Don't Make a Scene: Broadcast News

The Story: It's been a tough time for the news business. The internet has dried up the source-revenue of classified ads for newspapers, and broadcast news outlets have to compete with 24-hour-a-day news channels that scroll headlines if the President gets a hang-nail. Then, there's the clowns and bone-heads bleating about "fake news" whenever it's a story that they don't like or doesn't fawn enough—it was ever thus—or if it conflicts with their own lies or junk headlines.

So, it's tough—tougher—to make a living trying to get substantial information float above the swill of opinions or advertising posing as news. And as revenues drop, so do staff, whether they group tries to hang in there, or whether it gets bought up by a conglomerate, who then take even more draconian measures to please investors or themselves. And when costs get cut, it's usually the lower-paid staff who are let go, because it's so much "easier" to cut costs in little dribs and drabs than to drop any higher-paid management—which always makes business sense. "Penny-wise..."

This scene from Broadcast News came to mind with all the "Tax the Rich" talk that's been going on. In it, Jack Nicholson's high-profile news anchor pays a visit to "the trenches" to buck up morale on the day a big lay-off happens. And as Dave Barry once wrote: "You can tell it's bad news when the network anchor has his frowny-face on." Nicholson had just won his second Oscar for Brooks' Terms of Endearment and paid it back by agreeing to be in what is essentially a cameo roll—for no money (he was about to get a big pay-out playing The Joker in 1989's Batman and was prepping The Two Jakes, the long-anticipated sequel to Chinatown, at the time). And his reaction to the news exec's little quip is full of (what the script describes as) "grace and dignity." And more than a little dismissal. At least, he didn't start a diatribe about "destroying capitalism" and "creeping Socialism." Nicholson's Jake Gittes would ask "...how much better could you eat?..."

Meanwhile, the less-prestigious workers have to display the same "grace and dignity" while they have their worlds turned upside-down.

My reaction would be more like the newsie who responds to Paul's regretful sentiment of "If there's ANY-thing I can do..." with "Well...you could DIE soon..."

The Set-up: The Network is cutting back news-jobs today, and the National Anchorman Bill Rorish (Jack Nicholson) has come back to show his support. Network Exec Paul Moore (Peter Hackes) escorts him through his old haunts.

5, 4, 3, 2,...

116 INT. NEWSROOM - DAY

BILL ...be my pleasure... 

116 Paul arriving with Bill Rorish. The first time we have seen the multi-millionaire anchorman in the flesh. He has the grace and dignity of a man who spends every waking moment working on grace and dignity. He and Paul are in the midst of an important conversation -- muted and ominous.

MAIL-ROOM Guy: Mr. Rorish? 

BILL Just when do you start telling people? 

PAUL Almost immediately, Bill.

BILL I’d like to take everyone out after the show.

PAUL: Fantastic.

BILL: Hello, Donnie!

DONNIE: Bill! What a surprise!

BILL: Good to see you again...

STAFFER: Mr. Rorish! 

PAUL Bill...This is hard on all of us... 

PAUL: ...and it’s no time for compliments. 

PAUL: But I think it’s extraordinary of you to come down here for this. 

BILL If we’re not here for each other during the tough times, we’re not a news organization.

BLAIR: Bill! 

Blair ENTERS scene. The smallest flicker of interest from Bill, but more than enough to justify her going into hock for the outfit. 

BLAIR Welcome...

BLAIR ...back to Washington...

BLAIR ...Bill. 

BILL Well, thank you. Thank you.

BILL Thank you... 

A self-conscious look of greeting to Paul and she’s gone. 

BILL I’ve forgotten. Was she on the list?

Paul nods “yes” 

BILL This is a brutal layoff...

BILL And all because they couldn’t program Wednesday nights. 

PAUL (can’t resist) You can make it a little less brutal by... 

PAUL: ...knocking a million dollars or so off your salary. 

AS Bill turns: 

PAUL Just a bad joke. I’m sorry. Awful. It’s a miserable day...

