Broadcast News is a sterling example of the right script and cast coming together in perfect harmony. A romance blooms between a green anchor (William Hurt; this was a great period for the actor), coming up from Sports, and television broadcast news producer (Holly Hunter; she has hardly ever been better) while both are rising professionally in their young careers in a DC station. Journalist Albert Brooks (proving he can tackle drama as well as comedy; melding both exceptionally) is stuck in a rut at the station, wanting desperately to progress, both in terms of broadcasting the news (his writing and reporting aren't disputed, but his anchoring the news is) and a relationship with Hunter. The whole point, besides emphasis on integrity in the news and being authentic and real as a person, is the love triangle that splits Hunter in two directions. Hurt proves to be less as sincere/ethical as she hoped (this pointed out by Brooks, in regards to a piece on date rape, through the use of a camera to capture crocodile tears), while Brooks can be so brutally honest with her in how he feels that she is sometimes taken aback by his reactions/replies to her acknowledgment of feelings for Hurt. Excelling as a news anchor due to his ability to broadcast and interview while in front of the camera with relative ease, skill, and poise, Hurt's career is on the uptick while Brooks' time at the station seems to be drawing to a close (a disastrous anchor night where he sweats profusely could very well be the death knell); these developments further add melodrama and tension to their relationship with Hunter. The love triangle dynamic isn't hard to digest because the characters are equipped with organic dialogue and situations determined by day-to-day factors faced every day in network news broadcasting (particularly, the messy process of putting together news packages and stories and sudden unemployment/layoffs), and rough transitional phases that happen when people fall hard for each other, trying the best they can to confront these feelings, often resulting in hurt and disappointment. My favorite scene has Brooks and Hunter discussing her feelings for Hurt and Brooks' feelings for Hunter; he tells her to get out of his house, then calls her back afterward (it's saying something out of anger, realizing that response is real but misguided, trying to rectify it immediately instead of allowing this to walk out the door without proper resolution). Hurt's first big anchor behind the news desk (a Libyan incident) with Hunter guiding him through it, and lots of busy activity behind the scenes is a real doozy. Robert Prosky is wonderful as Hunter's mentor; when Hunter must replace him, and he is "retired", it is crushing to her because she is supposed to be happy with such a promotion yet the anguish of his departure leaves mixed emotions, to say the least. Jack Nicholson is the big-shot main anchor whose place Hurt will be groomed to eventually take. The station layoffs, with several employees packing up and moving on, is really tough to watch. Joan Cusack, as Hunter's harried aid, is a delight. If you enjoy smart romantic dramedies and a look at the inner-workings of a news station, give this one a spin.
Review of Broadcast News
