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"MORNING GLORY"
(2010) (Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford) (PG-13)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Heavy Mild Heavy None Mild
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Moderate Minor None Minor Heavy
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Heavy Minor Moderate Moderate Minor


QUICK TAKE:
Comedy: A young woman takes over producing a network morning news show and must contend with the various related complications, including two hosts who don't get along.
PLOT:
Becky Fuller (RACHEL McADAMS) is a young woman who works as a producer for Good Morning, New Jersey, a local morning TV program where she's expecting a big promotion. Instead, she ends up laid off and must hit the streets to find a new job. She eventually convinces IBS big wig Jerry Barnes (JEFF GOLDBLUM) that she'd be perfect for the executive producer position for his network's morning show, Daybreak.

The only problem is the show is in the bottom of the ratings cellar and is both underfunded and understaffed, bits of information she also learns from her immediate subordinate and senior producer, Lenny (JOHN PANKOW). She certainly doesn't get any support from veteran Daybreak co-anchor Colleen Peck (DIANE KEATON) who expects Becky will be gone shortly, just like all of her predecessors.

But the young producer perseveres and decides to make some big changes, including firing Colleen's co-host and then trying to convince legendary investigative reporter Mike Pomeroy (HARRISON FORD) to fill the slot. The only problem is he's semi-retired and living high off his remaining network contract and is considered the third worst person in the world by fellow IBS employee, Adam Bennett (PATRICK WILSON).

Even so, Becky manages to coerce Mike into joining the show, although he adamantly refuses to do anything but hard news coverage. With the ratings still low, Becky ends up with limited time to turn things around, all while she falls for Adam but can't stop focusing so much on her work to allow something to come of that.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Teens might be drawn to it (especially if they're interested in the world of TV production and/or might be fans of anyone in the cast).
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For some sexual content including dialogue, language and brief drug references.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • RACHEL McADAMS plays a young TV news producer who takes a job as the head of a national morning news program with the goal of turning it around. To do so, she shakes things up, but must overcome various obstacles, complications and difficulties in doing so, especially involving Mike. A workaholic, she puts her career ahead of everything in her life, including her romance with Adam (with whom she sleeps), and eventually learns the pitfalls of doing that. She uses profanity.
  • HARRISON FORD plays a legendary investigative TV reporter and anchor who's financially coerced by Becky into becoming the new co-anchor of her TV show, much to his disdain. He drinks, smokes a cigar in one scene, uses profanity, has a snarky/snarly attitude toward most everyone and everything, including her wanting him to do "fluff" pieces beyond the hard news.
  • PATRICK WILSON plays another employee at the network who works on a news program that comes with less time commitment, and thus he ends up frustrated with Becky when they become romantically and sexually involved as she simply can't stop working or thinking about work. He drinks.
  • DIANE KEATON plays Mike's co-anchor on the morning show, a veteran of that program who just goes with the flow, resigned to that's the way it is. She initially isn't supportive of Becky and immediately clashes with Mike. She also uses brief strong profanity.
  • JEFF GOLDBLUM plays Becky's boss who tells her how it is about the program and her limited time in doing something to turn it around. He uses some profanity.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a brief summary of the content found in this PG-13 rated comedy. Profanity consists of at least 2 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, as is some fooling around, partial disrobing and implied off-screen sex.

    Drinking occurs in various scenes (with some slight intoxication), while a few joking drug-related comments are made. Some crude humor is present, as are bad attitudes and some potentially imitative behavior. Some tense family material is also present.

    Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

    For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's some of that from camera flashes taking photos of Mike and Colleen.

