Besides doing super-fun dating stuff like going to haunted houses for Jackalope Ranch's comprehensive Halloween guide, New Times blogger Colin Lecher and fellow young journalist Jessica Testa go to the movies.
Colin: First of all, you tricked me.
Jessica: I did not trick you. I told you we were going to see a movie starring Han Solo and produced by J.J. Abrams. Both of those things were true.
Colin: OK, well, I liked the premise: Indiana Jones -- I mean Harrison Ford -- is an angry retired journalist who gets blackmailed into doing a morning show. Brought to you by "Lost." How did it end up being such a chick flick?
Jessica: For one, the title was "Morning Glory." Let's look at titles of other journalism-related movies: "All the President's Men," "State of Play" or "Shattered Glass." Those are some manly, serious, dramatic titles. Now let's return to "Morning Glory." See the difference? And don't be so harsh on chick flicks. Yes, they're usually bad. But every time a new romantic comedy comes out, I hope it will be the one to redeem the rest. Like "When Harry Met Sally" or "Thelma and Louise."
Colin: All right, I'm obviously a little biased, being a dude and all. My favorite parts were the montage of the weather guy getting hurt and Harrison Ford shooting things (Han always shoots first). Maybe I should've just watched Jackass 3D. But, spoiler alert, Harrison Ford saves the day at the end of the movie by making eggs. If Dustin Hoffman had whipped up an omelet on the bus at the end of "The Graduate," no one would take the movie seriously.
Jessica: Another great romantic comedy. I liked it! I know I'll get a lot of crap from my artsy, intellectual friends but I don't care. A good chick flick is like eating a pastry from a vending machine -- it's totally processed and nutritionally empty, but sometimes hits the spot. Great ones like "The Graduate" make you forget you're watching a chick flick at all. "Morning Glory" was good, but not great. Rachel McAdams's character was too ditsy -- I didn't really buy that Patrick Wilson's character would actually go for her awkwardness and obsession with work. But that's one thing I did appreciate about the movie -- Becky Fuller (aka Worst Character Name Ever) did not need a man to make her happy. The movie really played down the romance and made Becky seem more in love with her career than the guy she just met. Also, the journalism nerd in me loved the offhand jokes. "For the love of Edward R. Murrow," one character said.
Colin: I don't know -- some chick flicks definitely deserve credit, but I don't think this was one of them. Like that one scene where the guy hides Becky McBadName's BlackBerry in the freezer because she's talking on it too much. But by the end of the movie it's OK because now everyone on her morning show is getting along (and they have a delicious egg-filled breakfast courtesy of Harrison Ford). Also, at the end she realizes the morning show has become like her family, but everyone on the staff, like Diane Keaton and Jeff Goldblum, act like they hate her until the last few minutes. And, I say this with a totally straight face, 50 Cent shows up.
Jessica: True. And the soundtrack was awful and distracting. It was very suburban Starbucks -- Natasha Bedingfield, Michael Buble and the Weepies? No thanks. The least a chick flick can do is have a good soundtrack, like that Drew Barrymore-Justin Long movie ... which I definitely did not see ... Can we just agree that Harrison Ford was the best part of the movie? His cynicism, dry humor, and delivery were all perfect. He could easily become Hollywood's male version of Meryl Streep if he keeps turning bad chick flicks into enjoyable films. He could seriously replace Jack Nicholson as the token rom-com old guy. (Someone give Nora Ephron his number!) It would kind of parallel his character, a seasoned news reporter who gets drafted to an bubbly morning show. Agreed?
Colin: I refuse to accept that. I'm going to watch "Empire Strikes Back" and pretend like this never happened.
Morning Glory, starring Rachel McAdams and directed by Roger Michell is in theaters November 10. Check out the film's trailer below ...
