Writer: Naseem Randhawa

Writer Ratings:
Overall:
Cast:
Plot:
Effects:
Cinematography:

Watch this if you liked: “The Devil Wears Prada”, “The Ugly Truth”, “Working Girl”

"Morning Glory" follows Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams), a young ambitious producer who not only struggles to revive a failing morning show, but the vibrancy of her life as well. Her attempts to boost the poor ratings of the show are constantly halted thanks to the antics of mismatched anchors Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) and Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton); who provide constant disruption, one after another by remaining egoistically headstrong. As if McAdams didn't have much on her plate already, hunky TV reporter Adam (Patrick Wilson) soon becomes the object of Becky's affection and time. Overwhelmed, Becky tries hard to remain optimistic in juggling her priorities in hopes that things will get better soon.

On a certain level, the movie accurately illustrates the life balance McAdams tries to attain with her hectic career, and thus we're able to relate to her dilemma. Her work woes and constant complications prevent her from having time to develop a social life, or to indulge in anything other than her career. It also plunges audiences headfirst into the broadcasting world, and how much of real life dedication is required in the competitive field of morning shows.

The strange yet refreshing thing about this movie is that it rarely focuses on Becky's romantic relationship with Patrick; rather it takes a backseat, and her relationship with work and the two troublesome anchors forms the basis of the whole story instead.

Audiences will notice that the plot lines in "Morning Glory" run parallel to "Devil Wears Prada", where Anne Hathaway's character faces almost the similar sort of stressful predicaments to achieve her career goals. Well no surprises there really, as both stories are the brainchild of screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna who perhaps based the plot through her own past experiences of being in the publishing/broadcasting industry.

The strength of this movie obviously isn't its poor plot (that had the potential to be great) but its strong line-up and their performances. McAdams puts up a convincing front as a woman in the workforce who struggles hard to achieve success, while remaining innocently optimistic despite being constantly underrated by her superiors. Harrison Ford loveable no matter what role he's trust into, is a cynical grumpy old anchor that exerts some of his sarcastic Hans Solo charm while bickering with his unwanted co-anchor Diane Keaton, providing much delight to watch. Keaton not to be left out, manages to shine through as a malicious diva that despises Ford for stealing her thunder from the show that she was meant to be the star of. The witty pair put up an outstanding comedic act especially in their bickering scenes (that happens quite often), which serves as the highlight of the movie with hilarious consequences.

Not your typical chick flick, "Morning Glory" is pleasant enough to watch though it doesn't come close to being a 'must see'. Some will call it as the poor man's "Devil Wears Prada".

Cinema Online, 14 March 2011