    For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some camera movement from time to time in the film.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Lenny has wine at home.
  • We see champagne and/or wine bottles in Mike's work office.
  • Adam says that with Becky now working with Mike it's an excellent time to take up drinking. He also tells her that some of them go out for drinks after work and thus invites her.
  • Becky states that whoever approved Mike was smoking crack. In turn, he sarcastically states he could have had hookers and "eight balls" (coke or meth).
  • Adam and others have beer in a bar named "Liquor Bar."
  • Adam states that Mike in the past was "drunk off his ass."
  • Mike drinks in his office.
  • Becky asks Mike if he's drunk and he replies, "Insufficiently."
  • While making out, Adam asks Becky if Mike had been drinking, saying that the newsman went on a bender in the past the night before a debut. She then races out, checks several bars, and finds him in one drinking with others. She then takes him back to his place to make sure he doesn't drink any more (he already appears intoxicated).
  • There's talk of a drunk-driving story.
  • Adam and others have beer.
  • Mike says he owes a cook a bottle of something.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • Hearing about Mike joining her on the show, Colleen sarcastically wonders if he had to work with kid "barf" on him like she did.
  • About being on the morning show, Mike sarcastically says a promo piece could be to watch him "before your morning dump."
  • Mike refers to Colleen's pap smear being part of a past morning show.
  • Colleen complains that she had to use "rectal" and "moisture" in the same sentence (meaning on the morning show), with Mike snarkily replying that first dates can be rough.
  • About riding a roller coaster, the TV weatherman says (what sounded like) he's going to be sick, but the shot cuts away before anything is seen or heard.
  • Mike makes some sarcastic comment about only lighting up when there's a fist up the "ass."
  • There's a news story on the show about E. coli resulting in cramps and diarrhea, with Colleen then commenting off the air about uncontrolled "sh*tting."
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Becky's mom comments on Becky's dream of working on a big TV show, saying it was cute at first, but then turned embarrassing as she got older.
  • Adam refers to Mike (not in his presence) as the third worst person in the world.
  • Colleen isn't nice to Becky upon first meeting her, saying she'll fail like everyone else before her. She also calls her "Gidget."
  • Colleen's co-anchor is a conceited and egotistical man who has a foot fetish, and he asks Becky if she's interested in his "sexy feet" blog (she isn't). He doesn't think he needs to attend Becky's staff meeting and when she orders him there, he complains, asking why he had to log off "banging grannies dot com." Becky then fires him.
  • About a reporter with big teeth, Lenny jokes (not in his presence), "Put a saddle on him, he's ready to go."
  • Mike is egotistical based on his news reporting track record and believes that the network morning news show is below him (due to it also doing fluff pieces).
  • Adam says that Mike referred to him as "senor dip-sh*t" in the past.
  • Mike has a snarky attitude toward everyone and everything related to working on the morning show.
  • Adam states that Mike slapped him in the past.
  • Mike refers to his kids as "ungrateful little bastards."
  • Mike refuses to do any fluff pieces on the show or engage in anything but serious talk.
  • Mike breaks a story about a governor charged with racketeering.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • None.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Becky meets Mike out in a field where he carries a hunting rifle and fires two shots at passing birds. We then see him carrying one dead one (no blood).
  • Listing various reasons why he's above having to do a morning news show, Mike includes that he was shot through the arm.
  • Jerry jokingly asks Becky if she's going to "bust a cap in my ass."
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Oh f*ck," an incomplete "Those m*therf*ckers," "Oh sh*t," "Sh*tty sh*t," "Sh*t-load," "Horse sh*t," "Senor dip-sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "Banging grannies dot com," "Until I awakened here with my African rain stick," "You're a stud," "No problemo," "Hey, how the hell are you, New Jersey?" "Cretinous morons," "In the crapper," "You think it's fun getting your ass kicked?" "Gidget," "Go nuts," "What the hell /are you doing here/is that/is the story?" "You cretin," "Damn fine," "Man up," "I look like a jackass," "Before your morning dump," "Rich as hell," "He was drunk off his ass," "My ass is on the line," "Your ass is irrelevant," "You have this repellant moxie," "Ungrateful little bastards," "Where the hell have you been?" "Oh crap," "Bitch," "Suck it," "As one hurricane said to another, I have my eye on you," "You're an asshole," "Are you gonna bust a cap in my ass?" "Animatronic puppet asshole," "Are you out of your mind?" "Are you insane?" "You lunatic," "I screwed up with my kids," "I'm your bitch?" (said by a man), "Ding-dong" and "The old bastard."
  • A staffer throws a piece of paper at a TV host who's fallen asleep on air.
  • Becky repeatedly bangs her head on a towel dispenser in a bathroom (out of frustration).
  • We see the TV weatherman bent over, apparently getting a tattoo on his rear, but we don't see that part of his body (although the tattoo artist has many tattoos on his skin).
  • Adam puts Becky's cell phone into the freezer (to make her stop doing work), and she later does that herself.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • Mike's hand suddenly comes between two closing elevator doors (to keep them open).
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • None.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • A song has a lyric where the female singer sings about an arm around her body and kisses on her skin. She then adds that he walks away, but he lingers.
