Harrison Ford Is Endearingly Irascible in Morning Glory

I’ve been taking full advantage of Netflix this month as I master the art of long-distance synchronized movie viewing. Two people with Netflix Instant Viewing accounts have a wealth of movies available to them at their fingertips, and while we’ve mostly switched off watching movies as least one of us has seen before, Morning Glory was entirely new to both of us. In fact, I’d never even heard of it before. While there’s nothing terribly noteworthy or groundbreaking about it, this is a fun flick anchored by Harrison Ford’s performance as a grave, gravelly newsman who has been relegated to the role of frothy morning anchor.

Rachel McAdams stars as plucky producer Becky Fuller, who is hired to reverse the flagging fortunes of the titular news program. She knows she is going to have to make dramatic changes if she is to beat the odds, which are heavily stacked against her, and one of her first moves is to axe sleazy, self-absorbed anchor Paul McVee, played by Ty Burrell. Because I’m used to him as goofy, ingratiating dad Phil on Modern Family, it surprised me to see him in such a distasteful role, but he certainly comes across as sufficiently obnoxious.

With Paul out the door, Becky must scramble to find someone else to cohost alongside Colleen Peck, the rather divaish anchor zestily played by Diane Keaton. Everyone, particularly her resigned boss, Jerry Barnes, portrayed by a deadpan Jeff Goldblum, pooh-poohs the idea of bringing in veteran talking head Mike Pomeroy, who has won numerous awards for his journalistic prowess but is now considered all washed up. He’s none too enthusiastic about the prospect either, but contractual obligations compel him to comply with Becky’s request. Will he be just what the network needs to turn the show around, or is she biting off more than she can chew with this surly senior?

This is a cute, lightweight movie about a career-driven young woman and a sterling broadcaster learning from each other. While there is a romantic component to the film, that relationship never feels as compelling as the peculiar bond that Becky and Mike share. Once a heroic figure to her, Mike now is the source of most of her frustration, to say nothing of Colleen’s. Their testy banter is the source of much mirth, and Ford in particular can be counted upon for humor just about every time he opens his mouth to say something ornery, though there is a heartwarming element to his performance too as he gradually lets his guard down. It’s a little strange to see him playing such an elderly character, but while Mike’s actions may be more sedate than blasting Imperial starships or dodging snakes en route to ancient treasures, his mind is as sharp as Indiana Jones’ whip.

While McAdams is likable, albeit a bit exhausting, as this blazing ball of ambition, the most amusing character after Mike is Ernie Appleby, the hapless weatherman played by Matt Malloy. As Becky seeks to punch up the morning programming, poor Ernie is called upon to do ever more absurd tasks, and one wonders how far his geniality can stretch when he clearly is not particularly thrilled with these assignments.

This isn’t the sort of movie that people are likely to be talking about much in 20 years. Nobody seemed to be talking about it when it came out two years ago. Still, it’s got a strong leading trio and lots of zingy dialogue, and it shines an amusing light on the tug-of-war between hard news and entertainment that all morning shows must deal with. I wouldn’t call it glorious, but Morning Glory is a fun diversion.

Star Wars is Not Star Trek!

I've been a Trekkie for as long as I can remember, and I got razzed a lot for it during grade school. One time, members of our class were asked to make crafts for the graduating seniors which would be presented at their banquet/roast. Our art teacher read through the descriptions of the projects, asking for volunteers for each. When she came to the girl who was a Star Wars fanatic, everyone pointed to me. I protested that I knew nothing about Star Wars, but the response I received was "Oh, Star Wars, Star Trek, same difference." I could not convince the teacher that I was unqualified for the task, and I wound up making a Star Trek poster simply because my knowledge of Star Wars was so limited. I did so grudgingly, however, figuring that the recipient probably was no more a Star Trek fan than I was a Star Wars fan.

Well, I finally saw Star Wars when our family purchased the trilogy from a video club. I had never been too terribly interested in seeing it because it struck me as being much darker in nature than Star Trek, but once I had seen it I was perfectly happy to call myself a fan. I still don't believe that Star Trek and Star Wars have much in common, though. For one thing, Star Trek takes place in the future, and many of its key characters are from Earth. Star Wars is supposed to hail from the distant past and occur in an entirely unknown part of the universe. Star Trek is not so much focused on good guy/bad guy. It's deals more with everyday situations which might occur on a starship and people which its crew might encounter, and the enemies encounter rarely pose a serious threat to the entire galaxy.
Anyway, let's just say they're different.

Star Wars: A New Hope introduces the focal characters in the Star Wars saga. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammill), the ambitious 17-year-old stuck on "the planet [the bright center of the universe] is farthest from." His provincial life is turned on its head when his home is destroyed and he joins Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness) to learn the ways of the Force and fight the evil Empire. He is joined by the prissy protocol droid C-3PO,who looks slightly like a gold version of the Tin Man, and the mischievous R2-D2, a dome-shaped droid who rolls rather than walks and communicates with a series of mechanical sounds.

Han Solo (Harrison Ford), the rough-around-the-edges pilot of the Millenium Falcon, which he claims to be the fastest ship in the galaxy. He's in desperate need of cash and agrees to pilot Luke and Obi in order to save his skin. His egotism and sarcasm rub Luke the wrong way initially, but he's really the only guy they've got. With Han comes Chewbacca, a wookie. Chewy, a huge, furry Bigfoot-type creature who generally has more bark than bite, speaks using growl-like vocalizations.

