Thursday, February 10, 2011

SOME PEOPLE EXPECT THAT THEY GO TO A MOVIE, THEY'RE GOING TO SEE A MOVIE ENDING:  The Criterion release of Broadcast News on DVD has yielded a wealth of good writing about one of my favorite films.  Dan Kois calls it the smartest romantic comedy of the past 25 years; Scott Tobias properly notes that while it's clear where James L. Brooks's sympathies lie, he doesn't vilify the William Hurt character; and our good friend Carrie Rickey calls it "a comedy that takes values seriously".

It's that second point I want to elaborate on for a second. It would be very easy to bias the movie's triangle and making Tom more knowingly devious, as opposed to a generally well-meaning guy who knows he's slightly out of his depth.  And Aaron could have remained more noble and sympathetic, yet instead he gets that awful, bitter dig at Jane at the end (the "it's not nice to point at single fat women" speech). Instead, they're both flawed, both recognizably human. I love this film.

28 comments:

  1. Marsha10:30 AM

    What I love about this movie is that it can tackle serious issues and complex characters, while still having all different kinds of humor - There's slapstick (the Joan Cusack tape delivery sequence), satire (the news theme sequence - "BIG FINISH"), physical comedy ("Nixon didn't sweat this much"), cliche rom-com (Jane giving the big speech not realizing Tom's parents are in the room), meta (that we enjoy the domino clip despite knowing we're being told not to), snark ("I can sing, while I read, I am singing, and reading BOTH!").... it's so fabulously funny, while still having something interesting to say. That's why I can still watch it over and over after 25 years.

    And, of course, three amazing performances by the leads, fabulous work by all the supporting cast (I dearly love the woman who plays Jennifer, especially in her Alaska stand-up), and some of the best shoulder pads of the decade. I still want Jane's polka dot dress.

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  2. Genevieve10:53 AM

    One of my top ten movies, and probably my favorite rom-com besides The Shop Around the Corner.  I like all of the articles that you linked to, but disagree with one thing in the AV Club analysis -- I think the opening with them as children is perfect and well-integrated with the movie.  It's funny and it sets up their characters beautifully, particularly Jane's as she argues fiercely about the definition of a word, in a fight that means so much to her and very little to the other party.  (And I have been there.)  The one thing I'm not sure is necessary in the opening are the little subtitles that says "Future News Producer," etc.

    "<span>I'll meet you at the place near the thing where we went that time." is so Sorkinesque that I forgot it wasn't Sorkin.</span>

    Also, I loved that this movie had the first heroine my size I ever remember, and will forever be pissed at Pauline Kael for writing in her review, "Holly Hunter, amusingly dinky at 5'2" . . . "

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  3. Alan Sepinwall11:00 AM

    As a romantic comedy, I think it's lovely. As a commentary on the TV news business - even the TV news business at that particular moment in time - I found it pretty shallow. Who cares whether or not the guy reading the news actually understands most of what he's reading? And is the stunt that Hurt's character pulls with the tears really all that egregious compared to the many stories the business wouldn't cover because they weren't sexy enough, didn't have cool enough video, were hard to boil down into a 2-minute segment, etc?

    Still, the flop sweat scene was and remains epic.

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  4. What Marsha said. :) 

    This remains one of my top three favorite movies of all time.  I'm just wowed by the combination of smart dialogue, witty humor, amazing casting, complex characters and themes, and a romantic triangle that really seems complicated and unpredictable. It just seems rare that a movie can be this entertaining and funny and yet still have something interesting and serious to say.  

    I love all the moments Marsha mentioned (especially "BIG FINISH!"), and I often use "I'll meet you at the place near the thing where we went that time." There's so many great exchanges. ("Is there anything I can do for you?"  "Well, I certainly hope you'll die soon."  And of course, Jane's reponse about being the smartest person in the room. "No, it's awful.") I think the dialogue in the climactic scene with Jane and Aaron is some of the best ever written, where Aaron half-seriously, half-jokingly explains why William Hurt's character is the devil.

    "I think you're the devil!"
    "You know I'm not."
    "Why?"
    "Because I think we have the kind of relationship, where if I were the devil, you'd be the one person I would tell."

    Okay, now I need to go watch it again.

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  5. True story: under the chuppah with Jen, she did tell me I was "sweating like Nixon."  And she was right.

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  6. Marsha, I love the "I am singing and reading BOTH" bit.  That whole sequence is great, with Brooks getting drunker and drunker, and Holly Hunter feeding William Hurt the information he needs.

    I also love Brooks' description of what the devil would be like: ..."He would get a job where he could influence a great, god-fearing nation.  And then little by little, he'd lower our standards."

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  7. Professor Jeff11:33 AM

    Just last night, my daughter was describing how her 3rd-grade teacher had introduced the concept of alliteration.  My wife and I simultaneously said, "A lot of alliteration from anxious anchors placed in powerful posts!"