  • A rapper performs a song on the TV show and we couldn't fully hear and/or understand the lyrics, meaning there's the possibility that they might contain something objectionable.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 2 "f" words (with another possible one and an incomplete one used with "mother"), 15 "s" words, 1 slang term for sex ("banging"), 13 asses (4 used with "hole"), 9 hells, 3 craps (1 as "crapper"), 3 damns, 12 uses of "Oh my God," 5 of "Jesus," 4 of "Oh God," 3 of "For Christ's sakes," 2 of "God" and 1 use each of "Christ," "For God's sakes," "G-damn" and "My God."
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • After some coworkers have given Becky a gift, she jokes that it better not be a box of condoms again as she never used the old ones.
  • Lenny comments on some staffer sleeping with another.
  • Colleen's co-anchor is a conceited and egotistical man who has a foot fetish, and he asks Becky if she's interested in his "sexy feet" blog (she isn't). He doesn't think he needs to attend Becky's staff meeting and when she orders him there, he complains, asking why he had to log off "banging grannies dot com." Becky then fires him.
  • Becky states that whoever approved Mike was smoking crack. In turn, he sarcastically states he could have had hookers and "eight balls" (coke or meth).
  • Mike refers to Colleen's pap smear being part of a past morning show.
  • Becky states that she doesn't know a man is interested in her until his pants come off, and she then realizes he isn't interested in her CD collection.
  • Adam and Becky make out, including him nuzzling her. We then see her in her panties and a shirt (he's still fully dressed), and they stumble about until falling onto the couch. She then stops when Adam asks if Mike had been drinking, thus worrying and distracting her that he has.
  • Becky tells Mike, "My ass is on the line" (about him debuting on her show), with him replying, "Your ass is irrelevant."
  • When Becky bursts into a bar and tells Mike she needs to talk to him, he jokingly asks, "Why? Is the baby mine?"
  • Becky and Mike are late to their morning staff meeting, with someone asking her where she's been. She states she stayed at Mike's place (to keep him from getting drunk), raising the eyebrows of all there. She senses that and states she slept on the couch, but Mike interjects, "Until I awakened her with my African rain stick" (said literally, but intended as a double entendre).
  • There's talk of a sex offender in a news story, with the text graphic for that staying on the screen with a new picture of Jimmy Carter in an unrelated story.
  • Becky rushes in and passionately kisses Adam. He then carries her to the bedroom. Later, he wakes up and is shirtless, while she's up, working in her underwear and a top. He then says it's fine for her to leave to go to work, so she does, nearly leaving without her below the waist clothing.
  • A song has a lyric where the female singer sings about an arm around her body and kisses on her skin. She then adds that he walks away, but he lingers.
  • Referring to Adam, Mike says he thought he was only interested in chesty women (other non-explicit slang is used to describe that), while a two-handed gesture is made to represent supporting large breasts from beneath.
  • Mike complains that others want him to peddle erectile dysfunction on the show.
  • Becky wonders if a ditzy reporter on the show is sleeping with someone to have gotten the job. Lenny raises his finger, seemingly suggesting he's referring to himself, but he's really pointing "upstairs" (meaning a big boss at the network -- who we're later led to believe is Jerry).
  • Colleen complains that she had to use "rectal" and "moisture" in the same sentence (meaning on the morning show), with Mike snarkily replying that first dates can be rough.
  • Becky comments that she finally found someone (meaning Adam who isn't present but can hear her) who can stand her long enough to have sex with her.
  • About Becky using the show's weatherman in various extreme entertainment bits (riding a coaster, etc.), Mike sarcastically asks if strapping electrodes to that man's "balls" is next.
  • We see Colleen doing a TV entertainment bit with a shirtless male sumo wrestler.
  • We see the TV weatherman bent over, apparently getting a tattoo on his rear, but we don't see that part of his body (although the tattoo artist has many tattoos on his skin).
  • Adam tells Becky that maybe they should do another eight-part series on the show about the orgasm. She thinks he's serious and asks what they'd talk about (meaning that which wasn't already covered).
  • About a news story (and talking on the phone), Mike asks (what sounded like) something about a hooker there as well.
  • Mike mentions he learned about frittatas while spending a naked weekend with a beauty (sometime in the past).
  • A classic painting shows a male figure without pants (but the genitals are covered), while a wall sculpture/statue shows female bare breasts.
  • We see Becky come out of Adam's bedroom (in panties and a shirt), and she puts her phone in the kitchen freezer (meaning she and Adam don't want to be interrupted by a work call).
  • We see Mike lead Colleen into his office, with the implication being they're doing so to fool around and/or have sex.
  • SMOKING
  • Mike smokes a cigar in one scene.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Becky's mom comments on Becky's dream of working on a big TV show, saying it was cute at first, but then turned embarrassing as she got older.
  • Mike refers to his kids as "ungrateful little bastards."
  • Mike mentions that he hasn't seen his grandkids in a long time, and that he "screwed up" with his kids (due to working all of the time).
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • The life of those who work on early morning TV shows.
  • The mixing of news and entertainment.
  • Being a workaholic.
  • Becky getting up at 1:30 am for work.
  • Dealing with being fired or laid off from one's job.
  • Having to get two people with big egos to work together.
  • Mike breaks a story about a governor charged with racketeering.
  • Mike mentions that he hasn't seen his grandkids in a long time, and that he "screwed up" with his kids (due to working all of the time).
  • VIOLENCE
  • Becky meets Mike out in a field where he carries a hunting rifle and fires two shots at passing birds. We then see him carrying one dead one (no blood).
  • Becky repeatedly bangs her head on a towel dispenser in a bathroom (out of frustration).



  • Reviewed October 26, 2010 / Posted November 10, 2010

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