Broadcast News (1987)

Directed by James L. Brooks. With William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter, Robert Prosky. Take two rival television reporters: one handsome, one talented, both male. Add one Producer, female. Mix well, and watch the sparks fly.

Broadcast News is a 1987 American romantic comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by James L. Brooks.

Writer/director/producer James L. Brooks scores on all counts with this clear-eyed look at the television news business and the dysfunctional types who work in it. Brooks' intelligent script introduces us to Jane Craig (Holly Hunter), an ambitious producer at the network news division's Washington D.C. branch, who is calm under fire yet has a good cry at her desk every morning over her empty personal life. Jane works well with Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks), an excellent reporter who lacks the visual charisma to make him a star. Into their lives comes Tom Grunick (William Hurt), a regional newscaster who admits he can't write news and doesn't understand many of the events he's covering, but has the presence and physical appeal that the increasingly entertainment-oriented network wants for its news programs. Jane is also physically attracted to him, which drives her crazy, because Grunick stands for everything she's fighting against in the news business, while Altman is devastated by her attraction because he secretly yearns for Jane. As Grunick becomes a rising star at the network, and layoffs of the old guard loom, the three leads deal with their feelings for each other, their careers, and their values. Hunter, Hurt, and Brooks are all superb, as is the excellent supporting cast (including an unbilled turn by Jack Nicholson as the network's smarmy national anchor). Brooks' script is funny, poignant, gritty, and brutally honest in its examinations of the television industry and the ways in which professionals interact on and off the job. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

"Broadcast News" is as knowledgeable about the TV news-gathering process as any movie ever made, but it also has insights into the more personal matter of how people use high-pressure jobs as a way of avoiding time alone with themselves. The movie, opening today at the Fine Arts, is described as being about a romantic triangle, but that's only partly true. It is about three people who toy with the idea of love, but are obsessed by the idea of making television.

Since the 1970s, the name James L. Brooks has been synonymous with intelligent television comedy—his shows are insightful about work and love and always plugged in to the zeitgeist.

Amazon.com: Broadcast News: William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter, Robert Prosky, Lois Chiles, Joan Cusack, Peter Hackes, Christian Clemenson, Jack Nicholson, Robert Katims, Ed Wheeler, Stephen Mendillo, Michael Ballhaus, James L. Brooks, Kristi Zea, Penney Finkelman Cox, Polly Platt, Susan Zirinsky: Movies & TV

Released in December 1987, the James L. Brooks dramedy is a bittersweet, still-timely look at the people who produce the news. Thirty years later, its creators reflect on the film’s legacy.

James L. Brooks lives in a world of ideas and faces, retorts and reactions.

Basket-case network news producer Jane Craig falls for new reporter Tom Grunnick, a pretty boy who represents the trend towards entertainment news she despises. Aaron Altman, a talented but plain correspondent, carries an unrequited torch for Jane. Sparks fly between the three as the network prepares for big changes, and both the news and Jane must decide between style and substance.

Overview of Broadcast News , 1987, directed by James L. Brooks, with William Hurt, Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, at Turner Classic Movies

Jane Craig (Holly Hunter) is a network news producer who takes her work very seriously and is completely dedicated to her job. Her work is frantic and she's willing to do anything to make sure the stories she produces turn out perfect, even when that means editing up until the very last second. She finds…

Find trailers, reviews, synopsis, awards and cast information for Broadcast News (1987) - James L. Brooks on AllMovie - Writer/director/producer James L. Brooks scores…