“Your side lost,” a young, hotshot TV producer (Rachel McAdams) informs a grumpy veteran anchor (Harrison Ford) forced to trade in serious journalism for the info-tainment he despises in Roger Michell’s entertaining “Morning Glory.”
It may lack the edge of “Broadcast News,” but this unofficial update on the news-vs.-fluff wars does get in some good shots at the wacky world of morning television (admittedly an easy target). It includes more than a few clever lines, and boasts a stellar cast, including the underutilized Diane Keaton.
PHOTOS: ‘MORNING GLORY’ FILMING IN NEW YORK
McAdams, who has hovered on the edge of stardom since “Mean Girls” six years ago, may have finally found the right vehicle in this script by Aline Brosh McKenna, who bounces back from the reprehensible “27 Dresses” with this variation on her more famous “The Devil Wears Prada.”
It’s also more than a little reminiscent of “Working Girl” and, of course, “Broadcast News.”
The actress is delightful as Becky, a 28-year-old junior producer downsized by a local station in New Jersey. Her chutzpah impresses an executive (Jeff Goldblum) at the fictional IBS network, who’s desperate for the latest victim to run his morning show, a longtime embarrassment and ratings also-ran (think CBS’s “The Early Show”).
Becky may be a klutz — McAdams has a gift for physical comedy — but she’s also some kind of genius. After firing the show’s obnoxious male anchor, she discovers a loophole that gets her the services of Mike (Ford), a highly respected but grumpy, pompous Dan Rather-esque 40-year veteran of the network.
Mike is outraged at the idea of doing celebrity interviews (50 Cent, among others, has a cameo) and especially working with the longtime co-anchor Colleen (Keaton), a long-ago beauty-contest winner he considers an airhead. But he wants to continue collecting his lavish salary.
Becky gooses the anemic ratings with stunts — Colleen sumo-wrestles and kisses a frog, while the weatherman (Matt Malloy) goes skydiving.
What moves the needle most is when Mike, who has resisted all of Becky’s efforts to lighten up, finally launches into an on-air fight with Colleen.
“Morning Glory” could use more scenes like this one. Perhaps they’ll be on the DVD — cut to make room for an insipid romantic subplot involving Becky and another producer (Patrick Wilson) in a movie that’s still overlong.