Big Surprise

This is not a “review,” okay? Definitely not a review. Call it an enthusiasm spasm. The point is that Roger Michell‘s Morning Glory (Paramount, 11.12) is much better than what Paramount’s marketing has so far indicated, and a tiny bit better than what that Showeast guy told TheWrap‘s Steve Pond a week or so ago.

The exhibitor said “it’s close to James L. Brooks territory, or to the border between Brooks and Nancy Meyers” and “a solid entertainment that in November will appeal to the over-30 audience in a way that nothing else will.” Total agreement with the second statement, but forget the Nancy Meyers analogy. This film is close to Broadcast News-level Brooks + grade A, totally-on-his-game Michell + Harrison Ford‘s best performance in years + Rachel McAdams giving an ever better performance than she did in The Wedding Crashers (and that’s saying something).

Ford’s performance as a grumpy, past-his-prime, Dan Rather-ish newsman has a shot at a Best Supporting Actor recognition. Or not. He’s surly but smirking all the while. The role as written isn’t quite home-run-level, but it’s fair to call it a solid triple, I think.

That’s all I have time to say before the next movie starts, but I just had to counteract the impression I gave when I posted this 10.19 story, which was mainly a reaction piece to the one-sheet. No offense but the one-sheet “lies,” in a sense. Morning Glory is much smarter, more more realistic, and much more adult in a spritzy and reasonably real-world sense than you might expect.

I was afraid of screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna in the wake of 27 Dresses, but what a surprise! In the realm of commercial confections about big-city, fast-lane ambition, Morning Glory is a notch or two above McKenna’s The Devil Wears Prada. It’s somewhat similar in terms of the choice that the main character faces between an exciting career and a strong personal relationship, but it resolves this situation more satisfyingly, I feel, and Patrick Wilson plays a much cooler and more interesting boyfriend that Adrian Grenier played in Prada.

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51 thoughts on “Big Surprise”

  1. A fencepost could give a much cooler and more interesting performance than Grenier — he annoyed the crap out of me in Prada; he didn’t even bother to change his Entourage hairstyle, for gawd’s sake. But I’m glad to hear this is worthwhile. Good for McAdams.

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  3. You cannot be serious. Broadcast News aimed at the 13 year old girl market with about a thousand song cues. Devil Wears Prada in a newsroom.

    Disappointing, Wells. First Love & Other Drugs now this?

    “Ford’s performance as a grumpy, past-his-prime, Dan Rather-ish newsman has a shot at a Best Supporting Actor performance.”

    Stop.

    Wells to Tapley: Very disappointing, Kris. First you diss Love and Other Drugs, and now you’re ripping Morning Glory? Good heavens, man. What were you looking for when you sat down with this thing? Fassbinder? I was elated that the script is tart and seasoned and realistically flavored for the most part. I was delighted that it’s not a Nancy Meyers film in any way, shape or form. You can chip away at this and that if you want, but you can’t just blanket-dismiss this thing. It’s not cool. It’s a certain type of smart commercial film, and it delivers that certain thing with great assurance and style. You have to guard in life against being too sour-pussy, Kris. There are such things as well-done mainstream confections. They happen. It’s not a crime to be one.

    By the way: I posted inside Tapley’s comment box because I can’t post on my own. The Movable Type brainiacs have screwed things up and a good percentage of HE readers can’t post. Thanks, guys! Can’t wait to switch over to WordPress!

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  5. I had heard rumblings to this effect awhile back, but the terrible and generic trailer dampened my enthusiasm quite a bit. As someone who loves when Harrison Ford plays outside his sandbox (Six Days Seven Nights, Hollywood Homicide, Random Hearts), this is good news indeed.

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  8. After Tapley went wild for Up in the Air, I decided he’s really unreliable on film opinions. Competent prognosticator, but nobody should care about his film reviews.

    On topic, Patrick Wilson makes everything better. To use a LexGism, WILSON POWER. BOW.

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  11. I had heard rumblings to this effect awhile back, but the terrible and generic trailer dampened my enthusiasm quite a bit. As someone who loves when Harrison Ford plays outside his sandbox (Six Days Seven Nights, Hollywood Homicide, Random Hearts), this is good news indeed.

