The television news business, half a sharp, friendly satire and the other half a deadly serious drama about thirty-somethings struggling to find love and meaning in their lives. A lopsided romantic triangle consisting of a spunky female news producer, a shallow anchorman, and a scruffy, amiable reporter runs hot and cold as each of the participants take turns one-upping each other. Despite good performances (including an unbilled Jack Nicholson as a network Big Fish) and a literate screenplay, the characters are truly too old to be acting like such lovestruck juveniles. Writer-director James L. Brooks proves to be a bit shallow himself, though he knows his way around a strong dramatic sequence and understands this milieu incredibly well. Unfortunately, the boy-girl stuff eventually cancels out the funny office in-jokes, leading to a flat, dispiriting conclusion wherein nobody gets what they want. **1/2 from ****
Review of Broadcast News
