Review # 2: "Morning Glory"

We have all grown up with him. We cheered as he piloted the Millennium Falcon through the galaxies with Chewbaca as Han Solo. We were on the edge of our seats as he quested for artifacts as Indiana Jones. We have seen him struggle against the odds in different action thrillers such as Con Air and the Fugitive. And now, at the age of sixty-eight, Harrison Ford has returned to the screen; albeit in a more modest role as a reluctant morning news anchor. Accompanied by the amiable Rachel McAdams and the elegant Diana Keaton, Ford puts on a charmingly cynical performance that makes the audience hate him and love him simultaneously. Thus, I can cheerily proclaim that

"Morning Glory" Helps You Wake Up and See The Light

In this enjoyable film, MacAdams stars as Becky Fuller, a determined producer for a television program that gets fired and is impatient to start over again. She eventually gets called upon by executive Jerry Barnes, portrayed by Jeff Goldblum, who is in need of a producer for an under- performing morning show called DayBreak. After she fires the aggravating co-host, she gains praise from the staff; but her success is short-lived as she realizes that they require someone to host the program along with standing anchor Colleen Peck, played by Diana Keaton. So Fuller has to convince veteran journalist Mike Pomeroy, portrayed by Ford. Unfortunately, it isn’t an easy task as Pomeroy has no desire to focus on fluff stories and would rather stick to broadcasting hard-hitting yet too-heavy-for-the-early-morning news. Not to mention the fact that Pomeroy and Peck have no chemistry whatsoever. It’s up to Fuller to make the program a success or the lights go out for DayBreak.

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As the movie progresses, Fuller works to make the morning program a hit as well as make peace between Peck and Pomeroy. In an attempt to get more viewers, Fuller comes up with the idea to have hapless weatherman Ernie, played by Matt Malloy, broadcast the news while riding a rollercoaster at Six Flags. The feature is a success with viewers and she continues to have him broadcast the weather while getting a body tattoo as well as handling animals. Peck even cheerfully gets into the act by participating in inflatable samurai bodysuit wrestling as well as rapping with 50 Cent and his posse; the latter is quite hilarious as we get to see Diane Keaton prance around with rappers. The only one not enthusiastic is Pomeroy; but as events unfold, things take a turn for the surprising.

What is unique about this movie, is that the three primary leads all work quite well together; providing carefree banter to roll off the tongue quite naturally. Watching MacAdams’ Becky stand up to the towering intimidation that is Ford’s Pomeroy keeps you in your seat; not wanting to miss a beat. And Ford proves that he still possesses the same sharp tongue that was utilized to perfection in his earlier films. In fact, any bickering between him and Keaton or him and MacAdams was very reminiscent to when he first spat with Carrie Fisher in the very first Star Wars film. In short, Ford is the real deal and he continues to charm audiences no matter the role.

Image taken from http://media.daemonsmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Morning-Glory-550x366.jpg

And Rachel MacAdams performs well as the film’s chief protagonist Becky. As she scrambles from one scene to another, you can feel her pain as attempts to bring Pomeroy’s biting attitude to a standstill as well as attempting to maintain a steady relationship her new boyfriend and fellow producer Adam Bennett; portrayed by Patrick Wilson. And Diane Keaton is just wonderful as co-anchor Peck and her back-and-forth trade of jabs with Ford’s Pomeroy is the icing on the cake. And when it’s time for Becky Fuller to make a life changing decision, Peck brings her surly colleague a serious call to reality. It is simply just an exciting film.

With a straightforward but sincere story and a delightful cast, "Morning Glory" provides us a warm blanket for the cold months. Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton are great together and Rachel MacAdams gives a great performance as the film’s leading lady. Their overall performances combined with the supporting cast and a profound look at the news industry ultimately makes "Morning Glory" an intelligent and heartfelt comedy. Television news has never been more entertaining.

E-mail me at thatsnatertainment@gmx.com