Review: Morning Glory Blu-ray

Morning Glory Blu-ray boxSTUDIO: Paramount | DIRECTOR: Roger Michell | CAST: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Wilson
RELEASE DATE: 3/8/2011 | PRICE: DVD $19.99, Blu-ray $29.99
BONUSES: deleted scene, commentary
SPECS: PG-13 | 107 min. | Comedy | 2.35:1 aspect ratio | 5.1 DTS-HD audio | English, French, Spanish, Portuguese subtitles

RATINGS (out of 5 dishes): Movie | Audio | Video | Overall

Morning Glory is a comedy in the vein of 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada, with Rachel McAdams (Sherlock Holmes) replacing Anne Hathaway as the young woman working hard to get her dream job. Whereas Hathaway wants a career in print journalism, McAdams’ Becky Fuller wants to be a producer at the Today show. After getting jobs that they see as stepping stones to something better, they both end up having to make choices about their priorities.

MORNING GLORY movie sceneDespite the movies’ similarities, Morning Glory isn’t as polished as its predecessor, lacks some of its depth — and grossed about a quarter of Prada‘s revenue at the box office.

But that doesn’t mean Morning Glory isn’t fine comedy home entertainment. McAdams is truly the film’s star, and she carries the story well. Her bubbly personality and infectious smile and laugh keep you watching and cheering her on, wanting to see her succeed.

Diane Keaton (Because I Said So) is in fine form as the prima donna host of the morning TV show McAdams is hired to executive produce. Harrison Ford (Star Wars series) is good too, as a former award-winning news anchor who’s now a grumpy old man who McAdams tries to transform into a cheery morning entertainment show lead. Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park) is, well, Jeff Goldblum, which works perfectly as McAdams’ boss, and Patrick Wilson (The A-Team) plays it straight in an almost throw-away role as McAdams’ love interest. A lovely supporting turn comes from character actor John Pankow (TV’s The Extra Man), who shows the difficulty of the job McAdams is about to face with just his slumping shoulders.

Although Morning Glory doesn’t have the drama of Prada, it excels on the comedy side, with some very funny moments.

Paramount kept the special features on both the DVD and Blu-ray basic: just a deleted scene and a commentary track.

The deleted scene (yes, singular) is a brief shot with Keaton and Ty Burrell (TV’s Modern Family) as insincere hosts as they ponder what to do with leftover shampoo in a shampoo bottle during their show wrap-up.

The commentary with director Roger Michell and writer Aline Brosh McKenna isn’t too exciting, but it will be entertaining enough for fans who want to know how long the film’s production was, changes in the script as it was developed and other behind-the-scenes tidbits.

 

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About S. Clark

Sam Clark is the former Managing Editor/Online Editor of Video Business magazine. With 19 years experience in journalism, 12 in the home entertainment industry, Sam has been hooked on movies on since she saw E.T. then stared into the sky waiting to meet her own friendly alien. Thanks to her husband’s shared love of movies, Sam reviews Blu-ray discs in a true home theater, with a 118-inch screen, projector and cushy recliners with cup holders.