User reviews

Rachel McAdams leads the way in this surprisingly refreshing flick as the workaholic television show producer, Becky, who lands the job of organizing "the worst morning show ever". She only has a short time to save the show's plummeting ratings, and in doing so must battle with low worker morale, conceited anchors, poor working conditions, as well as her own inadequacy in dealing with guy-problems. Desperate for a change, she recruits the legendary newscaster Mike Pomeroy, played by Harrison Ford, who is less than willing to cover any story he does not consider "worthy of his reputation".

The film brings not just a comic story of working with grumpy people, but the beautiful emotional tale of a girl who realizes her dream of being a television producer and, by pulling everyone together against the odds, creates a family in the process. But where the story is rather run-of-the-mill, the chemistry between the impressive cast is the movie's redeeming quality. Across the board, acting was fantastic, and in all honesty the movie owes its success to McAdams and Ford. Rachel McAdams should be commended for her frustrated role as Becky, and has proved that she has much more to offer than a just pretty face. Harrison Ford, perhaps the true star of the show, fully embraced the character of Pomeroy did a wonderfully fantastic job being grumpy, conceited, and an all-around "asshole" in one of his best roles as of late.

Morning Glory is a nice tale that will leave you with a sweet taste in your mouth. Combined with some real solid acting, this is not a movie you'll regret checking out!

In that time between summer blockbusters and the full-on Oscar blitz is time for Hollywood to take a breather. Sometimes the audience takes a breather too. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Here we meet Becky Fuller, trying to make the jump from local to network news show producer. She is put in charge of an ailing morning program, and when told that it is on its last leg, she takes the novel and bizarre step of forcing well-respected television journalist Mike Pomeroy into the co-host position via a quirk of his contract. and thus they are off toward saving the show... A plot like this doesn't really have much in the way of surprises. What really matters is how well the characters are written and how well the actors play their respective parts. While none of the cast is terrible, standing out are a low-key Jeff Goldblum, playing a cynical network executive. While an over stated, loud performance would have sufficed, Goldblum plays it a pragmatic working guy. He gets in a few good zingers early on though. The other standout is Harrison Ford. While he hasn't had much success in the field, he is actually very good at comedy usually playing the straight man to what is going on around him. Here he plays the gruffly lovable curmudgeon pretty well. A significant part of the the plot is his character's personal growth. On the whole, Morning Glory isn't going to sweep any of the major awards, but it's a gentle way to pass two hours and get a few good laughs in the process.

Rachel McAdams is what makes this movie so likable and cute. Her spunky optimism and always-on attitude is what drives the movie forward and gives it heart.

This is one of Harrison Ford's funniest roles - he plays the grumpy, I'm too good for this, I will do what I want and you'll just have to deal with it, asshole extremely well.

The witty banter back and forth between Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford is at times laugh out loud hilarious. I loved their chemistry and the weatherman's antics were the beginning of when my ratings for the movie started to go up. Once it all got going I thought to myself, "I'd watch that morning show!"

It's a bit cheesy.

But has a seriously sweet story and great message.

It could do without the romance.

It made me laugh out loud, so that's a plus.

It has Rachel McAdams, so I don't think it's humanly possible for me to give this movie (or any movie starring Rachel McAdams for that matter) anything lower then 7 stars. I think I love her.

Rachel if you're seeing this find me. (Why would she see this?) Harrison Ford plays a very Harrison Ford esc role, it's funny and it works.

Diane Keaton is surprisingly pleasant in this. She has a fun little arc.

Rachel McAdams. Wow I means she knocked it out of the park. How couldn't she? With those bloody dimples.

Anyways, yeah it's good! Little cheesy. But good.

Good watch, will likely watch again eventually, and can recommend.

For whatever reason, Rachel McAdams (especially given her range) does a wonderful "Type A" character, and nailed this roll. Between that, Harrison Ford nailing the jerk, and a wonderful supporting cast we get a fascinating look into the production world of morning television.

It's a strange and competitive industry, and Becky's journey is wonderfully crafted for us.

