Broadcast News

A fiery and talented network news producer out of D.C. becomes attracted to the handsome new anchor who is the embodiment everything she detests about nightly news, much to the chagrin of her friend and reporter who secretly carries a flame for her. James L. Brooks' "Broadcast News" endearingly cynical portrait the watering down and cheapening of our on air news programs. Much like "Network" with less venom, it is prophetic in the way it sees the trajectory of our television journalism (watching the news stories presented in this film, I couldn't believe how literate they were!) Brooks' wonderful script is anchored (no pun intended, hahaha) by three magnificent performances from three distinguished types. Holly Hunter stands at the center of the film in an incredibly realized depiction as the wound-up producer (I'd hate to call her adorable and take anything away from the performance but she is). William Hurt is equally great as the charismatic, self-admitted dope, and Albert Brooks is just fantastic as a brilliant but photogenically challenged reporter. Jack Nicholson also makes a welcome and hysterical cameo as the national news anchor. In a film full of many great ones I wanted to mention two which stand out: One is where Hurt is called to read the news on whim and we see the inner workings of the studio as Hunter delivers his lines via earpiece, some of which come through Brooks over the phone. The other is a speech delivered by Brooks to Hunter where he tries to stall her from meeting Hurt deriding him as the devil while declaring his undying love for her. I don't know if I've ever seen a film that manages to be so enchanting and loving, while so succinctly conveying its cynical message.