Review of Broadcast News (1987) by Lia J — 26 Jun 2011

A solid but imperfect love triangle set amidst the ever-declining journalistic standard of info-tainment, Broadcast News rides an excellent performance by Holly Hunter the whole way through. Her charcter, Jane, is a spunky and viciously talented editor in the newsroom, for whom nothing but the best will do - but when the dim, pretty-boy anchorman Tom (William Hurt) turns up, she can't resist him. Even if he hasn't a fraction of the ethics of her long-time friend and sometime lover, Aaron, who's made into the ideal loveable loser by Albert Brooks. By times funny, deadly serious, and romantic, Broadcast News is a great film, but as with other James L. Brooks films I've seen, it's a little schmaltzy, and it runs on too long. The movie ended three times before it ended. Great performance by a great cast, however, with Jack Nicholson and a wonderfully 80s "big-haired" Joan Cusack in supporting roles. A fine film that's valuable as much for the point it makes as it is for the story it tells. If you're a fan of Neil Postman's books, this film is one of your favourites.

(Side note: in some shots, I thought Hunter and Hurt looked like Zooey Deschanel and Aaron Eckhart. Remake, anyone?).