'MORNING GLORY': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Rachel McAdams shines in this surprisingly clever and uplifting news comedy, reminiscent of similar films from decades ago. It's directed by Roger Michell (who also directed the exceptional 'CHANGING LANES' and 'NOTTING HILL') and written by Aline Brosh McKenna (who's written a handful of similar themed rom-coms including 'THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA', 'LAWS OF ATTRACTION' and '27 DRESSES'). It's produced by J.J. Abrams and features a top notch supporting cast including Diane Keaton, Jeff Goldblum and Patrick Wilson. It's co-star Harrison Ford that really steals the show though, giving one of his best performances in years.

McAdams stars as a work obsessed TV show producer named Becky who's so obsessed with her job that she's relationship challenged and awkward around men (of course not convincingly so but McAdams does a more than adequate job trying to pull it off). As the film opens she's let go from her current job and hired on to the struggling morning news show 'Daybreak'. The show is long past it's prime and it's ratings are barely able to keep it on the air. On her first day Becky fires the sexist co-host Paul McVee (Ty Burrell, of TV's 'MODERN FAMILY') and then is faced with the dilemma of replacing him with no budget. She soon discovers that legendary veteran news anchor Mike Pomeroy (Ford), who she idolized as a kid, is still under contract with the station for two years. So she forces the aged superstar, who thinks the show is beneath him and his standards, into taking the job. He of course clashes with his veteran co-host (Keaton) and everyone else on the show. Becky fights hard to make it work though and save the show from it's dismal ratings while trying to juggle a new-found relationship.

The film is somewhat clichéd and predictable fluff but it's pumped with a lot of lovable energy from it's A list cast. I've been a fan of McAdams for several years now and this might be one of her best performances yet. She brings a believable likability to the role that the usual bigger stars that are typically cast in a movie like this (Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, etc.) never could. Her energy and enthusiastic performance really make the movie and the only thing that possibly outdoes her is Harrison Ford. He hasn't been this funny and likable in several years and he and McAdams have great chemistry together. The rest of the cast is adequate but those two really make the film work. There's some clever writing and the directing is fitting (although the film feels a little rushed towards the end). As far as this type of material goes it's definitely not a bad little film.

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At a loss of what to do, on a whim, I decided to go to the cinema. Being the opening night of 'Black Swan', I decided to leave that particular feature for another day. There were a few horrors, a few kids movies and then there was Morning Glory.

The Plot: Morning Glory is the story of one enthusiastic workaholic, Becky Fuller (Rachael McAdams), who is fired from her job at a Morning television show. Unemployed and desperate, she jumps at the offer of Executive Producer for a low budget, failing Morning show. The presenter of which, is the sour wannabe diva Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton) and the employees of which are under constant pressure to raise the audience ratings. Determined to prove her boss wrong, Becky Fuller goes to great lengths to improve the standard. One of her missions, is to employ world famous reporter, (and the third most horrible person in the world) Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) as co-presenter.

My Opinion: There are some movies that leave you indifferent. You walk out of the theater, shrugging your shoulders and contemplating what to cook for dinner. Then there are those, that leave you with a definite emotion. Morning Glory, for me, was the latter. As the closing credits scrolled, I was inspired. I skipped out with a can-do spirit. Maybe its due to Rachel McAdam's contagious radiance. Maybe its Harrison Ford's excellent acting. Maybe it was the simple plot, and happy ending. I don't really know. All I know, is that even now, the after effect of this light comedy- was pure conviction that anything can happen, if you work hard and really want it.

To put it plainly, this romantic comedy was a pleasure to watch. And an excellent remedy for someone whose a little hopeless in these difficult financial times.

This movie is easy to follow and just the deal for a lazy Sunday afternoon. It is good fun and the characters quite fun. All the leads do a really good job at entertaining you. I watch morning TV regularly and while I don't think this is how it goes exactly, I am there is some semblance when it comes to ego and problems with producing such programs. Harrison Ford portrays a grumpy news reader and you don't like him at the start but he grows on you. The scenes with the weatherman are fantastic and fit the stereotypical 'morning 'weird'' weatherman type role. If you don't go into this movie with high expectations then it will reward you with some just good fun entertainment.

