Morning Glory is a frantic sprint through the organized chaos known as the broadcasting world. Rachel McAdams, earnest and eager in her role as Becky Fuller, is a perfect fit. Just like her character, she tries hard to prove that she is right for the job. Almost too eager to win over her coworkers and audience, the other characters cannot help but to expect her to break out in song, which thankfully she doesn't. However, McAdams' performance can only stand-out, as the supporting actors cannot match her spunk (though we do see a little of the famous Diane Keaton quirky wit and charm).
My favorite scene, though slightly predictable, is at the first meeting of the Daybreak staff, when Becky is bombarded with questions on her opinions of about a dozen stories. In the midst of these inquiries, Becky looks unsure, insecure, and overwhelmed, and the audience cannot help but feel that this is a test she will not be able to survive. Ty Burrell from Modern Family is perfect in a cameo as the creepy foot-fetishizing anchor. With his entrance into the staff room with an inappropriate comment about granny internet porn, the question as to whether Becky is the best fit for the job hangs in the air. The movie audience holds its breath. Becky takes in a big one of her own, lets it out with a flutter of her "ridiculous" bangs, and fires down each of the questions the staff had previously bombarded her with. With alacrity and composure, McAdams as Becky impresses the staff, the audience, and officially wins over everyone except Ty Burrell's character, whom she fires at the end of the scene.
Throughout the movie there is a good balance of quiet, intimate moments, and glimpses of the fast-paced world of broadcast journalism. Though cliched, the male lead was appropriately cute and disarming, as well as sensitive enough to be played slightly insecurely. The most cinematically appealing part of the film is when Becky is running from the Today Show interview back to the Daybreak studio at the end of the film, with her gauzy gossamer dress gracefully billowing around her slim legs, her pink flats popping against the backdrop of the lights and grayness of New York City, the perfect layout for her bright figure and flighty movement. There were a few laugh out loud moments for me, but the jokes were classy enough not to gross out the older middle-age crowd that will be drawn by Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford's roles in the film. Though not one of the best chick flicks of all time, it is an uplifting coming-of-career movie with a few laughs and warm moments to carry you until the next chick-flick comes around.
