"Morning Glory is a tart, terrific comedy that gives Harrison Ford his best and funniest role in years. It's hillarious to watch Harrison Ford looking so incredibly grumpy." Peter Travers ROLLING STONE "Harrison Ford hasn't been this entertaining in years, actually, and that in and of itself gives "Morning Glory" a pass. It uses the world of network news instead of digging into it." Laura Clifford REELING REVIEWS "McAdams plays Becky with an almost scary efficiency. The film's loose quality makes it stand out above the usual pushier style of Hollywood comedy. Snappy script helps make this rather goofy comedy much more enjoyable than it should be. And it also helps that the film is extremely well-cast and that it has some pointed things to say." Rich Cline SHADOWS ON THE WALL "Mainstream moviemaking at its most proficient, with a zippy script, comfort-food casting and a breakout performance by a deserving star." Joe Williams ST LOUIS POST-DISPATCH "Undeniably charming and refreshingly old-fashioned, Roger Michell’s Morning Glory is a surprisingly entertaining throwback that tackles the oft-told tale of a young girl who goes off to conquer the big city. Ford gives a very canny performance. McAdams is charm personified. Morning Glory a delightful surprise." Charles Koplinski ILLINOIS TIMES

"Morning Glory is a breezy, delightful fall comedy that sparkles from start to finish, a fresh, welcome edition amidst the solemnity of the current Oscar bait season." Brandon Fibbs BRANDON FIBBS "Becky is cute, entirely too conversational and consumed by her career. And, as portrayed by the equally adorable Rachel McAdams in 'Morning Glory,' she is funny, sweet and endearing. McAdams always sparkles and certainly shines here." Linda Cook KWQC-TV "Harrison with his cool, calm and collected contemptuous air nicely holds everything together as the grouchy news executive from hell replacement for a female foot fetish anchorman. The Devil Wears Aftershave." Prairie Miller WBAI RADIO "Rachel McAdams proves that she can carry a romantic comedy. Her talkative, bubbly personality will win the hearts of many in the audience. I’m not from the television industry but I’ve been told the 'behind the scenes' stuff on Daybreak is a close reflection of reality." Matthew Toomey ABC RADIO BRISBANE "A welcome little pick-me-up like your pre-work coffee, “Morning Glory” has the contagious energy of someone whose good personality can win over even the biggest grouch. That’s mostly thanks to McAdams, whose incredible charm and ability to find sweetness even in Becky’s most manic, desperate moments. A welcome little pick-me-up like your pre-work coffee. If given the chance, Rachel McAdams could save the romantic comedy." Matt Pais METROMIX

