Basket-case network news producer Jane Craig falls for new reporter Tom Grunnick, a pretty boy who represents the trend towards entertainment news she despises. Aaron Altman, a talented but plain correspondent, carries an unrequited torch for Jane. Sparks fly between the three as the network prepares for big changes, and both the news and Jane must decide between style and substance.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• Tom Grunick: William Hurt
• Aaron Altman: Albert Brooks
• Jane Craig: Holly Hunter
• Ernie Merriman: Robert Prosky
• Jennifer Mack: Lois Chiles
• Blair Litton: Joan Cusack
• Paul Moore: Peter Hackes
• Bobby: Christian Clemenson
• Bill Rorich: Jack Nicholson
• Martin Klein: Robert Katims
• George Wein: Ed Wheeler
• Gerald Grunick: Stephen Mendillo
• Young Tom: Kimber Shoop
• Young Aaron: Dwayne Markee
• Young Jane: Gennie James
• Jane’s Dad: Leo Burmester
• Elli Merriman: Amy Brooks
• Anne Merriman: Jane Welch
• Clifford Altman: Jonathan Benya
• Mercenary: Frank Doubleday
• Lila: Sally Knight
• Spanish Cameraman: Manuel Alvarez
• Guerilla Leader: Luis Valderrama
• Guerilla Soldier: Francisco Garcia
• General McGuire: Richard Thomsen
• Commander: Nat Benchley
• Date-Rape Woman: Marita Geraghty
• Weekend News Producer: Nicholas D. Blanchet
• Makeup Woman: Maura Moynihan
• Floor Manager: Chuck Lippman
• Paul’s Secretary: Nannette Rickert
• Edward Towne: Timothy W. White
• Tom’s Soundwoman: Peggy Pridemore
• Emily: Emily Crowley
• Newsroom Worker: Gerard Ender
• Donny: David Long
• Chyron Operator: Joshua Billings
• Technical Director: Glenn Faigen
• Technical Director: Robert Grevemberg Jr.
• Control Room Director: Richard Pehle
• Weekend News Director: James V. Franco
• Assistant Director: Jimmy Mel Green
• Assistant Director: Raoul N. Rizik
• Technician: Mike Skehan
• Audio Visual Engineer: Franklyn L. Bullard
• News Theme Writer: Glen Roven
• News Theme Writer: Marc Shaiman
• Lecture Host: Alex Mathews
• Aaron’s Cameraman: Steve Smith
• Aaron’s Soundwoman: Martha Smith
• Mother in Hall: Cynthia B. Hayes
• Young Tough: Dean Nitz
• Young Tough: Phil Ugel
• Young Tough: Lance Wain
• Ellen: Susan Marie Feldman
• Tom’s Female Colleague: Jean Bourne Carinci
• Cab Driver: M. Fekade-Salassie
• Uniformed Cop: Gerald F. Gough
• Defense Dept. Spokesman: Robert Rasch
• NATO Spokesman: Robert Walsh
• Angry Messenger: John Cusack

Film Crew:

• Producer: James L. Brooks
• Production Design: Charles Rosen
• Casting: Ellen Chenoweth
• Editor: Richard Marks
• Director of Photography: Michael Ballhaus
• Unit Production Manager: David V. Lester
• Music Editor: Bob Badami
• Associate Producer: Kristi Zea
• Original Music Composer: Bill Conti
• Camera Operator: David M. Dunlap
• Co-Producer: Penney Finkelman Cox
• Foley Editor: Mark P. Stoeckinger
• Costume Design: Molly Maginnis
• Executive Producer: Polly Platt
• ADR Recordist: Charleen Richards
• Associate Producer: Susan Zirinsky
• Color Timer: Bob Hagans
• Boom Operator: Joseph F. Brennan
• Hairstylist: Colleen Callaghan
• Foley Editor: Cindy Marty
• ADR Voice Casting: Barbara Harris
• Still Photographer: Kerry Hayes
• First Assistant Editor: Karen I. Stern
• Stunt Coordinator: Jery Hewitt
• Construction Foreman: Steve Callas
• Sound Effects Editor: Patrick Drummond
• Supervising Sound Editor: Robert Grieve
• Makeup Artist: Carl Fullerton
• Property Master: Mark Wade
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Rick Kline
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Donald O. Mitchell
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Kevin O’Connell
• Dialogue Editor: Dave Kulczycki
• Location Assistant: Peggy Pridemore
• Script Supervisor: Mary Bailey
• First Assistant Camera: Gábor Kövér
• Dialogue Editor: Jacqueline Cristianini
• Dialogue Editor: Frank Smathers
• ADR Editor: Jessica Gallavan
• Construction Coordinator: Bruce J. Gfeller
• ADR Editor: Jeff Rosen
• Set Decoration: Jane Bogart
• Best Boy Electric: Jerry DeBlau
• Unit Publicist: Anne Marie Stein
• Gaffer: John W. DeBlau
• Sound Effects Editor: Linda Whittlesey
• Production Coordinator: Cynthia Streit
• Sound Mixer: Thomas Causey
• Supervising ADR Editor: Beth Bergeron
• Second Assistant Director: David Sardi
• Negative Cutter: Donah Bassett
• Key Grip: Dennis Gamiello
• Location Manager: Stuart Neumann
• Dolly Grip: John Lowry
• First Assistant Director: Yudi Bennett
• Set Designer: Harold Fuhrman

Movie Reviews:

• CinemaSerf: Centred around the cut-throat environment of an American newsroom at a time when the focus of the bosses was switching from strong journalistic values to those more ratings-based, we are provided with this premiss. William Hurt (“Grunick”) is certainly the more handsome man for the anchorman’s chair, but he has nothing like the knowledge or gravitas of colleague and rival “Altman” (Albert Brooks) with his superior, borderline condescending on-screen style. Executive producer “Jane” (Holly Hunter) is charged with trying to keep things on an even keel, whilst unsure which, if either, of the two men she wants to date. At times there atmosphere here is electric, with quickly paced activity, acerbic wit and a wonderfully portrayed dog-eat-dog mentality that lends a great deal of authenticity to this most competitive of workplaces. Ocassionally, it is cluttered up by a romance that is simply not required – the triumvirate just didn’t need it, but in the main Hunter is on super form. She effortlessly plays a multitude or roles as she tries to juggle her personal and professional feelings for these two men who offer us characterisations that we can laugh at and loathe in almost equal measure. I worked in live television for a great many years, and always admired the skills of those who can talk, listen, look and react all at the same time – the scene with poor old “Altman” losing half his bodyweight whilst on air still makes me squirm even now. It has lost some of its potency over the last 35 years, but recalling that this was amongst the first to illustrate just how tough these jobs are, it’s still a great watch.
• kevin2019: “Broadcast News” is desperately overlong and it stubbornly insists upon indulging in irrelevant mini-prologues of the three main characters at the beginning which has absolutely no bearing on them as adults, but other than this the film does successfully provide a fascinating insight into the pressurised and competitive world of television journalism and it must be applauded for highlighting the unfortunate trend of elevating news anchors to celebrity status and they are out to sell news to the public as if it were nothing more than another product. This is an alarming turn of events when the image of the news anchor supersedes the importance of global events simply because they are capable of bringing in substantial viewing audiences for a particular channel and furthering their own careers by doing so and established journalistic ethics be damned instead of their top priority always being the persistent pursuit of the truth.