PAUL ...and that was some kind of totally sick-joke defense mechanism

PAUL ...which does not indicate any of my feelings 

PAUL -- not one -- 

PAUL ...but just shows the kind of stress... 

PAUL ...this represents... 

PAUL ...for all of us.

Broadcast News

Words by James L. Brooks

Pictures by Michael Ballhaus and James L. Brooks

Broadcast News is available on DVD and Blu-Ray on Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and the Criterion Collection.

Don't Make a Scene: Broadcast News

The Set-Up:  When he's "on," you can't beat James L. Brooks. Well conceptualized, researched and cast, Brooks in tip form makes extraordinary, even definitive, films that make good story-telling look easy. His only short-falls seem to be in a somewhat unimaginative (let's call it "functional") director's "eye," and the perfectionist's need to "futz" with the material, risking ruining it, like a bad pull in Jenga.

But there are moments—and they are moments—when he nails it right to the wall, where the set-up is simple, even innocuous, and the pay-off is so perfect it makes your head hurt.

This one—from Broadcast News—is one of them. Jane (Holly Hunter) is a mess, a jangling bundle of nerves and nerviness. A little spit-fire, who achieves a sense of calm in a meditative state that collapses in an instantaneous and cathartic crying jag. An explosive burst of (what? Conscience? Empathy? Weltschmerz? Cramps?) that nicely compartmentalizes emotion and stress that is then filed away—spiked—then forgotten. -30-

Throughout the film she is stuck in a quandary that tears her apart, personally and professionally. Two guys—Aaron (Albert Brooks), the schlumpy reporter whose skills she admires and whose neuroses she tolerates, and Tom (William Hurt), the ambitious, if intellectually dull, golden boy anchor-type. This moment of confrontation with the head of the news division has her caught in the middle: Aaron, who's the better man for the job, has been shunted aside for Tom during a special report to interrupt programming. She is incensed at the decision and pleads (although "pleads" is not the word) her case in the direct and efficient way she is used to. The result reveals a crack in her professional armor. And couldn't be more perfect.

The Story: At a casual Sunday get-together for the Washington Bureau, the report has just come in that a Libyan plane has just attacked a military installation and been shot down by an American war plane. The News president Paul Moore (real life NBC reporter Peter Hackes) has just ordered a special news bulletin, hastily assembled with Jane Craig (Holly Hunter) executive producing and (as News anchor Bill Rorich—Jack Nicholson—is on his boat for the weekend) Tom Grunick (William Hurt) anchoring, over Jane's best friend and frequent collaborator Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks). Determined that this is the wrong move, she seeks out the executive to plead her case.

Action! (in 3....2....*)


ON JANE
As she moves past Tom who is talking on the phone, eventually catching up with Paul. In the b.g. Tom has just HEARD the "BEEP" of an ANSWERING MACHINE. 

TOM Hello, Buddy. It's 1:35 -- and this is Tom.

TOM You can reach me at the office. It's important. I can use a little help.

Jane, because of the proximity to Tom is speaking in whispered intensity.

JANE: Paul, forgive me.  Pardon me for interrupting...

JANE:  But...Paul...

JANE: ...I need to talk to you outside for just a minute.

Paul nods.

JANE: Great!

JANE Tom isn't ready for the job you're about to hand him. Not near ready. Not by the longest shot.

JANE Aaron's spent six weeks in Tripoli...

JANE ...he's interviewed Gaddafi -- he reported on the Eight-one story. I think he's essential to do the job we're capable of and I think it's my responsibility to tell you that.

PAUL Okay, that's your opinion. I don't agree.

JANE It's not opinion.

PAUL You're just absolutely right and I'm absolutely wrong?

She nods.

PAUL It must be nice to always believe you know better. To think you're always the smartest person in the room.

JANE (from her depths) No, it's awful. Oh my, it's awful.

JANE PAUL (turning to leave) You'd better get moving.

Broadcast News 

Words by James L. Brooks 

Pictures by Michael Ballhaus and James L. Brooks 

Broadcast News is available on DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.