Written, Produced and Directed by James L. Brooks
Just as with countless teenagers as their careers in high school are nearing their transition into the college years, I was asked as often as I could remember by nearly every adult figure I knew, what exactly would I choose as my major. For every one that inquired, I always elicited the same answer: journalism. In many ways, and as I would presume for most teenagers, I really had no idea of what I would want major in during college and “journalism” was simply something to say, an answer to give just so the questions would cease to be asked. Yet, the idea of journalism did intrigue me. Very much actually as I loved words, knew that I had more of an aptitude with language than I ever did with either mathematics and the sciences and I liked the idea of somehow piecing the right words together to create some effective, new…something.
During my Senior Year of high school, I decided to give myself a challenge. I enrolled in my school’s Journalism class, which provided students with the opportunity to write for our school newspaper, The Midway. This was not an easy class, by any means, as my curmudgeonly, intimidating instructor was nothing less than demanding as he refused to accept anything less than excellence and extracting praise from him was indeed a rare feat. When you did happen not receive that hard fought for praise, it felt as if you had successfully scaled a mountain. My life on The Midway was incredibly fruitful as I discovered how much I not only enjoyed the class, the back breaking work in writing, and re-writing and re-writing effective news stories for the school paper was unquestionably satisfying. Aside from ascending to the position of Page Editor after writing only two stories, the experience transformed me in ways I really could not articulate. What I knew unequivocally was that it was one of the few times during my teen years where I felt that I was good at something.
My thoughts and somewhat serious ruminations over Journalism as a potential field of study were firmly in my brain as I ventured into the movie theater during the Christmas season of 1987 to view “Broadcast News,” the then new and highly acclaimed motion picture for Writer/Producer/Director James L. Brooks, his second directorial feature after the award winning and still influential “Terms Of Endearment” (1983). I loved this movie upon first viewing as it spoke to my heart as a writer and for giving me a window into the world of journalism. The humor was incredibly sharp, the dialogue sharper and the film’s love triangle gave me a rare adult move romance that stung, hurt and felt so true even though I was just 18 at the time. While I had already been a major fan of actor William Hurt as well as the nuanced, neurotic humor of Albert Brooks (no relation) and loved seeing both of them, what really made my head spin was the mesmerizing, force of nature performance from the diminutive powerhouse that is Holly Hunter as the ferociously driven news producer Jane Craig.
I have seen “Broadcast News” many, many times over the years, with each viewing gaining in an undeniable strength that I now firmly believe it to be one of the very best films from the 1980s. What was once meticulously insightful and wholly impressive has become downright prophetic as the film now serves as an artifact of the time when the popularity of cable news and the 24 hour news cycle was about to erupt, as well as when hard news became infotainment and the internet had not existed. What brings me to revisiting “Broadcast News” for you, dear readers, is that the film has been newly remastered and re-released on DVD through The Criterion Collection, the home video distribution organization that is widely regarded as setting the gold standard in the beautiful preservation of classic films. This sparkling new DVD features the first ever film commentary for this feature from James L. Brooks and of course, the requisite plethora of behind the scenes segments, including an alternate ending. I sincerely urge you to view this wondrous film again, if you have seen it. And if you have never seen this film, I am more than certain that you will find so very much to satisfy you as “Broadcast News” is an intelligent piece of work that is also deeply romantic, extremely funny and enormously entertaining.
“Broadcast News” opens with a brief and hilariously perceptive prologue, which depicts the early pre-teen/teenaged lives of our respective future news anchor Tom Grunick (William Hurt), future news reporter Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks) and future news producer Jane Craig (Holly Hunter). The film then smoothly segues to the (then) present day as Jane and Aaron, now best friends, are both employed at the Washington bureau of an unnamed network. Both Jane and Aaron are the epitome of integrity in regards to the reporting and dissemination of the day’s national news, eschewing anything that hints at the creeping frivolity and entertainment aspect of the news industry that threatens to eclipse all journalistic substance.
