Review of Morning Glory (2010) by Sarah P — 17 Jun 2011

So what's the story of this prototypical mediocre movie? Well, I am about to report on that. But if you want to view a cerebral and engaging film about the television news industry turn the movie channel to "Network" or even "Broadcast News". Not to sound so alarming on "Morning Glory", because it does have its sporadic noteworthy scenes, but my overall rating for this is in the "C" or even "Not See" Club. "Morning Glory" stars Rachel McAdams as workaholic television news producer Becky Fuller, an attractive & driven New Yorker who gets hired to produce a struggling TV morning news program entitled "Daybreak", not to be confused with the Sylvester Stallone classic (sarcastically coughing) "Daylight". Fuller is put to the "test of the emergency broadcast ratings system (this is only a test)" by her arrogant boss Jerry Barnes (Jeff Goldblum) to do whatever it takes for the "Daybreak" ratings to break on through to the Nielsen high-side. "Daybreak" is hosted by a Diane Sawyer-like veteran anchor named Colleen Peck and a creepy middle- age male anchor named Paul McVee. Becky's first order of "ax business" is to fire the repulsive McVee. She then thinks of hiring veteran newsman Mike Pomeroy as Daybreak's new morning co-host, but Pomeroy thinks that he is no Pomeroynium and does not want to be treated as a dog by being demoted to a morning program. Pomeroy is as bitter and self-centered as they come. Eventually, due to a contract glitch, Pomeroy has no other choice but to morning it up and do the gig; even though he profoundly despises Peck and the entire format of a television morning show program. "Morning Glory" is primarily about the Fuller character who might not be full of herself like Peck (and in the male category Pomeroy), but is too obsessed with her career and gives herself no chance for a life "outside the viewing field". That is until Adam Bennett (Patrick Wilson) comes in the Becky picture, Bennett is a producer for another show in the same network. He falls for her but at first she is reluctant, a storyline driven to "repeats death" on television and of course movies. "Morning Glory" does offer some plausible moments as it does effectively present the pressure of a television program to be successful within the ratings barometer. And I like the whole ploy of having the weatherman do crazy stunts to spike up the ratings, Matt Malloy was brilliant in those extremely funny roller-coaster and skydiving scenes. But "Morning Glory" does not produce any other innovative elements to glorify this movie. McAdams' performance wasn't half-bad, but it was a bit overacted and did not produce any afterthought in my mind after watching it. Harrison Ford as Pomeroy was a robotic train-wreck who had the "monotone channel thang" not working here. I hate to pick on Peck, but here is a little ditty about Peck as Diane (or the other way around), the great Diane Keaton showed she is not a morning actress in her twilight acting years with this humdrum performance. Did I just dis Indiana Jones and Kay Corleone? Director Roger Michell did not produce or direct for that matter an exemplary film in "Morning Glory", did you Roger that? But I think it had to do more with Aline Brosh McKenna's lackluster screenplay than Roger's orchestration why "Morning Glory" was not a magnetic piece. Hey, I am all for the glory of movies, but while "Morning Glory" does have a few credible scenes, it still no better than a "made-for-morning television movie".

*** Average.