Broadcast News (1987)

Broadcast News is a film that gives an insight into the daily goings on within a Washington based news company. The film focuses mainly on three individuals; 2 x male television reporters Tom Grunick and Aaron Altman (William Hurt and Albert Brooks respectively) and executive producer Jane Craig (Holly Hunter). With both men employed at the television company, an awkward love triangle develops when Jane falls for Tom and Aaron falls for Jane...Sky Movies proudly boasts Broadcast News as being an Oscar Winning comedy and to be fair given the premise I didn't expect this to be in-your-face comedy and was looking for something that would prove to be suitably humourous. However, in my book there is a very fine line between subtle humour and almost non-existent humour and herein lies the problem with Broadcast News...Maybe that's part of the problem in that I was sold on in being a comedy and in fairness whilst it does have amusing moments here and there it doesn't have enough funny moments to work as a comedy. OK so what does that leave us with? Well we do get an insight into the daily goings on of a news channel (mildly interesting, but not really strong enough to carry the majority of the film). Therefore if you take this aspect out of the film then you are merely left with a love triangle between the 3 leads - this takes up the bulk of the focus and sadly is the least interesting aspect of the entire film.The only thing that partly redeems this film is Holly Hunter whose superb central performance really 'anchors' the film (obvious pun). She's the heart and soul of the film and really lights up the screen whenever she's in front of the camera. Her co-stars are all OK I suppose, but no-one else really makes the same impact as Hunter and they all fail to really make any kind of impression on the picture.In Broadcast News though things end up going from bad to worse with a tagged on silly ending which added nothing and felt completely unnecessary. Still it seems that mine is a minority opinion (the critics seemed to love it), but for a film whose main focus seemed to be on a rather boring love triangle centring on 3 mostly uninteresting individuals then the end result is sadly a film that I found to be a fairly uninvolving experience.

If I had to narrow it down to one - and it would take gun-point to get it that far - I would have to choose Broadcast News as my favorite film. It is, in the best way, a perfect storm: writing, acting and directing (&casting, & set design, & music...) First, everything starts with the SCRIPT. Smart, moving, hilarious, and *true*...it all hangs together without forcing moments, without phoniness, and depicts - if it's not what news departments are really like in America? - then it's what SEEMS to be real in news depts across America. It *feels* real for our purposes of drama . Secondly, the ACTING! William Hurt is a genius at being stupid (but looking smart), Albert Brooks is not just perfectly cast, which he is, but gives a 10/10 performance. So many memorable, repeatable lines (the timing!!) Again, the interconnection of the writing, the casting and the acting. You FEEL Jane's dilemma: your heart and head wants to love the Albert Brooks character, your eyes and...body? But something else, an attraction to...sheer talent? That singular talent Tom has? Makes her fall for Tom, the Wm Hurt character. Because then(!), tying it all together, is Holly Hunter. She is a phenomenal actress, but this is, I think, her best part. She does not. Miss. A beat. Not in humor, not in pathos, never. The writing, the acting, and the directing take you from the opening to the closing credits knowing you are safe to experience everything - and you do! For real: you laugh, you cry. But you never worry that they're going to cheat a moment. I don't know that it's the "Best film ever made" (that may require other things that I'm not aware of), but it is definitely my favorite film of all time.

I unfortunately had to watch this atrocity in my Journalism class, and I plan on never watching it again. I learned two things from this cinematic disaster: grabbing your lover's armpit with passion is uncomfortable for other people to watch and the ugly friend never gets the girl. Around 37% of the film contains either an awkward silence or a cringeworthy act of affection, such as Aaron kissing Jane on the shoulder and Tom groping Jane's chest in the middle of a public park. If you are forced against your will to witness this pathetic excuse of a movie, play a game that consists of blasting "Make Up Your Mind" by Deana Carter whenever Jane opens her mouth, because all you'll be missing is either a series of contradictory statements or one of her famous awkward silences. Jane's constant indecisiveness confirms that she is a disgrace to the female leads and heroines who confidently face our male-dominated society. Instead of coming off as a lovable goof, Jane comes off as emotionally unstable and psychotic. The ending was depressing and abrupt, which, in all honestly, didn't surprise me at all. The news aspect of the film was decent, but it could have been more informative. Overall, this movie was the cinematic equivalent to waiting in line at your local Target: nothing special.

Full of journalistic humor and complicated love lives, this movie will satisfy anyone who likes watching individuals stress over their everyday lives. The pressure of deadlines, tension between friends and an ominous job-layoff threat looming overhead keeps viewers enticed to see what happens next. Upon looking for a film with a happy ending, this movie may not meet the requirements. It ends rather abruptly, leaving viewers still to wonder what will happen next. However, the film does feature many realistic events from the world of journalism. Viewers will smile and laugh along to the movie as characters casually bury the lead.