At a broadcaster’s conference, where Jane has disastrously failed with a ponderously dry speech extolling the dangers of journalism’s disintegration in favor of extending the network’s bottom line and ratings glory, she meets Tom Grunick, an affable, attractive news anchor who introduces himself as one who was indeed impressed by Jane’s speech and passionate tenacity. Sensing an attraction, Jane invites Tom to dinner and subsequent trip back to her hotel room when she is angrily stunned to discover that Tom unfortunately represents everything she finds dangerous in the evolution of television news. Tom shamefully and openly admits to being fairly uneducated, that he possesses an inability to write or report, that he does not understand the very news he delivers on-air and as he states, “I’m making a fortune.” To make matters even worse, Tom has just been hired at Jane and Aaron’s network as a new anchor. Tom’s presence as the new beautiful face of the news places Jane’s sexual attraction towards Tom at odds with her journalistic integrity and also creates seething, sarcastic jealously from Aaron, who deeply resents Tom’s arrival professionally and romantically, as Aaron has been nursing a long unrequited love for Jane.
From this point, “Broadcast News” is a series of smoothly connected vignettes of office politics, massive budgetary cutbacks and devastating firings, and the feverish pursuit of the story from conception through writing, reporting, editing and nightly nationwide transmission, with the triangle of Tom, Jane and Aaron as the centerpiece. All three characters are confronted with their triumphs and failings while all are on the search for a variety of truths: investigative and internal.
For me, “Broadcast News” is the career highlight and crown jewel of James L. Brooks' career as a filmmaker as I feel his writing, direction and ability to juggle a complex collection of themes and emotions has been unmatched ever since. Unlike his much celebrated but seriously overrated “As Good As It Gets” (1997), none of the characters in this film, from the major to supporting players, ever exists as a type or could simply be described in nothing more than three words. These are people, as unique and as internally confused and compelling as anyone in the audience. These characters are all armed with their individualized sets of interpersonal and professional beliefs and demons and they all find themselves consistently in the state of having those beliefs challenged, forcing the characters to keep revealing themselves to each other, themselves and the audience.
Brooks’ obviously meticulous research into the television news industry is impeccable and placed to brilliant usage throughout his excellent screenplay. Sometimes this feat occurs in a few swift, expertly placed lines of beautiful dialogue that perfectly grounds the audience into understanding the larger picture, the wider backdrop, the greater world in which these characters hope to understand a little better through their work and relationships.
I loved this one short sequence where Aaron and a small group of reports are biding a few moments of time weighing the moral implications of hypothetical television news scenarios. As his colleagues quickly state that they would each televise a live execution without hesitation, Aaron quips, “Well, there’s nothing like wrestling with a moral dilemma, isn’t it?”
Another great, quick moment occurs during a sequence where our journalists are rushed into action by presenting a live news report concerning a Libyan attack on an American air base featuring Tom as sole news anchor. At the special report’s conclusion, Tom injects the simple admission, “In other words, I think we’re OK.” To which his Bureau Chief (the wonderful Robert Prosky) remarks to himself, “Who cares what you think?!”
Even deeper, there exists a crucial storyline involving Tom’s questionable handling of a date rape piece which also sets the romantic portion of the film into an upheaval. These are just a few of many moments and sequences sprinkled throughout the film that gives “Broadcast News” a profound moral weight and while creating a journalistic atmosphere I am curious even exists in the same way or at all today outside of public radio, the internet and through the work of some high profile comedians. As I watch this film now in 2011, I could help but to wonder just how these characters would have handled something like, the OJ Simpson story, or even the national tragedy of September 11th and subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As Aaron and Jane are obviously from the virtuous school of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite and Tom represents the more vapid nature of the future, I found it ingenious at how brooks was able to weave a person’s political beliefs and ethics into a love story. The real world romance of Democrat James Carville and Republican Mary Matalin has always confounded me as I just cannot see how one could be married to another person who sees the world in a profoundly different or even entirely opposite way. Tom’s charisma, attractiveness and polish can serve how the news is elicited through television but if there is all style and no substance, what could that mean when those visual positives merge and clash with differing professional and private views. This is what makes the love story of “Broadcast News” so special as it is decidedly messy and romantic decisions lead to deeply true consequences.
