Morning Glory...

In a weekend devoted to the consumption of mass quantities of heavy food, a bit of lighter fare is sometimes in order. For our family, that reprieve came in the form of cinematic levity instead of a heaping plate of fruits and veggies. While the menfolk headed out to the riverboat to part with their money in an non-traditional manner for Black Friday, several female members of the family gathered for lunch and a movie. Given the diverse audience, we opted for the film with the widest appeal -- something light and funny, with celebrities recognizable to a wide age range. For us, Morning Glory fit the bill.

Morning Glory tells the story of Becky (Rachel McAdams), a television producer who takes a job at a struggling morning show after she is laid off from her long time position. She must struggle with difficult co-anchors, played by Diane Keaton (who is so convincing in her role that I could easily see her stepping into a real-life morning news slot) and a very curmudgeonly Harrison Ford, a boss who is intent on canceling her floundering program, and an obsession with her job that stands in the way of her personal life. Despite the workplace focus, the film isn't really feminist in its sensibility. Indeed, it doesn't seem to have much of a goal at all besides providing entertaining. To that end, the film is definitely pleasant enough, and contains some genuine laughs near the middle of the story as Becky begins to rely on increasingly ridiculous on-air stunts to draw more viewers. Also, I had a hard time suppressing a giggle every time the station itself was mentioned. I'm not sure who's bright idea it was to name their station IBS, but whoever it was clearly hasn't seen as many television ads for Irritable Bowel Syndrome medications as I have...

Overall, it was a good enough film, and I enjoyed the couple hours of escapism that it provided. Although I usually go for more challenging or serious films, it was nice to get back to the "chick flicks" of my youth for an afternoon, and I would definitely recommend Morning Glory if you caught it one night on television or if it were the in-flight entertainment on a plane someday. I wouldn't run out to see it, but if it were there, one could do a lot worse in terms of a way to pass some time.