Morning Glory

Forgot to mention Morning Glory. This is certainly a better movie than Burlesque, and pleasant enough way to spend the time. Very good chance will be at second run theatres over Xmas!  Yet I don't know if I enjoyed it as much as Burlesque. 

Certainly this is better cast. Harrison Ford can still chew on a line and does plenty of it. Diane Keaton, I wouldn't say she chews, but whatever she does she usually does well. And Rachel McAdams is pleasantly right for her role as a fired TV producer who talks her way to a gig running the distant 4th morning network show and sets out to save it by putting a no-way-do-I-want-to-be-here Ford with an I-don't-need-this Keaton together as anchors. Jeff Goldblum is also on hand as the network exec who gives her the job and isn't so sure of the call. All good in their roles, though Harrison Ford has been directed to sound so gruff in some scenes you'd think he either had a tracheotomy right before going on or throat cancer. 

Lots of good local color. A scene at Elaine's with Elaine (who passed away right -around the time of the film's release), Ford having a drink with Chris Matthews and Morley Safer, the network is based in that curved wall building across from Bryant Park where the characters hang out. 

But less than the sum of all its parts. For the movie to work the Rachel McAdams character has to be inept and inspired as convenient. The morning show concept is probably enough for a movie but not enough for this one, which has a romantic comedy subplot with McAdam and Patrick Wilson that I just found to be the most boring thing. McAdam's love is with her TV show. This isn't one of those May December romance movies that would drive my sister crazy, but the climax of the movie is Harrison Ford saying a platonic yes to the show/McAdams, not Patrick Wilson, in fact one of the good NY color things is the handling of the traditional race against no that every romantic comedy has to have, so why hae Patrick Thomas at all. 

Ultimately, acceptably entertaining in acceptable ways while Burlesque is fascinating. Weird, but fascinating. I can rent or watch on TV at least twenty movies that would entertain me similarly. Not Burlesque, definitely not that.