Broadcast News | | Cast : | William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter | | Director : | James L. Brooks | | Studio : | Twentieth Century Fox | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | December 16, 1987 | | DVD Released Date : | February 01, 2005 | | Language : | English (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 09, 2005 | | Summary | Breaking Story! | Content
 | TOM GRUNNICK, AARON ALTMAN and JANE CRAIG: BROADCAST NEWS:
A Handsome news anchor with an uncanny ability to sell the news, even if he is a little dim... A whiney story reporter with great integrity but a face that doesn't do well with focus groups... and the workaholic producer that can make anything happen and remain the love interest for the first two...
BROADCAST NEWS is James L. Brooks brilliant comedy about this network news love triangle in the beltway of Washington DC. With sharp, biting dialogue and creative performances, he created one of the best films of the last 50 years. All the while tracing the love triangle, we also see the behind the scenes operations of the news in action. A scene where Tom (William Hurt) anchors an emergency report with Jane (Holly Hunter) coaching him through his earpiece is an accomplished piece of cinema as has been seen for 50 years. And a scene where Aaron (Albert Brooks) anchors the weekend news while battling a serious case of flop sweat is a hysterically funny scene worth remembering. And that is the beauty of the writer/directors work. The scenes are never wasted as they serve both the love triangle as well as the network operations. Jack Nicholson and Joan Cusack give great support in small character roles.
A must for movie lovers everywhere. This was an early DVD release so it does not have much to offer other than a nice audio/video transfer. I would love to have a running commentary for this as Brooks did with AS GOOD AS IT GETS, but until that time, this is a great film worth a lot of study.
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| Rating | | | Date | March 28, 2005 | | Summary | One of the best movies of the '80s | Content
| A crackerjack of a movie, it's an intelligent and very funny look at TV broadcast news and the people who bring it to us. William Hurt is the pretty face/no brains anchor, Albert Brooks the smart writer who wants to be an anchor but doesn't have the talent, and Holly Hunter is the hyperactive producer who falls for both guys and loses both. So much is going on in this movie that repeated viewings reveal new insights and are always enjoyable. Great acting by all, and the script is terrific. The only fault, and it's a minor one, is the epilogue: it's superfluous. To me, this is one of the best, if not THE best, movies of the 80's. |
| Rating | | | Date | November 26, 2004 | | Summary | Strictly a technical review | Content
| While this is without question a 5-star film, the dvd leaves MUCH to be desired. Let me begin with the widescreen framing. I was happy to finally see this arrive on dvd in its proper wide format. Out of curiosity I took out my oft-played VHS copy and compared the compositions. Understanding that many 1.85:1 pictures are merely 1.33:1 aspects with mattes placed on the top and bottom of the frame, I wasn't expecting to be too disappointed with the missing, albeit unintended, visual information. But I have to say - not only is the top and bottom masked off, but the SIDES are as well. In other words you lose information on ALL FOUR SIDES, and it does NOT look good. This CANNOT be what James L. Brooks had in mind...could it?!?! Sorry to say, but this has to be one of the most RARE examples where the "full-frame", that is, full aperture is preferred over the letterboxed edition. Which brings me to my next point: somebody PLEASE re-issue this as a Special Edition, replete with commentaries, and any extra footage. Finally, whoever, please, PLEASE re-frame this into a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer. Widescreen is preferred, but on the existing dvd the framing is just too tight. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 23, 2004 | | Summary | Very Funny!! | Content
| Being in the news business myself, I found this movie to be very funny. Some of the characters were actually characatures of some of the ego-driven, compulsive people I have met in the business. Brooks, Hunter and Hurt are the big three here and they work wonderfully together!! |
| Rating | | | Date | April 27, 2004 | | Summary | Broadcast News - In Review | Content
| Amidst the hustle and bustle of a demanding newsroom a love triangle builds right in your living from this witty, romantic, comedy Broadcast News. Holly Hunter who plays a network news producer falls between pretty-boy anchorman William Hurt and Albert Brooks, who provides contrast as the gifted reporter. Director James L. Brooks brings this romantic comedy to life through the busy Washington D.C. pressroom. With a glimpse into each of the characters' childhood the film brings us thirty years later to a Washington News Network that brings together are three amusing characters. Jane (Holly Hunter), swiftly finds herself attracted to the new anchorman, Tom (William Hurt) hired for his good looks and camera poise. Long time friend of Jane, Aaron (Albert Brooks) reveals his true feelings in the midst of Jane and Tom's relationship to create a tangled triangle. Cutbacks and an unrevealed lie send the trio in their separate ways to be reunited seven years later. Holly Hunter is Jane Craig, a lovable, high-strung, control-freak news producer, who falls for a dim-witted, handsome and on the rise anchor William Hurt, who plays Tom Grenick. No role was more fitting then Aaron Altman performed by Albert Brooks, Brooks's made a hard working and witty veteran reporter complete with his brilliant performance. Pulling the film together with supporting roles was Lois Chiles, Joan Cusack, and Robert Provosky, not to mention a trivial role as senior anchorman played by Jack Nicholson. The setting is the high-stakes world of network television news, and although the technology has changed since the mid 1980's when this was made, the politics and the cutthroat environment are still exactly the same. The soundtrack is mainly dialogue driven lacking any memorable hits. Mainly featuring scene based tunes to keep the film flowing allowing the focus to stay with the actors' performances. Jane's dilemma is more in depth then looks versus love; it is an inner struggle tearing her apart. In one hand she has the handsome anchorman that is everything she cannot stand in media and the other is her long-time honest friend who still believes in integrity. Torn between the choice of integrity and selling the news she takes the new position and starts over. The performance from the three actors was outstanding and the accurate portrayal of the network production puts you on set. This spunky, romantic, comedy is well deserving of its Seven Oscar nominations. This delightful James L. Brooks film will leave you wondering if it is not too late to consider a new occupation. |
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