Morning Glory (2010 film)

Morning Glory
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Roger Michell
Produced by	J. J. Abrams Bryan Burk
Written by	Aline Brosh McKenna
Starring	Rachel McAdams Harrison Ford Diane Keaton Patrick Wilson Ty Burrell Jeff Goldblum
Music by	David Arnold
Cinematography	Alwin H. Kuchler
Editing by	Dan Farrell Nick Moore Steven Weisberg
Studio	Bad Robot Productions
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	November 10, 2010 (2010-11-10)
Running time	107 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$40 million[1]
Box office	$58,785,180[2]

Morning Glory is a 2010 American comedy-drama film directed by Roger Michell, produced by J.J. Abrams and written by Aline Brosh McKenna.^[3] It stars Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson and Jeff Goldblum. After some delays, the film was released in the United States on November 10, 2010 and abroad in 2011. It received mixed reviews and had a moderate success at the box office,^[4] especially in the United States. The official song of the film is Strip Me by Natasha Bedingfield.

Plot

Aspiring news producer Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) has dreamed since childhood of working for the Today show, but her dedication to her career is off-putting to potential suitors. After being laid off from her job at 'Good Morning New Jersey', her mother advises her to give up her dream before it becomes an embarrassment. However, Becky perseveres, sending many different résumés out and gets a call from a national network morning show called DayBreak, a program that struggles because it is competing with Today.

After a discouraging job interview with Jerry Barnes (Jeff Goldblum), who dismisses both her and DayBreak as also-rans, Becky bumps into one of her heroes, veteran television journalist Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) in a lift. She is brushed off rudely, but is told by the other passenger that that is typical of Mike's behaviour.

Seemingly against his better judgement, Jerry Barnes hires Becky to be the executive producer of DayBreak. On her first day, Becky realises she has signed on to a show in turmoil, lacking in direction and money. After meeting the acerbic but long-suffering co-host Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton), who predicts Becky's demise, she fires the conceited co-host Paul McVee (Ty Burrell), much to the delight of her co-workers. She now needs a new co-host and finds a reluctant one in Mike Pomeroy. Pomeroy is under contract to DayBreak's network IBS, but has managed to mostly escape being utilized while still getting paid. Becky finds a clause in his contract by which he is obliged to accept an official job offer or lose his salary, effectively blackmailing him into accepting the position.

Becky gets to know Adam (Patrick Wilson), also a producer for IBS who had worked with Mike previously. After initially teaming up to deal with Mike, they begin dating, and he is initially supportive of her dedication to her job. Pomeroy proves to be hard going, throwing his weight about, trying to sabotage his debut on the show by getting drunk, refusing to banter with Colleen on air, and ensuring he only does serious news stories by making use of a clause in his contract that allows him to refuse certain assignments, like cooking segments, that he considers beneath him. As ratings begin to drop, Becky is told that if ratings don't improve, DayBreak will be canceled.

After a heated confrontation with Pomeroy, Becky snaps and decides on a radical approach to save the show and everyone's jobs. She improves ratings by persuading Ernie (Matt Malloy) to do the weather while doing stunts, such as riding the new Six Flags roller coaster, the Manhandler. Colleen also expresses a keen interest in Becky's campaign to rejuvenate the show, and appears on a number of colorful segments that help the show's ratings. Jerry is still unconvinced that Becky can get the ratings up enough to stave off cancellation.

Adam, not realising what is on the line, teases Becky about how caught up she is in improving the ratings, but she sees it as a criticism that she has heard from previous men, and walks out. Pomeroy tells her that he was once the same way, but ended up with no life outside of work.

During a staff meeting, Pomeroy shows interest in doing a story, surprising colleagues. Becky goes along but realizes that he is going to the governor's summer house instead of the destination she expected. Pomeroy ends up confronting the governor on charges of racketeering, and breaks the story of his arrest on live television. This increases DayBreak's ratings.

