Morning Glory is a lighthearted film that starts off a little slow but ends up being embraced by the audience. Stars Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton are at their lovable best as they tell a story about the making of a morning TV talk show. It is all light and fluffy but it is a good type of fluff.
The film focuses primarily on the career of Becky Fuller (McAdams). She is the producer of a morning show at a TV station in New Jersey. That doesn't work out and she ends up with the same type of job at the fourth rated morning show in New York. This show is called "Daybreak" and under Becky's watch it is co-hosted by Colleen Peck (Keaton) and Mike Pomeroy (Ford).
Pomeroy is uncomfortable at the "host desk" as he is a hard news guy. Peck is willing and able to do the light-hearted stuff. All Becky wants is for them to be interesting enough to get the ratings up and keep the show on the air. This doesn't make for a deep plot but it is a warm and funny one.
The three lead actors are solid with Ford being terrific. His gruff curmudgeon manner is a perfect foil for Keaton's enthusiasm and McAdam's chipper ways. There are also solid performances from the supporting cast. Patrick Wilson is Becky's true blue hunky romantic interest, John Pankow is her endearingly loyal assistant show runner, and the irrepressible Matt Malloy is the gung ho morning show weatherman.
The movie doesn't really kick into high gear until Becky decides she has to get better ratings and risks it all with some wild antics. At this point Colleen becomes an active member of the team and Ernie Appleby (Malloy) gets thrown to the wolves with some do or die antics. Meanwhile Pomeroy just gets grumpier and grumpier.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity.
One of the main things Pomeroy objects to in the movie is doing stories that are "fluff." He only wants to do hard news. Well Morning Glory is fluff, pure and simple. It has no life changing moments, no near death experiences, no terminal illnesses to up the drama ante. But while it is "fluff," it is good fluff. You get to know the characters and you are entertained by them.
It is easy to dismiss a film like Morning Glory but in this time and in this economy a little light escapism is a good thing. With Keaton, Ford and McAdams as your tour guides, this trip through the morning show wars is a slight diversion but a warm and wonderful one. There is nothing wrong with leaving a movie feeling good.
I scored "Morning Glory" a shiny 7 out of 10.