The Inside Story There is a storied movie history of working women in sexy screwball comedies. From Rosalind Russell's ace newswoman squaring off against Cary Grant as an underhanded editor in the 1940 Howard Hawks film, "His Girl Friday": to Melanie Griffith's working class secretary pretending to be her high-powered boss (Harrison Ford) in the 1988 Mike Nichols film "Working Girl"; women trying to get on top have turned out to be some of film comedy's smartest, wittiest and most appealing heroes. Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna ("27 Dresses") has long been drawn to the trials, and triumphs, of young women finding their way (and themselves) in the workplace, which first came to the fore when she penned the hit comedy "The Devil Wears Prada", based on the bestselling book about a young assistant who valiantly faces off with the boss from hell. Now she brings her refreshingly contemporary POV to a portrait of a feisty young upstart who falls right into the middle of what might well be the highest high-pressure cooker in all the working world: producing morning news, a job notorious for driving the young and ambitious either to the heights of achievement: or to the madhouse. McKenna began with the idea of a struggling, recently let-go, local news producer, whose career prospects seem about as bleak as her foundering love life until she gets her first big break at 'Daybreak'. She knows the odds couldn't be any more stacked against her, but Becky Fuller is not going to let a once in a lifetime chance go by without giving it her all. That's when this overexcited and unsinkable young woman collides head-on with her polar opposite: a legendary evening anchor who cannot stand anything soft, sweet or, worst of all, fluffy, but is forced to take on all of that, and more, when Becky recruits him as the show's new co-host and, so she hopes, savior. When McKenna pitched the story of "Morning Glory" to J. J. Abrams, he instantly fell in love with the push-pull tension between a determined newcomer who won't say die and the ultimate work-place troublemaker, who won't cooperate to save his life. The team at Bad Robot was also excited by the fun of exposing the 'behind the scenes' mayhem of the morning news shows that many Americans wake up to every day: which are rife not only with wacky weather reports, rampaging animals and baked lasagnas; but also with some of the most outrageous and desperate bids for ratings in all of television. "If you've seen any clips on Youtube, you know that morning news is full of some the most absurdly hysterical stuff that's ever been captured on video," notes Bryan Burk, Executive Vice President Bad Robot. "It was exciting to think about all the comedic potential in that." They also had little doubt that Brosh McKenna could get to the heart of that comic potential in the final screenplay. "We were all big fans of Aline's work" says executive producer Sherryl Clark ("Cloverfield"), "and we thought she was the perfect fit for this story." McKenna ("Laws of Attraction") is known for her dynamic use of dialogue, but also believes in research. Right away, she set her alarm for the middle of the night and began spending her days behind the scenes at all the New York morning shows, getting an inside glimpse at just how tough a lifestyle a young producer must lead. "I think one of the greatest compliments we received was when Morley Safer, who makes a cameo in the film, asked if Aline had ever worked in news because he thought everything was so incredibly accurate," Clark (who runs the feature production side of Bad Robot) revealed. The more she learned, the more McKenna felt it had to be more than the now waning war of news versus entertainment. Instead, she had her main character face head-on today's reality: that the two have become entwined beyond separation. Mike Pomeroy might believe heatedly in the power of real news to impact the world, and Becky might be awed by his skills as a reporter, but she knows that the world has changed to the point that Mike must either find a new way: or fade away. And, as crazy as drives her, she wants to save his career as much as she wants to kick-start her own. "Aline's script acknowledges the debate and touches upon the importance of the news, but her story is not really about that," Clark explained. "It's really about a girl who is an underdog, who comes to the big city to try to change the fate of the fourth-rated morning show in America, and how, in the process, she has to turn around some of the most cynical, jaded people in existence." From the time the script was in early development, Aline Brosh McKenna and Bad Robot chairman J.J. Abrams dreamed of having Harrison Ford in the film. Abrams, who first worked with Ford, when as Jeffrey Abrams, he wrote the 1991 drama, "Regarding Henry", notes: "I felt this was right up his alley because he's got an amazing sense of humor. We tend to think of Harrison as the action hero, as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, but he has always been extremely funny as well. It's just been a long time since he's had a great comic role." With Ford on-board, the search for a director began. One name rose to the top. It was Roger Michell, who directed Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in the unlikely love story, "Notting Hill". "I'd wanted to come back to America and make a film that would bring a lot of people joy, and when I read this script I felt it had terrific potential. It was based in a real, recognizable world: the world of morning television; but, one that was also far more seductive and interesting that I imagined. The humor was in the characters and how Becky Fuller prevails by the sheer force of her personality and charm, turning this unlikely mix of people into a success. The combo of McKenna, Ford and Michell already held out a lot of promise, but it was heightened even more so by two other great additions. Not only would meteorically rising comic star Rachel McAdams take the challenging lead role of Becky Fuller, but an undeniable screen legend, Oscar winner and two time Golden Globe recipient Diane Keaton, would also come on board to play her comic foil in tandem with Ford. "Harrison and Diane brought their characters alive to the point that you don't want their repartee to ever stop." says executive producer Guy Riedel ("Wedding Crashers"). "We wanted to write more dialogue for them just so we could all witness more of their relationship." Rachel McAdams ("The Time Traveler's Wife") is Becky Fuller. "We needed someone you really want to root for," says Abrams. "She had to be bubbly and fun, but the treacherous part was that she also had to have an equal amount of depth and sophistication. Rachel McAdams brought all of that. She nails the classical comedy stuff, but her character is also full of heart, honesty and emotion." Four time Blockbuster Entertainment Award winner Harrison Ford (1994, '95, '99 & 2001) plays the larger than life character: Mike Pomeroy (aka the third worst person in the world). Years ago, when news mattered and anchormen were the ultimate in masculine trustworthiness, Pomeroy was a virtual god of television, a true power player in the world of politics and international relations. As far as Mike is concerned, things couldn't get much worse. Until he meets producer Becky Fuller and she expertly manipulates him back onto the air to do exposés on toothbrushes and prostate exams. "Their relationship is very funny, but it's also quite emotional. There's a real connection that develops between them," says 2010 Honorary César recipient Ford. Morning Glory's deft mixture of humor and human observation was a magnet for Ford from his first read. "This was one of the funniest, smartest scripts I've encountered. It had great dialogue, real relationships, a sophisticated sense of humor and I was just very attracted to the quality of it." When Mike Pomeroy joins "Daybreak", he is not only on a collision course with Becky Fuller, but with the woman who will be his co-host and constant nemesis: Colleen Peck, the flighty, former beauty queen who has made a long career out of chatty banter and a willingness to do absolutely anything, no matter how ridiculous, on air. Playing Peck is an actress who has made an American art form out of nuanced comedy: Diane Keaton. "Diane plays the old battle axe to the hilt. Her Colleen Peck is a woman who has found her niche," says Riedel. Keaton says she knew immediately that she wanted to be part of Morning Glory. "I've made a lot of movies now in my life and every single time what attracts me to them is the same: the script; and Aline wrote a fantastic one. It's funny, it's touching and there's something so human about it." Keaton was thrilled to have the chance to work with Harrison Ford. "When Harrison walks in a room, it's like Mt. Rushmore just came in. He's the most iconic man." The rat-a-tat dialogue between the duo kept Keaton exhilarated throughout the production. "These are the kinds of scenes you yearn to play all your life, where you start out with charming banter that turns into verbal warfare. What could be more fun than fighting with Harrison Ford?" "Morning Glory" was a chance for 2006 Young Hollywood Award winner Patrick Wilson ("Little Children") to step out into romance. He plays Adam as the yin to Becky's yang, as the amused calm to her frenzied storm. "This was really a new adventure for me. This is the kind of comedy that appeals to me because it's about great story-telling and characters." He also had an intriguing personal connection to the subject matter: both Wilson's father and brother are real-world TV anchormen. In fact, his father has anchored the nightly news in Tampa, Florida for the last twenty five years. "I was amazed by how spot-on Aline was in capturing the inner-workings of a news show. I not only found it very, very funny, I found it really, really truthful." The man perhaps most awed and flummoxed by Becky Fuller is her new boss at the IBS network, Jerry Barnes, played by Golden Globe winner Jeff Goldblum. "I think Jerry sees right away that Becky is extraordinary. He doesn't say it, but something strikes him instantly about her character. He sees that she's an incredibly hard worker and he relates to the strength of her passion to do good work, which is something that brought him into the news world in the first place." "Morning Glory" could not have been shot anywhere else but New York City, the center of American ambition, the home of national morning news and the town where Becky Fuller always dreamed she'd one day get a chance get to make her mark. Roger Michell not only weaves the spirit of the city through the film, he also used a real, working Manhattan TV studio that adds to the work-place authenticity that underscores the film's comedy. Michell teamed up with an artistic crew that includes D.O.P. Alwin Küchler ("Proof"), production designer Mark Friedberg ("State Of Play") and costume designer Frank Fleming ("Monster's Ball") to bring to life the sheer mania of 'Daybreak' within the dazzling energy of the Big Apple. "I always love working in New York," says Michell. What It's All About