Due to DayBreak's rise in popularity, Becky receives a job interview from Today. During the interview, DayBreak is on. Between segments, Colleen tells Pomeroy about the interview, and that his refusal to adapt has driven Becky away. He goes to the kitchen where food segments are done. Becky watches in awe as Pomeroy tells the viewers how to make a good frittata. Becky runs back to the set and appreciates that she is the producer everyone at DayBreak wants.

Cast

• Rachel McAdams as Becky Fuller: the new executive producer of DayBreak, the fourteenth in eleven years, challenged with improving the show's ratings.
• Harrison Ford as Mike Pomeroy: a serious news journalist and anchor who has worked in television for over forty years. He is unhappy at having to co-host a show that does not deal with real news stories.
• Diane Keaton as Colleen Peck: the host of DayBreak for the past eleven years, in which time she has gone through several co-hosts and executive producers, all the while remaining at the show.
• Patrick Wilson as Adam Bennett: another producer at IBS, who begins dating Becky. He shows frustration at her unwillingness to take some time away from her job.
• John Pankow as Lenny Bergman: the long-term senior producer of the show.
• Jeff Goldblum as Jerry Barnes: a network executive, he tasks Becky with turning the show's ratings around.
• Ty Burrell as Paul McVee: the co-host of the show at the beginning of the film. Becky immediately fires him because of his negative effect on staff morale.
• Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo as themself.
• Chris Matthews, Morley Safer, Bob Schieffer, and Elaine Kaufman make cameo appearances.

Despite their long careers in Hollywood, Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford had never met until they co-starred in Morning Glory.^[5] Harrison Ford explained: "We have been working in the same business, different branches of the business. She was in the intellectual branch and I was in the running, jumping and falling down branch. So, we never had the chance to work together. But it was a real pleasure to finally get that opportunity."^[6]

Production

The premise of the film was partially inspired by Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys, where Harrison Ford's role was akin to Clark while Diane Keaton's role was akin to Lewis and Rachel McAdams' role was akin to Clark's nephew Ben.

Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna and producer J.J. Abrams "dreamed of having Harrison Ford in the film" from the point of early script development.^[7] Shortly after casting Harrison Ford as Mike Pomeroy, Roger Michell took over as director.^[8]

Music

The official song of the movie is "Strip Me" by Natasha Bedingfield. A song called "Same Changes" by The Weepies was recorded exclusively for the film.^[9] David Arnold also composed film score.^[10] A soundtrack album was not released.

Book

A novelization of the movie was written by Diana Peterfreund and the book came out at the same time as the motion picture.

Release

The film was originally scheduled for release on July 30, 2010 in the U.S. It was then pushed back to November 12, 2010.^[11] Finally, Paramount Pictures shifted the release date to November 10, 2010.^[12]

Reception

Critical response

Morning Glory received mixed reviews from critics. Based on reviews from 163 critics, the film managed a score of 54% "Rotten", or 6/10 rating, on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with the site's consensus stating "It's lifted by affable performances from its impeccable cast, and it's often charming – but Morning Glory is also inconsistent and derivative."^[13]

One of the main criticisms about Morning Glory was that the film did not provide any substance about television and the media unlike Network or Broadcast News.^[14] Peter Howell of the Toronto Star wrote: "You'll think of Broadcast News and Network watching it, and possibly lament how the film ducks the tough issues of media accountability and culpability that those films dealt with decades ago. (...) Are they [Director Roger Michell and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna] trying to say anything meaningful about television and the media? If so, they've failed."^[15] Espousing a similar sentiment, Dustin Petzold wrote, "...the movie seems to be working toward a discussion of the role of news media and news versus entertainment, but instead tosses off these subjects half-heartedly..." Although he praised many of the film's performances, Petzold graded the film a "C-", citing its derivative plotting and "tacked-on romantic subplot". Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger noted that Broadcast News, as opposed to Morning Glory, "was also about something – the conflict between faked telegenic "moments" and hard-news reality (...) And that's what made it not just a fun film but a classic." He concluded: "It's [Morning Glory] a good enough movie. But it came this close to being great."^[16]

