Cinema Poster for Morning Glory

Continuing my quest to discover a movie heroine that embodies the leadership qualities of Marie Curie, the wit of Dorothy Parker and the unconventionality of Katherine Hepburn, I stumbled upon Morning Glory. Rachel McAdams stars with Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton. The film’s pedigree includes J.J. Abrams as a producer and a script by Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada).

I found the film using the keywords Diane Keaton, because she has made a career out of flaunting convention and has been known to turn an elegant phrase when being interviewed. She may be the real life personification of the fictional heroine I seek. Diane Keaton became my compass rose.

Morning Glory is about female leadership and communication. McAdams plays an Executive Producer of a low-rated morning show, whose ambition is to move on up into the big time – NBC’s Today Show.

Keaton plays the female host of Daybreak, who is eventually professionally paired with Harrison Ford doing his impersonation of Dan Rather after the fall. Their stories are the after, while McAdams represents before. This is a cautionary tale folks!

The behind-the-camera scenes of the low budget, struggling Daybreak were reminiscent of every small town radio and television station at which I have worked. Most broadcasters work in less than glamorous conditions. Only a rare few make it to the top echelon. I identified with the intoxicating effect of ambition and possibility.

I did not find my heroine, however. McAdams’ Becky is a clutch leader, coming through in the end accidentally. She lacked wit although she had her wits about her. Becky is a conventional character, in a conventional world, who came to understand the appeal of unconventionality – again by accident.

I wonder where my quest will take me next?