When young, hard-working TV producer, Becky Fuller, is fired from a local news program, her career begins to look as bleak as her hapless love life. Until she stumbles into a senior producers job on New York's "Daybreak", the last-place national morning TV news show. Becky decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy. Unfortunately, Pomeroy refuses to cover morning show staples like celebrity gossip, weather, fashion and crafts, let alone work with his co-host, Colleen Peck, a former beauty queen and longtime morning show personality, who is more than happy covering morning "news." As Mike and Colleen clash, first behind the scenes and then on the air, Becky's blossoming love affair with fellow producer, Adam Bennett begins to unravel. And soon Becky is struggling to save her relationship, her reputation, her job and ultimately, the show itself.

The Verdict "For many cinemagoers, I think the key to enjoying "Morning Glory", lies in how patient they are with Rachel McAdams chatterbox character Becky and Harrison Ford's grumpy old man character Mike Pomeroy. To be honest, for the first half of this zany film about morning TV, I found myself wondering when the *&^! she was going to put a sock in it. Boy, were my eardrums pounding. As for Mike, I half suspected there would be a turn around in his demeanour and I fully understood why 'the third worst person in the world' was a little pissed off with the industry. Fortunately distractions from other characters and a little perservernance, brought out the rewarding features of the film. And for once (in quite a while), I wasn't cringing every time Diane Keaton appeared on the screen. Patrick Wilson ("Hard Candy") as the love interest, John Pankow ("Life as a House"), the always entertaining Jeff Goldblum ("Jurassic Park" & "Igby Goes Down") and some wicked live action crosses to the stations weatherman add to the appeal of "Morning Glory". Of course, hanging in to see what becomes of Pomeroy, is in itself rewarding. In the end, McAdams won me over, turned me around with her characters zeal and steely preparedness to succeed. Patience brings its rewards! SOLID 3 1/2 STARS. Who's Playing Who?

Rachel McAdams Patrick Wilson Jeff Goldblum Harrison Ford Jack Davidson Diane Keaton Vanessa Aspillaga Patti D'Arbanville Ty Burrell Jeff Hiller John Pankow Linda Powell Mike Hydeck Jerome Weinstein Reed Birney Noah Bean

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Becky Fuller Adam Bennett Jerry Barnes Mike Pomeroy Dog Walking Neighbor Colleen Peck Anna Becky's Mum Paul McVee Sam Lenny Bergman Louanne Ralph Fred Governor Willis First Date

The Production Team Directed by Roger Michell Written by Aline Brosh McKenna Produced by J.J. Abrams & Bryan Burk Original Music by David Arnold Cinematography by Alwin H. Kuchler Film Editing by Daniel Farrell/Nick Moore/Steven Weisberg Casting by Marcia DeBonis & Ellen Lewis Production Design by Mark Friedberg Art Direction by Alex DiGerlando & Kim Jennings Set Decoration by Alyssa Winter Costume Design by Frank L. Fleming Run Time 107 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2011 - Paramount Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2011 - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian & International Copyright, Trademark Laws & Intellectual Property Rights.