Broadcast News (1987)

An obsessive news producer (Hunter, Raising Arizona) begins to fall for the handsome but shallow TV anchorman (Hurt, Body Heat) who promotes the type of “news as entertainment” qualities she has been working against her whole career. While the two have their own thing, her best friend (Brooks, Lost in America), a witty but plain-looking reporter, confronts her with his own love. Both in the news, and in life, she must choose whether style will prevail over substance.

While not a particularly memorable film, it does sport excellent writing by James Brooks and genuine performances by the three leads. The characters, while essentially prototypes, are still given three-dimensional treatment that allows the film a complexity that allows for realism. A smart, funny and well-crafted from one of the best writer-directors of comedy-dramas (Terms of Endearment, As Good as it Gets) working today.

Qwipster’s rating: A

MPAA Rated: R for language and some sexual content
Running Time: 133 min.

Cast: William Hurt, Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, Robert Prosky, Lois Chiles
Director: James L. Brooks
Screenplay: James L. Brooks