    We also frequently preface requests for favors by saying "I would really a lot appreciate it ..."

    We love this movie.  Really a lot.

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  8. "BIG FINISH" gets me every. single. time.

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  9. Using an Amazon gift card to go buy this right now.

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  10. Marsha11:40 AM

    That entire devil conversation is genius - "And he will talk about all of us really being salesmen. And he'll get all the great women"

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  11. Marsha11:42 AM

    "I say it here, it comes out there...."

    I cannot hear "Midnight Train to Georgia" without Albert Brooks in my head. If I didn't love the movie and the sequence so much, I'd be mad at him for ruining a wonderful song for me.

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  12. Also one of my favorite movies, and I'll certainly be getting it on DVD (although it's one of those I've seen so many times, owning it is almost redundant).  Just yesterday a colleague and I referenced the Cusack/tape obstacle course scene, and neither of us had to explain it much. 

    One of the points of the "tears" revelation to me is that Jane realizes that Aaron is right and she didn't want him to be.  Tom has a line that keeps moving, and Jane doesn't, but more than that, she feels foolish and that is something she can't get beyond.  At least in the time before the plane will take off.

    And, it's been said many many times, but how wonderful that throughout his career, Brooks has not been afraid to focus on smart, driven women who aren't perfect.

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  13. Genevieve12:10 PM

    Also, I kind of enjoyed "How Do You Know," even though it was so flawed.  It makes a great guilty pleasure, or movie to watch on TV (once it's there).  And I particularly liked Reese Witherspoon's character, speaking of smart, driven women who aren't perfect (though I think her main imperfection is during the part where she settles for what Owen Wilson can give her -- other than that, I didn't see a major flaw, just the fallout when a smart, driven woman loses the job she's been so driven about.)

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  14. KCosmo12:39 PM

    Just chiming in to note that it's one of my favorite all-time movies too.  Mr. Cosmo has never seen it.  I think I'll order it now.

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  15. Yes, I just ordered it too.  I have an Amazon Visa card which periodically sends me credits, and the latest had perfect timing.

    Has this site ever considered setting up an Amazon affiliate link to get a little kickback?  I'm not sure exactly how they work, but with all the regulars here seem to order, it might bring in a few pennies.

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  16. The Pathetic Earthling2:12 PM

    Wow.  I really liked this movie, but I don't think I have seen a lick of it since I saw it in the theater.  I'll need to go back.

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  17. The Pathetic Earthling2:14 PM

    Tina - We've tossed this idea around the Board Room, and with many of us being attorneys, the complications of turning a hobby into a very, very, very, very low paying job just aren't worth it.  It's never been completely ruled out that we might do something like that with money going to a worthy cause, but even that's not headache free.

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  18. I likewise haven't seen it since I saw it on video.  (Bear in mind I was 10 when it came out in theatres.)  I should watch it again.

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  19. isaac_spaceman2:50 PM

    I also haven't seen it in at least a decade and can't remember seeing it more than once.  I do have to ask, though --taking as obvious the fact that James L. Brooks's sympathies lie with the Albert Brooks character, is that the same thing as saying that the movie is asking us to root for Albert Brooks to end up with the girl?  Because I don't remember it that way.

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  20. Aimee3:17 PM

    I don't think the movie asks us to do that.  I remember when I first saw it that I really liked the fact that it specifically *didn't* ask me to root for anybody, except maybe for the girl to end up with someone she really loved.  *I* have a huge preference for the Brooks character, because he's smart and funny and a writer; but I don't think the movie does. 

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  21. Aimee3:18 PM

    I use that "A lot of alliteration..." line frequently, too!

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  22. No, because he's flawed too -- self-righteous and insecure and desperate.

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  23. piledhighanddeep4:38 PM

    News dude:  "It must be nice to always be the smartest person in the room.:
    Jane:  "No. It's awful."


    Love, Love, LURV this movie.

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  24. spacewoman5:10 PM

    Which movie is it more embarrassing that I haven't seen, this or Pretty in Pink? 

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  25. Professor Jeff5:45 PM

    FYI, Hulu has some well-chosen Broadcast News clips, including the frantic get-the-tape-on-air sequence, Aaron's epic flop sweat, and the theme-music writers with their "BIG FINISH!"  (The keyboard guy on the right in that last clip? ALOTT5MA fave Marc Shaiman.)

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  26. isaac_spaceman7:31 PM

    Pretty in Pink is specific.  Broadcast News is general.

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  27. Genevieve12:26 PM

    This one.  Watch it now.  

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  28. Nancy6:00 PM

    My fave movie ever. I could teach a class on this one. If you have not seen it. do so IMMEDIATELY!

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