The critics who enjoyed Morning Glory pointed out that the film was funny and entertaining. James Berardinelli of ReelViews wrote: "Despite the conventional manner in which the story is resolved, Morning Glory generates enough entertainment, good will, and genuine laughs to make it hard to dislike.... Morning Glory fits into a shrinking category: the old-fashioned, not-too-raunchy, character-based comedy. It's gentle, unforced and, despite its flaws, likeable. It doesn't blaze new trails or astound with its wit but, more likely than not, you'll leave the theater with a smile, and that's certainly worth a recommendation."^[17] Lou Lumenick of the New York Post said: "This unofficial update on the news-vs.-fluff wars does get in some good shots at the wacky world of morning television.... It includes more than a few clever lines, and boasts a stellar cast."^[18] Andrew O'Hehir of Salon described the film as "a brash, lightweight backstage comedy that looks lovely, doesn't insult its audience and uses its stars, both young and old, to terrific effect."^[19] Ty Burr of The Boston Globe wrote: "The movie's a pleasant and occasionally hilarious ride, even if there's a bait-and-switch at its core."^[20] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded Morning Glory three-and-a-half stars out of four. He stated: "Morning Glory is funny entertainment to begin with, and then Rachel McAdams transforms it. And Harrison Ford transforms himself. (...) This is the kind I like best. It grows from human nature and is about how people do their jobs and live their lives."^[21]

Most critics stressed that one of the assets of the film was the performances of its all-star cast. Harrison Ford got strong reviews about his performance in the film. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said: "Ford doesn't venture beyond his usual acting range, but within it he creates a character with a reluctantly human inside."^[21] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called the film "a tart, terrific comedy that gives Harrison Ford his best and funniest role in years." He added: "The iconic Han Solo and Indiana Jones shows real comic chops as Mike Pomeroy."^[22] According to Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly, "Ford is still a magnetic hunk of gray-granite movie star, and in Morning Glory, he finds a way to trick up his deadly somber, shifting-quicksand delivery into a shrewd and amusing acting style."^[23] Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News wrote: "Ford is the most casual he's been since "Working Girl". When he and McAdams spar, you can't help but tune in."^[24] Colin Covert of the Minneapolis Star Tribune stated: "Ford's gravitas and comedic irritability are in perfect balance here."^[25] Rex Reed of The New York Observer noted: "All of which gives Harrison Ford a role that fits him like a condom. He gets to be gruff, granite-faced, mean-spirited, rude and pessimistic, never cracking a smile and scowling like a rat just died in the studio's air-conditioning pipes.... The cast is perfect (scowling irascibly like Clifton Webb, Mr. Ford has never been this good)."^[26]

Several critics also liked the acting by Rachel McAdams. Manohla Dargis wrote in The New York Times: "Ms. McAdams plays her role exceptionally well: as the young actress on the verge of the big time, who can win the boy, tame the beast, flash her panties and make you smile without making you cringe, she is a natural."^[27] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times stated: "Though the film's advertising gives the impression that McAdams is one among equals, the reality is that this is her show. (...) she's never carried an entire film as completely and as easily as she does here."^[28] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times compared Rachel McAdams' performance to Amy Adams' Academy Award nominated role in Junebug.^[21]

Diane Keaton's performance was praised as well. According to James Berardinelli of ReelViews, "Diane Keaton is so good at her part that one can see her sliding effortlessly into an anchor's chair on a real morning show."^[17] Critics said that there was a good chemistry between Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone stated: "Ford and Keaton are delicious together."^[22] For Lou Lum of Rex Reed, "Some of the on-camera bitchery between Mr. Ford and Ms. Keaton is laugh-out-loud witty."^[26] But it was also noted that Diane Keaton was underused in the film.^[18]

