MadAve At The Movies: Broadcast News
By Kurt Brokaw, Culture Editor
1987: A relaxing and welcome word from a friendly sponsor. William Hurt and Holly Hunter are winning, likeable actors, and they make “Broadcast News” into a far kinder, gentler “Network.” Holly’s a responsible producer who worries in public forums about the erosion in news values and comprehensive news coverage; she’s a figure we admire, and she’s partnered with a decent enough reporter (Albert Brooks) who sticks to business and doesn’t make passes.
Holly meets William Hurt after one of her speeches; he’s a local sportscaster who’s been elevated to lead anchor – just the sort of affable fool that Holly frets about. Her job is to upgrade and educate him, though as we discover the sportscaster has a shrewd and opportunistic side, too. Holly soldiers on, a tireless advocate for Better Television.
When a network boss chastises her with “it must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think you’re the smartest person in the room,” she modestly and truthfully replies, “Oh, no. It’s awful.” How could we not like her?
