X
- 1987
- R
- Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
- 2 h 13 m
- 1987
- R
- Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
- 2 h 13 m
Summary Tom Grunick, a rising anchorman, has plenty of on-camera savvy, personality and good looks but little in the way of brains. He may be dumb as a doornail but Tom's got the star presence his network needs. Then there's Aaron Altman, a less than good-looking newsman, who's dedicated, diligent and down-to-earth. Aaron would love to be an anc...
Directed By: James L. Brooks
Written By: James L. Brooks
- 1987
- R
- Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
- 2 h 13 m
- 1987
- R
- Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
- 2 h 13 m
Broadcast News
7.5
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Summary Tom Grunick, a rising anchorman, has plenty of on-camera savvy, personality and good looks but little in the way of brains. He may be dumb as a doornail but Tom's got the star presence his network needs. Then there's Aaron Altman, a less than good-looking newsman, who's dedicated, diligent and down-to-earth. Aaron would love to be an anc...
Directed By: James L. Brooks
Written By: James L. Brooks
Where to Watch
Coming Soon
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 17 Critic Reviews
84
94% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
6% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 17 Critic Reviews
84
94% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
6% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Broadcast News grows in your memory. It recalls an era when movies were made by, for and with three-dimensional characters you cared about. Let's hope it doesn't take James L. Brooks another four years to make another one. We can't wait that long. [25 Dec 1987, p.53]
By Michael Blowen
In this judicious, irresistible romantic comedy, all the performers are tops. [14 Dec 1987, p.82]
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 40 User Ratings
7.5
75% Positive
30 Ratings
30 Ratings
25% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 40 User Ratings
7.5
75% Positive
30 Ratings
30 Ratings
25% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Sep 5, 2010
William Hurt,Albert Brooks,and Holly Hunter are what makes Broadcast News the masterpiece it is.William Hurt, Albert Brooks and Holly Hunter are hilarious. It's a great movie. Don't miss it.
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Nov 5, 2016
Broadcast News was a great satirical film when it first came out in 1987 and this still applies 29 years later in 2016. This a real testament to both how news has always been bad and the accuracy of the criticism tossed at the news. A truly biting satire, Broadcast News takes a look at ethics, entertainment, and "real journalism", as well as the role of each within the news. The end result is a funny and truly witty film with terrific acting and writing. Led by William Hurt in the acting department, Hurt's Tom Grunick is a moron. Yet, he is charismatic and knows how to read the news well. Thus, he rises quickly within the news world and women trip over themselves to meet him. Grunick, however, is clueless as to what causes his success and has no idea what he is doing minute-by-minute. Hurt expertly captures this aloof quality of the character and it is the basis on which his entire performance is based. In every moment of his life, Grunick is lost and a mere look at Hurt's face clues you into the degree of his confusion. This is why his performance is so good. As producer Jane Craig, Holly Hunter is also tremendous, however. The exact opposite of Grunick, Jane is the smartest person in the room. She knows it and expects everyone else to know it, yet she finds it burdensome that she can be so overbearing to those around her. There is also a significant chip on her shoulder for being a woman in a man's world, which certainly shows. Through Jane, writer/director James L. Brooks explores what it is like for a woman entering this scenario and Hunter really brings her to life. At every turn, she feels as though she is being challenged or tested by those around her and the end result is a certain neurosis she appears to be plagued by. It is as if she is about have a mental breakdown due to the chaos she attracts due to her demeanor. Hunter does a great job balancing the brilliance of Jane with her challenge to fit into this unknown world. Albert Brooks is also quite good, though often upstaged here. Yet, he really shines through in one scene with Jane in which he expresses his feelings for her. Here, Brooks reveals the true nature of his character, Aaron Altman. Always the smartest in the room as well, Altman is unlike Jane in that he never fulfilled his potential. He was book smart, but not street smart. As the opening shows, he has always said the wrong thing at the wrong time, no matter how old he was. He certainly expects the world to cater to him and he is not afraid to show it, even when it comes to Jane. Yet, his brilliance is clear and he is very talented at his job. Brooks does a great job at making the character truly funny at times, especially with his delivery. At the same time, he balances this terrifically with his superiority complex at work and inferiority complex in love. The romance here is also incredibly well developed, even if there is no pay-off, which is fine. Though the characters have incredible chemistry, the film would have been disingenuous if it had that big pay-off at the end of every romantic film. Tom Grunick is a jerk. Aaron Altman is a jerk. Jane is better off on her own without either of them and James L. Brooks is not afraid to end his film in this fashion, which certainly takes a lot of guts in the world of film. However, much like her approach to journalism, Jane must stay true to herself and not compromise her own values for the sake of somebody else. This shines through and even if it feels unsatisfying because we have been trained to expect a certain thing from romances, it is the correct ending for the film. Funny and full of criticism of the news media, Broadcast News is a terrifyingly true film, both in its criticism of the journalists in this country and of romance.
Report
Broadcast News is so diabolically clever that you rather expect it to be heartless, in the way that so much surface cleverness can be. No such thing. Heartless is the wrong word for this movie: It's insightful and understanding and marvelous fun, while giving up none of its thoughtfulness. [16 Dec 1987, p.1]
News is right, completely right, until it slips just a bit at the end.By that time it hardly matters because you've seen the best of the holiday films, as well as the most all-around entertaining movie of 1987 - a bittersweet media comedy-drama that surpasses its potential. [16 Dec 1987, p.1D]
A film whose "TV movie" feel is at once incredibly appropriate and a notable drawback, Broadcast News is nevertheless worthy adult entertainment.
By Staff (Not Credited) FULL REVIEW
As it turns out, big secrets aren't revealed in Broadcast News, but the film is so ingratiatingly high-spirited, and the performances so full of sass and vigor, that in the long run it doesn't really matter much.
I'll personally toast the buns of anybody I hear saying anything good about the movie Broadcast News. Broadcast News is for boobs. It doesn't apply to us. Anyone who thinks otherwise is invited not to think, because thinking is for statues. [16 Dec 1987, p.C5]
Apr 14, 2022
I think I'd wrongly assumed this would be more of a drama than a rom-com. It didn't interest me very much. There are some cringey moments relating to the female colleague - how the male colleagues talk to and treat her. I was hoping for more of a thoughtful look at the nature of press and media interest but this doesn't contain much of that. There are some mildly amusing moments but it didn't really interest me for the most part. No, I wouldn't recommend it.
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Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 7 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 5 Nominations
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
• 5 Wins & 6 Nominations