Box office

In its opening week, Morning Glory earned about $12 million, which was considered a poor result for a film with major stars like Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford. On Wednesday, November 10th, 2010, it debuted at #3 behind Due Date and Megamind, though the next day it went down to #4 when For Colored Girls beat it to #3. It kept on switching from #5 to #4 several times until November 19th when it went down to #6. From November 19th-November 24th, it stayed #6 until finally going down to #10. It stayed in theaters until January 20th, 2011.^[29]

The press emphasized that it was another box office disappointment for Harrison Ford.^[30][31] With the exception of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Harrison Ford had not had a hit for a decade.^[32] Steven Zeitchik wrote in the Los Angeles Times: "What's most disappointing about "Morning Glory" is that, after a decade without a comedy, Ford's turn in something more spry was supposed to mark a new chapter by getting him back to his crowd-pleasing ways. But the movie's disappointing performance adds one more nail in a coffin that's been enveloping Ford's career, 'Buried'-style, for years."^[33] Jeff Bock, a box-office analyst with Exhibitor Relations, told TheWrap: "When Ford wears that iconic hat, he can still crack the box office bullwhip, but outside of Indy it's become a tougher case."^[32] During his career, Harrison Ford enjoyed great success in high-profile action movies.^[34] In this respect, his return to an action role in Cowboys & Aliens might attract a large audience again.^[35]

BoxOffice.com editor Phil Contrino said: "I'm not quite ready to write this film off as a disappointment. I think it's going to show healthy staying power in the weeks to come. It's skewing older, so that means the audience it appeals to doesn't feel the need to necessarily rush out during the opening weekend. It's a funny movie with plenty of pep, and I think a lot of moviegoers will still discover it."^[36]

Ultimately, the film was a moderate success at the box office. It earned more than $31 million in the United States, and over $27 million internationally for a worldwide total of almost $59 million.^[2]