It's no secret that people go to see movies touted as being comedies for one reason, they want it to be funny and thereby make them feel a little better, or at least lighten their mood. That's what I was looking for when I went in to see this film. Thankfully, I was rewarded with more feel good value than I had paid for. This film is terrific entertainment.

I'll add that I enjoyed this film on a number of levels.

First, was the pure comedic value, which was high. Rachel McAdams owned nearly every scene she was in with not just her drop-dead-gorgeous-good-looks but with her well applied talent invested into this somewhat quirky, high energy character. McAdams' Becky was a finely crafted portrait of a warm, likable, very intelligent, hyper-kinetic, lovable screwball of a young woman. Her every moment on screen exuded lovable charm by the truckload; she's never looked more appealing or more lovely.

But McAdams certainly didn't have to carry this funny film on her own. She was ably assisted by some of the finest people in Hollywood in the persons of Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Jeff Goldblum, John Pankow, Patrick Wilson, Matt Malloy, Ty Burrell, Patti D'Arbanville and a long list of equally great supporters. What a great selection of professionals.

Ford was splendid as the emotionally parsimonious codger of an over-the-hill anchor. Not to be outdone, Diane Keaton was as terrific as ever in her turn as Ford's cynical, combative co-anchor; which she carried off with a wonderful exuberance and energy.

Jeff Goldblum - who always seems to land roles as some kind of "different" personality - was excellent as Ms. McAdams' crabby boss. McAdams' colleague Lenny was well worn by John Pankow who seems to add to everything I've ever seen him in. Patrick Wilson as McAdams' love interest wasn't given much material to work with but his time on screen was well spent, adding a quality performance in just the right place. Ty Burrell was funny and at the same time kind of spooky as an unappealingly unctuous departing anchor. Though a small part, it was pleasant to see Patti D'Arbanville play McAdams' mother with appropriate love and concern.

I saved Matt Malloy for last because he was an unexpected treasure. His portrayal of the show's weatherman suddenly thrust into a new and challenging role was particularly hilarious; the proverbial icing on the cake.

The second area of enjoyment was the overall effort put into the sets, art direction, sound and the other technical areas. Everything was first rate which added to the realism.

Finally, their depiction of the behind the scenes areas of a hectic television studio came across as spot on, actually heightening the chaos that seemed to follow McAdams everywhere. You can't go wrong seeing this film if you're looking for a fun night at the movies.

A big thank you to the makers of this entertaining gem! By Bruce L. Jones http://webpages.charter.net/bruce.jones1/

Greetings again from the darkness. It would be easy to dismiss this film as typical lighthearted Hollywood fluff that carries no real message (other than a 2 hour escape). The interesting thing is that it's really not an escape - we are tossed right into the workaday world of a manic TV producer. Additionally, though it has plenty of light moments, it also carries a bit of depth in breaking down a couple of lead characters.

Rachel McAdams plays Becky Fuller, morning TV show producer. Becky is a cute, driven, frantic, EverReady Bunny ball of energy who watches multiple TV's and carries on multiple conversations, all while texting incessantly. She is hired by Jeff Goldblum in his final attempt at resurrecting ratings for "Daybreak", a mere blip of competition to "The Today Show".

The story gets interesting when Becky recruits/blackmails news legend Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) to co-anchor the show with Diane Keaton's character. To compare, Keaton's character will kiss a frog or don a pink tutu and has mastered the perpetual smile so necessary for morning TV. Ford's character may not have smiled since 4th grade and views the mission of TV as delivering news and hard stories and information.

The conflict in the story comes from Ford's character (labeled the world's third worst person), whom the world has passed by, and McAdams', who is the eternal optimist. It's pretty obvious they will somehow save each other, but still I found it entertaining to watch the road. Thank goodness there was no May-September romance between McAdams and Ford.

The film itself, directed by Roger Michell (Venus, Notting Hill) and Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada), does a nice job with insight into those whose personalities are bound tightly to their job. There were a few occasions where the film felt choppy - like some scenes were cut or reinserted, and the music was consistently weak. I Also could have done with about 8 fewer scenes of McAdams running through New York in her heels - we get that she never stops moving! Even though it's not at the level of "Broadcast News", it offers enough depth and comedy to make this a worthwhile film to see.

