who appears in two or three scenes playing a sexist TV host).
Which turns out is the very thing Becky (Rachel McAdams), a young perky workaholic producer begs the esteemed no-nonsense new anchor, Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) to give into doing; puff pieces.
I think the two main things driving this film for me was the performance of Rachel McAdams as Becky and Harrison Ford as Mike.