This may seem like a bizarre comparison to many of you but to this day, as I view the love triangle of “Broadcast News,” I am reminded heavily of none other than John Hughes and Howard Deutch’s aching teen romance in “Pretty In Pink”(1986). When I first saw the film, the romantic dynamic of Tom, Jane and Aaron made me think instantly of the dynamic between flawed golden boy Blaine (Andrew McCarthy), steadfast, virtuous heroine Andie (Molly Ringwald) and geeky best friend Duckie (Jon Cryer) and that feeling still holds true to me, especially as I am now in the early stages of middle age. Brooks’ effortlessly depicts how the social romantic rules of the high school hallways continues onward, and painfully, well into adulthood. Furthermore, in both films, the romantic triangle plays into the larger questions of each character’s sense of humanity. This quality gives the love story an added dimension and a richness that never delves into convoluted shenanigans. Brooks presents these qualities, again, through his extremely perceptive screenplay and powerfully through the terrific performances from his three leads.
While every performance in this film is first rate and complimentary of each other, making for a dream team of an ensemble, the triumvirate of Hurt, Brooks and Hunter is peerless. As I have stated on this site once before, I was always amazed with William Hurt’s ability to constant ability to find the souls of the faceless men who wear business suits and his portrayal of Tom Grunick is no exception and for me, one of his very best.
Tom Grunick is a shrewd professional and business world B.M.O.C. while also being self-conscious enough to realize that at this Washington news bureau, he is professionally out of his league. While he is rather dim in understanding the content of the news he reports, he is extreme savvy in how it is presented, the appearance of seriousness, and being the precursor to the current new model of having anchors elicit more personality, sometimes injecting themselves into the stories. Spending more time choosing the shirt and tie to wear on camera than on the content of the news itself, Tom is more than self-aware enough to know how he is being perceived by others and cunning enough to know how the game is played professionally, a knowledge that leads him into ethically murky waters.
He knows how to use his natural sexual appeal for his own gain, a knowledge that confuses Jane Craig, who is deeply attracted and troubled by him. While Aaron refers to him as “the devil” to Jane, Tom Grunick is never deliberately nefarious as his consistent lack of guile and occasional conversations with his Father demonstrate. He is far from heartless and in many ways, he tends to project a certain innocence. He is the golden boy grown up and rising rapidly in a world he does not even fully understand, yet he will always land on his feet. And it is an incredible sight to see how complicated this character has remained after all of these years especially as he remains sympathetic even when he is unethical.
By contrast, Albert Brooks’ hilarious, empathetic, and bristling portrayal of Aaron Altman is the geek made good as he has indeed lived up to his own adolescent claim that he would eventually end up seeing “the whole damn world!” Yet, even well into adulthood, he is unappreciated and remains somewhat socially awkward as he still feels compelled to shove his intellect into proceedings designed to make himself feel superior. Even when he is alone in his apartment drunkenly singing in French or exclaiming how he can sing and read simultaneously, he is always that socially awkward child prodigy asserting himself and his self-worth when no one else could care less. His prickly sardonic humor and inner rage is nothing more than a deceptively secretive shield for his cloaked fragile spirit, which fears that despite all of his immense talent, skill, and dedication, he will never be given the recognition due to him or the promotion he deserves, and he’ll never get the girl he loves most. Essentially, he will never be the “Prom King.” And yet, when given the opportunity to grab the brass ring, Aaron faces humiliation by seeking the professional advice from Tom, a person he completely disrespects. And then, there is the great “flop sweat” sequence where Aaron is finally given the chance to anchor the nightly news, the results are comically catastrophic.
All of those combined qualities infuse the unrequited romance he shares with Jane with huge amounts of knowing pain, especially as he (and the audience) realizes more and more how perfect they seem to be for each other. Sadly and despite their endless late night phone calls, complete understanding of each other as well as their interlocking professional convictions, she will never love him as he lacks that secret ingredient, that certain je ne sais quoi that would allow him to sweep Jane off of her feet. The wounded venom he hurls at her in the film’s later sequences, again sows Aaron’s peerless gift with words as they are so carefully chosen to sting, in the present as well as linger in Jane’s heart well into the future. (And if my “Pretty In Pink” comparison still sounds odd to you, try watching the later scenes between Aaron and Jane and not think of Duckie Dale’s anger and hurt when Andie rejects him for a date with Blaine! The emotions are exactly the same.)