Looking at the cast and knowing a little bit about the plot, I thought this film had potential. Wow...it just went on and on. It could not decide what it wanted to be...drama or comedy??? I blame the writer. I am a big fan of Roger Michell's work so that is especially disappointing. ("Persuasion" was great!) It was just BAD. There were a few moments with Diane Keaton that were worthwhile, that was all. What a mess. Harrison Ford was TERRIBLE. The main character, Rachel McAdams, is so cute and throughout the movie she was trying to win people over...to what? There was no character to her character. Yes, she was "charming" and "hard working" but her life was so empty.

This film is about a young executive producer's struggle to revive an unpopular morning show.

I thought "Morning Glory" is just another romantic comedy that happens to be set in a television setting, but it pleasantly surprised me. The plot in fact focuses a lot more on the stress and frustration of being an executive producer, with romance being sidelined as an almost dispensable subplot. The intensity of Becky's job is well portrayed, the two anchors' verbal wars and Mike's indifferent and selfish attitude all makes "Morning Glory" entertaining to watch. "Morning Glory" is a pleasant surprise!

I saw this in a pre-screening with a few girlfriends. I thought it was predictable and they pushed the limits with the swearing just a little, to the point of it being distracting from the film itself, almost like they were just trying to push the envelope of PG-13 . So that's mostly the negative.

On the positive - there were some very funny parts that had us all laughing as a group and Rachel McAdams is always fun to watch - I adore her! The cast line up was great - I think Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton are a great pair, especially with their relationship in this film.

It was a great Girl's Night film, some guys may even enjoy it. I would say it was better than Maid of Honor or Failure to Launch, perhaps on a par with First Kiss or 27 Dresses...It's very typical and alike all the others of it's genre, so it's entertaining if you're into it. And ultimately it comes down to personal preference.

One goof I noticed a lot - and it's just who I am to notice. There were a few scenes that I could TELL had been spliced together over a few takes - strictly because Rachels hair was different in each one...like her bangs were swept to the side and pinned better in one shot than another, but then it would come back around to her and they'd be loose again...or her hair was up higher and then lower and then back up higher again...that sort of thing. Not a huge deal, didn't detract for me or anything, but I rather enjoy spotting those types of things. It wasn't anything like in Conspiracy Theory where he has the hat on, then off, then on again on the bus...or anything...just a hair difference.

Morning Glory / Rated PG-13 for language, one of the main characters in her underwear and some drinking and talk of drugs. Rachel McAdams plays perky 28 year old Becky, hard working All American girl TV news show producer. RM herself will be 32 on 11/17/2010 but that's close enough. She is fired from her morning news/feature show in a small New Jersey market and is on the hunt for a job. In NY she is offered a position without much chance of success on a major TV network the fictional IBS where complications ensue. There she runs into a cast of also rans. Last in the morning sweepstakes ratings the show is called Morning Glory. Diane Keaton is the anchor along with a host of other not so great TV personalities. RM under threat of cancellation by her new boss Jeff Goldblum finds a contractual clause in the agreement with legendary newsman Harrison Ford. She pressures him into joining the show. He doesn't like it. HF plays an irascible character, non smiling and always in ill humor. DK is the beleaguered co anchor who is in competition with HF over who gets to say "goodbye" at the end of the show. Everything turns from bad to worse. RM's dates don't turn out well. Like Rodney Dangerfield she "gets no respect". The movie moves along okay for 70 minutes then the script goes from adequate to forest fire fast. RM tries some new ideas and the show starts to show an increase in the ratings. The last 25 minutes are full of hilarity and the characters joining together to make the show work and the audience laugh. She succeeds. They succeed. We all get to laugh a lot. Her success is never really in doubt but the way it's done works well all around. HF and DK are dead on. JG is fine in his role as the boss. The supporting characters on the show are all superb in adding just the right amount of support and humor at the same time. RM who recently had the plum role of Sherlock Holmes nemesis and dream lady in the Robert Downey and Jude Law version of SH playing Irene Adler is supposedly returning to that role again in the first of two sequels coming up in 2011 and later. I would also like to see her back as Perky Becky. Rated 3.0 out of 4.0 early mornings. Goodbye.