References

1. ^ Fritz, Ben (November 11, 2010). "Movie Projector: 'Unstoppable' seeks to derail 'Megamind' as 'Morning Glory' looks dim". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/11/movie-projector-unstoppable-seeks-to-derail-megamind-as-morning-glory-looks-dim.html. Retrieved November 13, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Morning Glory at Box Office Mojo
3. ^ Fleming, Michael (April 6, 2009). "Keaton, Goldblum join 'Glory'". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002179.html. Retrieved June 18, 2009. 
4. ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/morning-glory-2010/
5. ^ "The time of their lives". USA Weekend. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
6. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB6A739VoZM In an interview with CBSNews.com's Karina Mitchell about the film released on YouTube on November 9, 2010.
7. ^ http://www.scribd.com/doc/42360061/Morning-Glory-Final-Production-Notes-10-21-10
8. ^ "Morning Glory Official Movie Site: Production Notes". http://www.morningglorymovie.com/morning-glory-film.html#about/notes/note1. Retrieved January 23, 2011. 
9. ^ "The Weepies, 'Same Changes': An EW exclusive song from the upcoming movie 'Morning Glory'". Entertainment Weekly. Time. http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/11/01/the-weepies-same-change. Retrieved November 14, 2010. 
10. ^ Morning Glory Score - Sense Variation on YouTube
11. ^ Brown, Audrey (April 6, 2010). Script Bits - Mavericks, Morning Glory, and The Three Musketeers. FiveSprockets.com. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
12. ^ (October 21, 2010). Paramount Shifts 'Morning Glory' Release Date to Nov. 10. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
13. ^ Morning Glory at Rotten Tomatoes
14. ^ Peter Travers (November 11, 2010). "Watch: Peter Travers: 'Morning Glory' Wilts, 'Unstoppable' Better Than Expected". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/peter-travers/blogs/thetraverstake-May2010/233123/49670. Retrieved November 24, 2010. 
15. ^ "All the news that's fit to wince". Toronto Star. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
16. ^ "'Morning Glory' review: Pleasant 'Morning' doesn't win the day". NJ.com. November 9, 2010. http://www.nj.com/entertainment/movies/index.ssf/2010/11/morning_glory_review_pleasant_morning_doesnt_win_the_day.html. Retrieved November 24, 2010. 
17. ^ ^{a b} Morning Glory - Reelviews Movie Reviews. Reelviews.net. November 10, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
18. ^ ^{a b} "The latest weather forecast is partly funny". New York Post. November 14, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
19. ^ "Morning Glory": Rachel McAdams' star-making new role. Salon. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
20. ^ Morning Glory. The Boston Globe. November 10, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
21. ^ ^{a b c} Ebert, Roger (November 9, 2010). "Morning Glory". Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101109/REVIEWS/101109973. Retrieved November 14, 2010. 
22. ^ ^{a b} Travers, Peter (November 11, 2010). "Morning Glory". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/45905/233186. Retrieved November 24, 2010. 
23. ^ "Morning Glory (2010)". Entertainment Weekly. Time. November 17, 2010. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20440727,00.html. Retrieved November 24, 2010. 
24. ^ Neumaier, Joe (November 10, 2010). "'Morning Glory' review: Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams sparring makes you want to tune in". Daily News (New York). http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2010/11/10/2010-11-10_morning_glory_review_harrison_ford_and_rachel_mcadams_sparring_makes_you_want_to.html. Retrieved November 24, 2010. 
25. ^ Covert, Colin (November 13, 2010). "It's a very good 'Morning'. The glory here is seeing a snappy, well-made comedy in which stars and story are beautifully matched.". Star Tribune. http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/movies/106971443.html. Retrieved November 24, 2010. 
26. ^ ^{a b} Reed, Rex (November 9, 2010). "Hope and Anchors: Morning Glory Is the Smartest, Funniest Comedy I've Seen in Years". The New York Observer. http://www.observer.com/2010/culture/hope-and-anchors-morning-glory-smartest-funniest-comedy-ive-seen-years. Retrieved November 24, 2010. 
27. ^ Manohla Dargis. Plenty of Perky, Even This Early. The New York Times. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
28. ^ Turan, Kenneth (November 10, 2010). "Movie review: 'Morning Glory'". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-morning-glory-20101110,0,1981133.story. Retrieved November 24, 2010. 
29. ^ Brooks Barnes. 'Megamind' Remains a Box-Office Hero. The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
30. ^ Thompson, Anne (November 16, 2010). Career Watch: Harrison Ford. Moviefone.com. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
31. ^ Gwin, Scott (November 14, 2010). Weekend Box Office: The Curse Of Harrison Ford. Cinema Blend. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
32. ^ ^{a b} Lang, Brent (November 15, 2010). "Can 'Cowboys & Aliens' Save Harrison Ford's Career?". The Wrap. http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/can-cowboys-aliens-save-harrison-fords-career-22539. Retrieved November 24, 2010. 
33. ^ Steven Zeitchik (November 15, 2010). "What happened to Harrison Ford?". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/11/harrison-ford-morning-glory-star-wars-indiana-jones.html. Retrieved November 24, 2010. 
34. ^ Will Harrison Ford Ever Be Great Again?. Ology.com. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
35. ^ "'Cowboys And Aliens' Trailer Features A Badass Daniel Craig... And Harrison Ford's Big Comeback?". MTV Movies Blog. Viacom. http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/11/17/cowboys-and-aliens-trailer-daniel-craig-harrison-ford. Retrieved November 24, 2010. 
36. ^ Ditzian, Eric (November 15, 2010). "'Skyline' And 'Morning Glory': What Happened At The Box Office?". MTV Movie News. Viacom. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652272/20101115/story.jhtml. Retrieved November 24, 2010. 

External links

• Official website
• Morning Glory at the Internet Movie Database
• Morning Glory at Rotten Tomatoes
• Morning Glory at Metacritic
• Morning Glory at Box Office Mojo