| Broadcast News | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | James L. Brooks |
| Written by | James L. Brooks |
| Produced by | James L. Brooks |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Michael Ballhaus |
| Edited by | Richard Marks |
| Music by | Bill Conti |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
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Running time | 133 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15 million[1] |
| Box office | $67.3 million |
Broadcast News is a 1987 Americanromanticcomedy-drama film written, produced and directed byJames L. Brooks. The film concerns avirtuoso television news producer (Holly Hunter) who has daily emotional breakdowns, a brilliant yet prickly reporter (Albert Brooks), and the latter's charismatic but far less seasoned rival (William Hurt). It also starsRobert Prosky,Lois Chiles,Joan Cusack, andJack Nicholson. The film was produced byGracie Films and distributed by20th Century Fox.
The film was acclaimed by critics and at the60th Academy Awards received seven nominations, includingBest Picture. In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registry by theLibrary of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.".[2][3][4]
Jane Craig is a talented, intense news producer who is passionate about reporting and abhors the trend towardssoft news in broadcasts. Her best friend and collaborator, Aaron Altman, is a gifted writer and reporter lacking in social skills. The two work in theWashington, D.C.bureau of a national TV network. The bureau hires Tom Grunick, a local news anchor who is handsome, likable, and telegenic but lacks news experience and isn't especially bright.
Aaron and Jane go toNicaragua to report on theContras and get caught up in a shooting battle between them and theSandinista rebels, bringing home footage that wins the approval of their national anchor. At an office party, news arrives of aLibyan plane having bombed a U.S. military base inItaly. The network chief decides to air a special report, with Tom as anchor and Jane as executive producer. Aaron is devastated at Tom's selection. Watching from his home, he calls Jane with pertinent information, which she feeds to Tom through his earpiece. With the combination of Tom's on-camera poise and Jane's hard-news skills, the report is a great success. Their teamwork also intensifies their mutual attraction.
Wanting to complete a story without outside assistance, Tom creates a piece ondate rape that includes an interview with a rape victim, where Tom is shown tearing up in reaction. In the face of potential layoffs, Aaron receives an opportunity to anchor the weekend news due to most of his colleagues going to theWhite House Correspondents' Dinner. He seeks advice from Tom, who encourages Aaron to be more salesman-like in his approach. Aaron takes Tom's advice but during the broadcast begins sweating uncontrollably, resulting in a disastrous broadcast. Meanwhile, Jane and Tom progress romantically at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. But before things get more involved, Jane leaves to console Aaron. The two have a heated argument, where Aaron tells Jane that Tom represents everything she hates about the direction of news media. He also tells Jane that he is in love with her.
The layoffs hit the network, resulting in many colleagues losing their jobs. Tom is moved to the London office, indicating that he is being groomed for a national anchor position; Jane is promoted to bureau chief. Tom and Jane agree to take a romantic getaway together before starting their new jobs. Aaron tells Jane he plans to take a job at a television station in Portland, Oregon. Before he leaves, he tells Jane that Tom's tears during his date-rape piece were staged; reviewing the footage, Jane realizes that he is correct. She angrily confronts Tom at the airport, saying that his actions were a breach ofjournalistic ethics and that she cannot in good conscience become involved with him. Tom argues with her but relents, leaving Jane behind.
The three meet again seven years later. Tom has taken over as national anchor, Aaron has a wife and child, and Jane has a new boyfriend. Jane plans to take a managing editor role for the network in New York, working with Tom again. Tom leaves after Jane declines a dinner invitation with him and his fiancée, while she and Aaron catch up on their respective lives.
The score was byBill Conti.Emmy Award-winning composersGlen Roven andMarc Shaiman make cameo appearances as a dorky musician team who have composed a theme for the news program in the film.
The character of Jane Craig was based on journalist and news producerSusan Zirinsky. She served as associate producer and technical advisor for the film.[5] The female lead was originally written forDebra Winger, who worked withJames L. Brooks inTerms of Endearment. However, Winger became pregnant and was replaced byHolly Hunter just two days before filming began.Sigourney Weaver,Dianne Wiest,Jessica Lange,Elizabeth Perkins, andMary Beth Hurt were also considered for the role.[6] Brooks originally wrote the role of Aaron Altman specifically for his longtime friendAlbert Brooks in mind.Principal photography began inWashington, D.C. on February 2, 1987, officially wrapping in April 1987 after filming several scenes in Florida.[7]
Broadcast News was given a limited release on December 16, 1987, in seven theaters and managed to grossUSD $197,542 on its opening weekend.[8] It went into wide release in the United States on December 25, 1987, in 677 theaters, grossing $5.5 million on its opening weekend. The film went on to make $51.3 million in North America and $16.1 million in the rest of the world for a worldwide total of $67.3 million.[9]
Film criticRoger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gaveBroadcast News four out of four stars and praised the film for being as "knowledgeable about the TV news-gathering process as any movie ever made, but it also has insights into the more personal matter of how people use high-pressure jobs as a way of avoiding time alone with themselves".[10] In his review forThe New York Times,Vincent Canby wrote, "As the fast-talking Aaron, Albert Brooks comes very close to stealingBroadcast News. Mr. Brooks ... is more or less the conscience ofBroadcast News".[11]Jonathan Rosenbaum, in his review for theChicago Reader, praised Holly Hunter's performance as "something of a revelation: her short, feisty, socially gauche, aggressive-compulsive character may be the most intricately layered portrait of a career woman that contemporary Hollywood has given us".[12]
Hal Hinson, in his review forThe Washington Post, wrote, "[James] Brooks is excellent at taking us inside the world of television, but not terribly good at analyzing it. He has a facile, too-pat approach to dealing with issues; there's still too much of the sitcom mentality at work".[13] In his review forTime,Richard Corliss praised William Hurt's performance: "Hurt is neat too, never standing safely outside his character, always allowing Tom to find the humor in his too-rapid success, locating a dimness behind his eyes when Tom is asked a tough question -- and for Tom, poor soulless sensation-to-be, all questions are tough ones".[14] The magazine also rankedBroadcast News as one of the best films of the year.[15] The film garnered a 98% rating atRotten Tomatoes from 52 critics. The site's consensus states: "Blockbuster dramatist James L. Brooks delivers withBroadcast News, fully entertaining with deft, deep characterization."[16] The film has an 84%average score atMetacritic, based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[17]
Broadcast News was placed on 61 "ten-best" lists, making it the most acclaimed film of 1987.[18]
The February 2020 issue ofNew York Magazine listsBroadcast News as among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."[19]
Also, the film is recognized byAmerican Film Institute in these lists:
A digitally restored version of the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray byThe Criterion Collection. The release includes new audio commentary featuring Brooks and Marks,James L. Brooks—A Singular Voice, a documentary on Brooks's career in television and film, an alternative ending and deleted scenes with commentary by Brooks, an interview with veteran CBS news producerSusan Zirinsky, and a featurette containing on-set footage and interviews with Brooks, Hunter, and actor Albert Brooks. There is also a booklet featuring an essay by film criticCarrie Rickey.[35]
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