Movie Minute: Morning Glory

Omigosh.

I think I just witnessed the first intelligent, non-indie, kinda-sorta romantic comedy of the year.  Maybe of the last two years.

Last night's screening of Morning Glory gives me some hope for the genre.  Perhaps movie execs have realized that American audiences have grown weary of razor-thin plots, whiny, unlikable heroines, douches with hearts of gold, and pat endings.

Rachel McAdams gives her all in this movie as Becky, the new producer of the lowest-ranked morning show on network TV.  She's insanely perky for a former New Jerseyan, and is doggedly determined to lift the show out of the ratings basement.  In order to get the program on the right track, she has to contend with two cranky, stubborn and downright hostile network veterans played by Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford.  Along the way, she meets Adam (Patrick Wilson), a producer for the nightly news program at the network, and sparks fly between them.

Quick Takes: 

• The script gets an A-.  It's hysterical and actually has a real plot with a beginning, middle and end.  I know you're thinking, "Duh," but the crappy romantic comedies we've been forced to endure recently are so poorly structured.  Morning Glory is far better than average.
• Rachael McAdams can do no wrong--she accurately surveyed the boundaries of believability of the character.  Even with the strong script, Becky's perkiness is a little bit much, and the role would have been a complete mess in the hands of most of her peers.
• Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford appear to be slumming in the first half of the movie.  The director seemed to be using a really light hand with them, but it eventually got better.
• Patrick Wilson gives a solid performance as the romantic interest.  It's good to see an alpha male type who isn't a stereotypical jerk in a romantic comedy.
• I enjoyed it, found myself laughing and smiling at numerous junctures, but was slightly irritated by the fact that the writers stuck to the romantic comedy convention of portraying the female careerist as unlucky in love, clumsy, and neurotic.  And where were her girlfriends for support?

Overall, I'd give the movie a solid B+.  It's a good date movie.  Morning Glory opens on November 10.