I remember seeing this movie on Christmas Day 1987 at the Princeton Garden Theater and when the movie was over, I remember that I had just seen something unique and great and this movie inspired me to be a screenwriter. Broadcast news was something I had not really seen before; a movie that had great acting, great emotion and great humor all in one. The movie had several messages but the fundamental one was: how unfair the working world is and how insane is the TV world that honors the looks of a person over ability and intelligence. Brooks probably used the character Ted Baxter of the Mary Tyler Moore show as his inspiration for the William Hurt character who had no ability, intelligence or integrity but got the anchor job, very often just how real life works. The ultimate message of this great movie is that life is unfair and this story tried and succeeded to make this reality funny.
Holly Hunter was nominated for the Academy Award for best actress in 1987 and lost to Cher who won for "Moonstruck" which was yet another big mistake the Academy Awards has made. Albert Brooks has never been better or funnier in any other movie. James L Brooks tried to hit as high a note as Broadcast news in 1997 with the movie "As Good as it Gets", almost as good. These 2 movies were by far his best ever.
If you have never seen Broadcast news from 1987 do yourself a favor and see this great movie.
Broadcast News IMDB
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