At the outset of this review, I mentioned that Holly Hunter mesmerized me. For me, Hunter performance, combined with Brooks’ brilliant writing, created one of the most realistic modern day career women I have seen in any Hollywood film. And it is saddening to notice that this representation continues to be a rare sight on our movie screens in the 21st century (although, nipping at her heels are the two women, played by Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick respectively in Jason Reitman’s “Up In The Air” from 2009). Jane Craig carries the shield and sword for integrity and honestly in the world of broadcasting and professionalism while also being romantically challenged. "I'm beginning to repel people I'm trying to seduce," she states plainly to Aaron after Tom has departed her hotel room after a brutal scolding from her regarding his lack of journalistic comprehension (“What do you want?! Permission from me to be a fake?! Stop whining! Do something about it!”). Yet Jane Craig is no clichéd film version of a serious, intelligent, passionate career woman who cannot find love. No Katherine Heigle, Sandra Bullock inanities are on sight in any way.
Jane Craig is a professional with fiercely high expectations for herself and her team yet she is supportive, encouraging, validating and more than willing to carry the burden upon herself in order to best serve the news. She is doggedly in control (as in sequences where she rapidly instructs cab drivers of the fastest, best routes) but to a potentially detrimental degree. In a now classic moment set during the film’s opening credits, we see how Jane daily schedules a finite time for a crying breakdown. Jane checks her watch, unplugs her telephone and settles in for a deep, heaving sob, finally allowing herself to succumb to the stress and lack of control she really has over her life and the world at large. And then, just as quickly, she stops crying and moves along her day full speed ahead. It is a stunningly honest moment that I am certain is able to speak to so many of us who are constantly trying to fit it all in and be all things to all people, and always being remarkable in the process.
One of the film’s greatest lines of dialogue occurs during a heated exchange between Jane and Paul, the President of the News Division (a terrific Peter Hackes). After the decision has been made to place Tom in the anchor chair for that aforementioned Special Report instead of the more informed Aaron, Jane fights for Aaron’s inclusion to which Paul curtly disagrees. As Jane continues to challenge him, Paul in a fit of scorching sarcasm states to Jane, “It must be wonderful feeling that you’re the smartest person in the room. It must be wonderful always feeling that you know best!” And with honest solemnity, as tears are just threatening to peek behind her steely eyes, Jane exclaims, “No, it’s awful!”
As previously stated, Jane is confronted with her greatest lack of control during her romance with Tom as she finds herself sexually attracted and potentially falling in love with a man who represents the opposite of her core beliefs. Her emotions simply run away with her, weakening her resolve and even allowing Tom to wrestle control from her in a variety of conversations and situations (perhaps Tom is unwilling to receive another tongue-lashing from her again). The fiery Jane is over and again disarmed and, at times, dismissed by his cool demeanor, forcing her to pause which ultimately confuses her and makes her question if the inherent compromises of adult relationships would in turn compromise her political beliefs, chipping away at them over time bit by little bit, leaving an unrecognizable person in its wake. Holly Hunter is absolutely masterful and as I have watched this film again just the other night, I really wish that Hollywood had given her more opportunities to play characters as gripping as Jane Craig.
My career in journalism ended before it ever began as my interest in the field waned considerably as I realized that pursuing an education within that filed would constitute a series of legal courses that I really was not interested in. I just loved words and the art of piecing them together. I didn’t love the news, so to speak, and truth be told, I don’t think I would have had the proper heart for that industry anyway. With “Broadcast News,” I suppose some of my enjoyment is because I could vicariously live out some of my fantasies. But, what brings me to this film over and over and over is its supreme confidence, artistry, skill, and seemingly effortless ability to entertain while presenting provocative themes and a realistic love triangle.
“Broadcast News” is entertainment of the highest order, a superlative, sublime experience whose deep rewards have continued for me for over 20 years. It is essential viewing tht never loses any of its luster.
Quite the contrary, the grand artistic sheen of James L. Brooks' "Broadcast News" only gains in its brightness and improves with its age, making it a fine document of a particular place and time while also existing as a work that is nothing less than timeless.
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