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Mar 10, 2011 Web Exclusive By Danielle Sills

More than being a film about the industry it's titled after, Broadcast News is a look into a love triangle in the newsroom. Although the ethics of journalism come up time and again, the real focus here is on the conflicted relationship between a producer (Jane, played by Holly Hunter) and her two colleagues—Tom (William Hurt), the attractive but self-admittedly shallow-minded anchor who lucked his way into a job, and Aaron (Albert Brooks), the "prick" reporter who can write prolific stories but has no patience for the superficial fluff he believes his network is increasingly churning out.

Jane, who defines workaholic, is caught in the middle when both men fall for her. Love is the last thing she has made time for, instead focusing on taking the reins of her career, where she pours all her energy. She's a perfectionist, and Aaron, her longtime friend and news partner in crime, can match her professional grit. Yet she finds herself mysteriously falling for Tom, no matter how repulsive she finds everything he symbolizes (the industry leaning toward someone who sounds and looks good on TV, rather than thoughtful newshounds, for one). The rest of the movie is a series of incidents that tests what is truly important to Jane—in both her career and personal life.

It's a story about relationships, but throughout, we are simultaneously tied to conflicting beliefs about what crosses the line, journalistically and ethically. Director James L. Brooks spent time after graduating both at CBS and newswriting at the "Tiffany Network" before producing such TV classics as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Taxi, and his personal experience helps gather some of the heft behind Broadcast News. He gives us a look into the lives and careers of three complex characters who struggle with not only their own boundaries, but the challenges of a rapidly changing medium. Special features include an alternate ending, and an interview with CBS news producer Susan Zirinsky, a model for Hunter's character. (www.criterion.com)

Author rating: 7/10