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  13. There are still certain individual reviews that still matter.

    When Jeff expresses his gut-feeling doubt pre-viewing and about-faces and likes a movie post-viewing, I take that into account.

    If a movie has nudity and Ebert still dislikes it, it must be bad.

    If Armond White hates a movie but it has over 70% RotTom rating, I know I’m going to like it.

    Even Roeper. If the movie is a period piece where women wear big hats, and Roeper still likes it, I figure there’s something to it.

    Anyone catch the Ben Lyons reference on Community last week? One of the best throwaway lines that only a few hundred people would get.

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  14. Well, I have been betrayed by most critics in terms of their taste. I think Nathan Rabin is one of the few critics people really should listen to. But I happen to think Guy Lodge is another.

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  15. not sure what happened, Wells, but did you actually cut off Tapley’s post mid-way?

    I’m not a big fan of his opinons myself, but jesus christ man have some couth, even if it is your own fine blog

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  17. MechanicalShark: Tapley and Wells both loved “Up in the Air,” so how is that supposed to help you decide who is right on this one?

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  19. I’m not totally surprised ‘Morning Glory’ works; Roger Michell is the real deal. ‘Notting Hill’ is about as good a mainstream romantic comedy that’s been made in the last twenty years.

    Having only seen the trailer for ‘Morning Glory’, I get where the ‘Broadcast News’ parallels come from but I seriously doubt McAdams’ character is going to have to face the same kind of life-altering gutcheck that Hunter’s did in Brooks’ classic. For Hunter’s character to succeed in such a high-stakes business, she had to give up something. Her personal life was in shambles when the movie started and perhaps in an even worst state when it ended. That’s the price you pay to play in the major leagues. My guess is, at the end of ‘Glory’, McAdams will find a balance between her job and her love life and live happily ever after. While reassuring and comfortable, this kind of equilibrium rarely exists in the real world. It certainly didn’t exist in ‘Broadcast News’ which is one reason why that movie continues to resonate with me after all these years.

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  20. I want to run screaming from anything Nancy Myers. The fact this isn’t close has my interest. Prada, was very good. 27 Dresses, not horrific, but, thankfully not Nancy Myers-like.

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  22. For what it’s worth, MORNING GLORY is showing pretty mediocre tracking.

    It has definite interest from older women (no surprise), and that’s about it.

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  23. Because they’ve pretty much sold it as a woman’s film. But it’s a lot more and a lot better than what that term implies.

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  24. Having just seen your reply:

    “There are such things as well-done mainstream confections. They happen. It’s not a crime to be one.”

    I agree. Wholeheartedly. However, “Morning Glory” and “Love & Other Drugs” are not “well-done mainstream confections.” They are limp attempts at as much, the sort that you have in the past taken to task, and yet offer a pass these days.

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  25. And how could you sense anything other than thin crust in Wilson’s portrait of a half-baked device? Though it’s not his fault his role is a poorly written, lazy stab at, yes, virtually the same role Grenier played in “Prada,” a sort of transparent, fantasy “you work too much but I’m here for you” character that McKenna has conjured twice now.

    My opinion, of course.

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  26. Glad you enjoyed it Jeff. I have been plugging this movie for months after reading the script which is above-average albeit unspectacular. But combining that script with this cast was genius and I knew this movie would work. McAdams has always been a very good actress pretty much from day one and she has both the star power and the chops to carry this kind of movie. Harrison Ford is perfect for Polmeroy’s character and Diane Keaton is great as his counterpart. Looking forward to seeing it!

    Also, I want to shed a light on Patrick Wilson’s character: In the original draft, he is actually the antagonist who causes Becky to get fired and drives her to take the job at “Daybreak” to get back at him. It’s sad that they had to rewrite him into a boyfriend role just to give McAdams a love interest (there is no side romance in the original draft).

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  28. Also, I want to shed a light on Patrick Wilson’s character: In the original draft, he is actually the antagonist who causes Becky to get fired and drives her to take the job at “Daybreak” to get back at him. It’s sad that they had to rewrite him into a boyfriend role just to give McAdams a love interest (there is no side romance in the original draft).

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