Morning Glory (2010)

"Daybreak" pokes pleasant fun at today's 3 morning TV shows and the ins and outs of it and the world of television news broadcasting. It portrays all types of news and society archetypes - the ambitious young TV producer fired from her local TV station who wants higher ratings (Rachel McAdams), the brash, no-nonsense, seasoned and substantial anchorman (Harrison Ford), the perky female anchorman who smiles at everything yet is not completely comfortable working with an anchor who doesn't smile (Diane Keaton), the comical weatherman who breezes through forecasts and does humorous on-air stunts (Matt Malloy), the producer's boss who gets angry when things don't go well (Jeff Goldblum), the on-the-job boyfriend who wishes the producer wouldn't take her job too seriously (Patrick Wilson), the sexually charged younger anchor who the producer fires right away before hiring her the more seasoned veteran anchorman (Ty Burrell), and the producer's mother in a small part who makes her aware of today's unemployment and downsizing (Patti D'Arbanville). All these people and much more elements make up "Morning Glory" and tells us about the world that we live in today.

McAdams is young Becky Fuller, fired from her local TV station as the producer in New Jersey, and then gets her big break accepting the job of a fourth-place morning news show producer at a fictitious TV network across from 30 Rock called IBS. That morning news show is called "Daybreak," which relies more on style than substance. Right away, after Becky fires the lecherous anchorman (Burrell), she meets her childhood idol in the elevator named Mike Pomeroy (Ford). And as much as she has loved him all her life from afar, he initially doesn't reciprocate his feelings to her. She meets Colleen Peck (Keaton), who despite her on-air smiles, has a tough edge. She spent 11 years on the show and has worked with at least 15 anchorman, none who she really got along with. Now Peck and Pomeroy meet, she smiles, he grunts, and they eventually go head to head over their news styles. Ratings are close to cancellation due to clashing anchorpeople in contrast to the friendly repartee of Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, and Al Roker, that we get to see every day on "The Today Show," and the silly stuff played on the show all the time.

After an important interview with the governor, where Pomeroy whisks Becky to see the substance of his career, Becky is offered a job as the producer of the always top-rated "Today Show," and feels that she had enough of Pomeroy's arrogance and ego, and demeaning attitude towards her. Predictably enough, Pomeroy loosens up and shares his secrets of cooking frittatas, something he did share personally with Becky. Ratings soar. We get that conventional happy rom-com ending just as we are always manipulated to believe that the heroine and hero depart after a quarrel in the third act.

"Morning Glory" won't be as Oscarworthy as "Network" or "Broadcast News" since both have more substance in them. But despite the fluffy nature (a word that Pomeroy avoids), there is more intelligence in this movie than you would expect. The first rate cast of older pros (Keaton, Ford, Goldblum) and younger rising stars (McAdams, Wilson, Burrell) make it worthwhile, and deliver smart, sassy humor and snappy zingers.