Broadcast News

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: December 16, 1987

7.6	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 32 Ratings

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LeoTs3181983Sep 5, 2010

William Hurt,Albert Brooks,and Holly Hunter are what makes Broadcast News the masterpiece it is.William Hurt, Albert Brooks and Holly Hunter are hilarious. It's a great movie. Don't miss it.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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pgmarkDec 16, 2010

Great movie and lots of fun. Albert Brooks is hilarious as are the others. I have watched it many times unlike most movies I see.... says something to me right there.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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SpangleNov 5, 2016

Broadcast News was a great satirical film when it first came out in 1987 and this still applies 29 years later in 2016. This a real testament to both how news has always been bad and the accuracy of the criticism tossed at the news. A trulyBroadcast News was a great satirical film when it first came out in 1987 and this still applies 29 years later in 2016. This a real testament to both how news has always been bad and the accuracy of the criticism tossed at the news. A truly biting satire, Broadcast News takes a look at ethics, entertainment, and "real journalism", as well as the role of each within the news. The end result is a funny and truly witty film with terrific acting and writing.

Led by William Hurt in the acting department, Hurt's Tom Grunick is a moron. Yet, he is charismatic and knows how to read the news well. Thus, he rises quickly within the news world and women trip over themselves to meet him. Grunick, however, is clueless as to what causes his success and has no idea what he is doing minute-by-minute. Hurt expertly captures this aloof quality of the character and it is the basis on which his entire performance is based. In every moment of his life, Grunick is lost and a mere look at Hurt's face clues you into the degree of his confusion. This is why his performance is so good.

As producer Jane Craig, Holly Hunter is also tremendous, however. The exact opposite of Grunick, Jane is the smartest person in the room. She knows it and expects everyone else to know it, yet she finds it burdensome that she can be so overbearing to those around her. There is also a significant chip on her shoulder for being a woman in a man's world, which certainly shows. Through Jane, writer/director James L. Brooks explores what it is like for a woman entering this scenario and Hunter really brings her to life. At every turn, she feels as though she is being challenged or tested by those around her and the end result is a certain neurosis she appears to be plagued by. It is as if she is about have a mental breakdown due to the chaos she attracts due to her demeanor. Hunter does a great job balancing the brilliance of Jane with her challenge to fit into this unknown world.

Albert Brooks is also quite good, though often upstaged here. Yet, he really shines through in one scene with Jane in which he expresses his feelings for her. Here, Brooks reveals the true nature of his character, Aaron Altman. Always the smartest in the room as well, Altman is unlike Jane in that he never fulfilled his potential. He was book smart, but not street smart. As the opening shows, he has always said the wrong thing at the wrong time, no matter how old he was. He certainly expects the world to cater to him and he is not afraid to show it, even when it comes to Jane. Yet, his brilliance is clear and he is very talented at his job. Brooks does a great job at making the character truly funny at times, especially with his delivery. At the same time, he balances this terrifically with his superiority complex at work and inferiority complex in love.

The romance here is also incredibly well developed, even if there is no pay-off, which is fine. Though the characters have incredible chemistry, the film would have been disingenuous if it had that big pay-off at the end of every romantic film. Tom Grunick is a jerk. Aaron Altman is a jerk. Jane is better off on her own without either of them and James L. Brooks is not afraid to end his film in this fashion, which certainly takes a lot of guts in the world of film. However, much like her approach to journalism, Jane must stay true to herself and not compromise her own values for the sake of somebody else. This shines through and even if it feels unsatisfying because we have been trained to expect a certain thing from romances, it is the correct ending for the film.

Funny and full of criticism of the news media, Broadcast News is a terrifyingly true film, both in its criticism of the journalists in this country and of romance.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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Compi24Jan 9, 2014

If one's looking for a charming, quirky, romantic dramedy with an unbelievable performance from Albert Brooks, "Broadcast News" is that movie and more. Yet another winner for James L. Brooks.

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MovieGuysMay 2, 2014

Broadcast News is more of a character study of about 4 news people in their professional and personal lives than an expose about how life in the news is run, but the movie works. It is at times hilarious, although a bit overrated.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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DawdlingPoetApr 14, 2022

I think I'd wrongly assumed this would be more of a drama than a rom-com. It didn't interest me very much. There are some cringey moments relating to the female colleague - how the male colleagues talk to and treat her. I was hoping for moreI think I'd wrongly assumed this would be more of a drama than a rom-com. It didn't interest me very much. There are some cringey moments relating to the female colleague - how the male colleagues talk to and treat her. I was hoping for more of a thoughtful look at the nature of press and media interest but this doesn't contain much of that. There are some mildly amusing moments but it didn't really interest me for the most part. No, I wouldn't recommend it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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