When we are introduced to Becky Fuller in Morning Glory, her frazzled banter and endearing honesty tell us that she is not only cute, but is confident, self-sufficient and, considering she is on a first date in the middle of the afternoon, she is single.
Of course she is.
Morning Glory is happily cut from the same chick flick cloth about strong, independent gals who let work run their life. It only makes sense considering Devil Wears Prada and 27 Dresses screenwriter, Aline Brosh McKenna held the reins on this movie’s script.
In this particular movie, Becky (Rachel McAdams) is the heroine who avoids a love life because her boyfriend is her hectic career. She’s a successful TV producer at a small-time New Jersey morning show that suddenly gets the boot and then picks up a job as the producer of a failing morning show hosted by Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton), a Kathie Lee Gifford-esque personality that has seen a revolving door of male co-hosts – until Becky, with her hotshot brokering techniques snags Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford), a crotchety Dan Rather-like, award-winning newscaster who thinks morning shows are beneath him. But then, Becky just waves her magic wand of broadcast journalism and makes it work.
Of course she does.
Then, she finds a love interest with the template “man waiting in the wings” character, Adam. He’s cute. He’s in shape. He has a full set of hair. He has a job. He’s formulaic. Unfortunately, he’s into Becky, but Becky is into her work (no surprise here) and she has to decide whether she has room for a man like him in her life. Wilson’s place in the movie is quite thankless – but it’s nothing that a charming one-liner and a wink can’t fix.
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McAdams is the centerpiece in the movie – she’s the only one of importance and she carries the story with confidence and a smile. She steps into the shoes of Becky with non-stop Energizer bunny-like ambition that doesn’t enter Tracy Flick territory – you actually want her to succeed.
As for everyone else, they are a footnote – a considerably footnote. Keaton does what she does best: act like a quirky, cool woman – but this time it’s in a morning show setting. Ford , as a veteran Pulitzer-prize winning newscaster, grumbles enough to make you only get slightly irritated him – even if the attempted paternal relationship between his character and Becky’s falls flat.
Morning Glory may be in the same ilk as its Natasha Bedingfield-infused chick flick predecessors (with just a handful of humorous moments), but it shines with go-getter “working girl” positivity, charisma without getting hokey – and a variety of pantsuits that would make Hilary Clinton giddy.
- Excited
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Bored
- Sad
- Angry
