We asked you to vote for your favorite (non-documentary) movies about TV news, and here are your results with some of our favorite quotes from each of the top ten.
Regrettably, none of your write-ins — which varied from the 1988 comedy “Switching Channels” to films supposedly titled “Your Momma News” and “Kevin Sucks” (very funny) — made the top ten. Also, fourteen of you voted for “Ugly Truth?”
10. “Up Close and Personal” (1996)
Yes, this Robert Redford/Michelle Pfeiffer romance made the list, but there’s only so many movies about TV News!
Tally Atwater: He’s so stupid!
Warren Justice: He’s an anchorman.
9. “A Face in the Crowd” (1957)
Elia Kazan’s classic should probably be way higher on this list in our opinion. Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock told us this way ahead-of-its-time tale of power in the news media is his favorite movie ever in his interview for Media Beat.
Lonesome Rhodes: I’m not just an entertainer. I’m an influence, a wielder of opinion, a force… a force!
8. “Bruce Almighty” (2003)
Jim Carey is a local TV news reporter who requires a major intervention from God to make him realize he should stop trying to become a big-time, self-important anchor. Sounds pretty accurate.
Bruce: And that’s the way the cookie crumbles.
7. “The China Syndrome” (1979)
Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and Michael Douglas star in this suspenseful film about a television reporter and cameraman investigating a nuclear power plant.
Jack Godell: What makes you think they’re looking for a scapegoat?
Ted Spindler: Tradition.
6. “The Insider” (1999)
A perfectly made film about the backstory of a “60 Minutes” investigation. Probably Michael Mann’s best movie, “The Insider” stars Russel Crowe at his most earnest and Al Pacino at his shoutiest.
Lowell Bergman: You’d better take a good look, because I’m getting two things: pissed off and curious.
5. “Groundhog Day” (1993)
A classic for many reasons, not the least of which is Bill Murray’s portrayal of an egotistical TV weatherman with an existential crisis.
Phil: This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.
4. “Good Night and Good Luck” (2005)
This B&W depiction of Murrow vs. McCarthy garnered a slew of Oscar nominations a few years ago, including one for George Clooney as director. This was only the second movie he’d directed.
Edward R. Murrow: Unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it, and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late.
3. “Anchor Man” (2004)
It’s impossible not to love this stupid/awesome movie that captures everything and nothing about big-market local news. It also features what may be the greatest and most hilarious character Will Ferrell will ever portray, Ron Burgundy.
Ed Harken: Dammit. Who typed a question mark on the Teleprompter?
2. “Network” (1976)
Many would consider it the most iconic film in the genre, “Network” is also the gold standard of movies about the media.
Howard Beale: “I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!”
1. “Broadcast News” (1987)
TV news satire at its finest. The plot-line of a major broadcast network making major staff cuts and readjustments might be even more relevant now than it was when the film came out in the late-Eighties.
Bill Rorich: This is a brutal layoff. And all because they couldn’t program Wednesday nights.
Paul Moore: You can make it less brutal by knocking a million or so off your salary… Bad joke, I’m sorry.