Throw into the mix Leia (Carrie Fisher), the lovely princess who is being held captive by Dark Lord Darth Vader (Darth Vader), and you've got the core group of characters who will all play important roles throughout the trilogy. Although Leia is rather obnoxious to begin with, both Han and Luke find themselves falling for her, creating a love triangle that is at the heart of many of the trilogy's best scenes and resolved brilliantly in The Return of the Jedi.

The Star Wars trilogy combines fantastic creatures, romance, the battle of good and evil, action, and comedy to produce a tale of true epic proportions. It contains many memorable scenes and quotable lines, and its soundtrack is some of the most recognizable in music history. This first volume is a promising beginning, and it ends with A New Hope that the best is yet to come.

Saved the Best for Last

I am aware that most serious Star Wars fans are slightly embarrassed by this final portion of the trilogy, in large part due to the Ewoks, but I stand by my opinion of this movie as the best of the three. It includes that incredible scene in Jabba the Hutt's palace, wherein Leia melts Han, Luke defeats the disgusting creature in Jabba's pit, Leia strangles Jabba, and Luke and Han escape their sentence of being slowly digested by a gigantic creature with a thousand teeth.

Luke returns to Yoda to find that his mentor is dying, and he learns the truth of his father's identity. While talking with the spirit of Obi, he discovers that he has a twin sister. One of the most powerful moments in the movie occurs when he finally tells Leia of their connection, saying, "The force is strong in my family. My father had it, I have it, and my...sister has it."

Family becomes a major part of the end of this epic. Luke and Leia discover that the love they have for one another is familial rather than romantic, though no less profound. Now Leia can love both Han and Luke without guilt. I love the little scene at the end when Han reluctantly tells Leia she should be with Luke because she loves him and Leia replies that Luke is her brother and proceeds to kiss him. That look of befuddlement molding into a "hey, this worked out really great!" expression is priceless.

And, of course, the relationship between Luke and his father. In the end, Darth Vader is a sympathetic character. Luke's assessment that there is still good in him is correct. Luke loves his father and is unable to destroy him, and Vader, in turn, is moved to become Annakin Skywalker once more in order to save his son and overthrow the emperor whom he had served for such a long time. He knows he cannot survive as Annakin any longer, but he dies happily, having finally been returned to the light side.

The most entertaining aspect of The Return of the Jedi was the antics of the Ewoks who populate the lush planet of Endor. These playful creatures are mostly peaceful but prove to be formidable allies for the Rebels --once they decide not to eat them. The teddy bear-like beings live in elaborate treehouses and speak in a very strange and ancient language. They provide a good deal of comic relief but also are shown in moments of sadness as some of their numbers fall to forces of the Empire.

In the end, of course, the Death Star is destroyed and the most dominant evil entity in the universe has been eradicated. Everything ends happily for our heroes, and we are left with a rich feeling of fulfillment that all is now right with the cosmos.

Gave Me the Shivers!

I was never too interested in Star Wars when I was growing up, and The Empire Strikes Back is the reason. We caught part of it on TV one time when I was pretty little, probably six or seven years old. All I remember from that initial viewing was the image that would haunt me for days. Han being led to the chamber in which he would be frozen. Leia proclaiming, "I love you," and Han replying, "I know." (I recall my dad making a remark something to the effect of "nice guy!" But I noted later that he was simply reciprocating her actions from a previous incident.) Then the procedure was performed, and Han came out in a block of frozen carbonite. In my young mind, that picture of the distorted mold of his face protruding from the ice was one of the most disturbing images I could imagine. I left the room and wanted nothing more to do with Star Wars.

But I finally got over it, and taken in context with the rest of the trilogy, particularly The Return of the Jedi, this scene has lost most of its horror for me. Still, I can't help but shiver when I recall the first time I saw his frozen form.

But putting that aside, The Empire Strikes Back is a great second installment to the Star Wars series. It begins on a harsh, arctic planet, where Luke is stranded with his beast of burden, a large, thick-furred creature similar in appearance to a kangaroo. Han, who had planned to fly the coop, flies to the surface to rescue his young friend. Shortly thereafter, one of my very favorite lines in the entire trilogy is spoken. Han accuses Leia of causing the extenuating circumstances that are preventing him from leaving the base. Infuriated, she throws him a first-class insult. "Why, you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking...nerf-herder!" To which he replies, "Hey, who you callin' scruffy-looking?"

Once Luke has healed from his injuries, it's time for him to meet Yoda (Frank Oz), whose level of Jedi mastery far eclipses that of Obi-Wan Kenobi, who died fighting Darth Vader. The swampy planet where Yoda resides is full of unknown dangers, and Luke and R2-D2 have a couple of serious scares before their meeting with the endearing Yoda, which comes about in a most amusing fashion.

In this movie, a dramatic turn of events occurs when Luke confronts the dreaded Vader, who utters the famous words, "Luke, I am your father." This middle chapter ends on a note of uncertainly, as opposed to the the triumphant ending of the first. Luke must learn the truth of his origins and reconcile himself with that truth, no matter how unpleasant it may be. The group of faithful friends must be separated, but the stage is set for a breath-taking resolution in my favorite of the three movies, The Return of the Jedi.