Over the weekend my husband and I made a trip to what is quickly becoming our go-to theatre, the AMC Courthouse 8, to catch the new Rachel McAdams romantic comedy - Morning Glory.
Morning Glory, also starring Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, and Jeff Goldblum, is a delightful, tasteful, light-hearted "rags to riches" comedy with a few ups and downs (but mostly, ups!).
Movie Tagline (if it were up to me): Prepare to embrace your inner nerd!
Rachel McAdams plays Becky; the slightly nerdy, seriously perky, over-achieving producer who is desperate to reach her goal: Executive Producer of the Today Show! I know, seems like kind of a lofty goal, but also seems like kind of a disappointing one too! I mean, it doesn't get much quirkier than morning "news" programs (if we can really call them that). And throughout the film, we are not alone in this feeling - nearly every character has trouble taking Becky and her dream seriously. Even her mother begs her to give it up - expressing the utter embarrassment she suffers as a result of her 30-something daughter's ambitions.
From a character perspective, I really enjoyed watching McAdams in this role. She is the standard "girl next door" actress (see her in the Time Traveler's Wife, Wedding Crashers, and of course, The Notebook) and she played Becky with a natural ease. At first Becky is disheveled and almost panicky, but as the film progresses, so does she. Even the nuance of her ragged hair is transformed to a stylish curled coiffure.
Of course, despite all that, we still find ourselves cheering Becky on and hoping she will make it to her own personal grand finale. (Don't worry, I'm not going to spoil it for you).
Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford lend their serious acting chops to this romp - the former more in a comedic tone akin to her performance in The First Wives Club - the latter in a markedly more serious role. Mind you, Ford manages to be amusing, but in a very "I'm Harrison Ford and I always maintain an air of dignity" sort of way.
Because this was one of the better romantic comedies I've seen, I will hold back from giving you too much detail, but I will give you one of the best scenes. If you've ever wondered if the "Today Show" or "Good Morning America" actually managed to get those large crowds of people outside in the plaza (even on really cold days), the fictional producers of "Day Break" have it covered - cut to a very small crowd ( 3-5 people tops) filmed just within the parameters of the camera! It may be nearly non-existent in real life, but to the average TV viewer the effect is somewhat different!
In the hope you will run out see this one, I will end this commentary with one final thought. Instead of the overly gratuitous love scenes that dominate the box office these days, Morning Glory steers clear; choosing instead taste and creativity. Sure, they give us enough to know where our heroine's love-life stands, but spare us the unimaginative details. If only other films could follow this lead...
Morning Glory is a fun-filled romantic comedy the whole family can enjoy.
The Bee Charmer Review Rating: B+