I just came from a screening of this movie. I went in thinking total chick flick and came away quite impressed. There is a love story but it doesn't take up the whole movie and get heavy with it. The movie more centers around an up and coming producer of a local TV morning show that ends up at the lowest rated nationally syndicated morning show. what entails is a humorous tale of trying to get the shows ratings up.

If I had not received screening tickets to this movie I probably would have never have seen it in the theater but after watching this movie I would have gladly shelled out $10-15 for a ticket to this movie. Well worth the time and even better I got to go for free.

Morning Glory isn't a movie that pretends to be great cinema, and it shouldn't be judged as if it is. It's entertainment in a sort of Chick Flick way and is in my opinion a modest success in that genre.

Having said that, it's also a disappointment in some way: the basic idea around which the film is constructed is ripe with comedic opportunities, but unfortunately little is made of many of them. The first thirty minutes drags along painfully slowly and it's only during the last half that the writers seem to have got into their stride and begun to mine the situations for, if not gold, at least base metal.

The least believable thing is the character of Becky, as played by Rachel McAdams. Hyperactive and naive, can we really accept that major networks would have producers like this on their staff? Then there's Mike Pomeroy, the Grumpy Old Man who won't let anyone forget his war correspondent persona: Harrison Ford plays him with such sneering overacting he loses credibility. Diane Keaton is by far the best of the trio that make up the kernel of the movie: over the top but in a way that is meant to be.

The rest of the cast are probably the best of the players here, with some nicely judged performances.

Inside looks at TV shows going out live always produce a frisson in the viewer, and this movie is no different. the near-panic when things leave the rails, the personal vendettas and hates, and the rush to meet schedules is the meat of the film. Some genuine belly laughs come out of the script - it's just that there are too few of them - too many missed opportunities - to persuade me to give this an 8 or 9.

And a personal hobby horse: like so many movies in the last few years, the sound engineers are being allowed to get away with murdering the tracks. Music can enhance a film's mood but it has to be done thoughtfully and not, as in this case, so aggressively that it intrudes. Dialogue that is incomprehensible because of the volume of the score isn't dialogue at all, and even talk-free scenes are ruined by over-loud music. I suspect that this is partly due to the surround sound systems, producing (for the audience in the rear rows) a "curtain" of sound in the mid-speakers that drowns out the actor's speech on the screen speakers, Someone needs to listen to the soundtracks in a movie theatre and not just in the cutting room.

Anyway, a reasonably entertaining hour and a half, if a tad disappointing that more hasn't been made of the situations.

Rachel McAdams is a favorite of mine yet I could neither buy into her character nor bear to watch her split personality of manic disorganized workaholic and frivolous ditz. A very odd combo.

Harrison Ford's character is so over-the-top with his pompous ego it's ridiculous.

I think the screenwriters deserve the credit for producing these caricature roles. For me, it was difficult to watch.

I saw the screening of this movie last night and was pleasantly surprised that this was not another "chick flick". The story focuses around a young female producer that is hard working and hoping to get her dream job of Executive Producer (EP) of a well known TV morning show. Instead, she is accepted into the EP position on a failing TV morning show. Dedicated to her career, which was her dream since age 8, she has little time for men and romance. As the story progresses she has countless obstacles she must overcome and a high amount of stress that comes with the job. There are many comical scenes as the producer is practically at wits end during the main duration of the movie. She doesn't seem to lose her cool much of the movie, and when she does become infused with anger or passion she is constructive in using it to complete her job. This is a feel good story that shows with hard work, dedication (following a dream since age 8!), a bit of luck, and having faith in yourself, you can accomplish your goals. A nice change from the current female lead characters currently out there.

I left the theater thinking about my own career and how I could improve myself or work ethics. This movie is definitely a go-see!

Not Oscar worthy, but a cute fluff movie nonetheless. The characters are well cast and fairly well acted. Adams and Ford have great chemistry. Go in with low expectation and let morning glory take you on a perfectly predictable ride.