Overview
In the fast-paced world of network news, love and ambition collide in a comedic whirlwind.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- sardonic
- energetic
- date night
- lazy sunday
What critics said
Critics broadly praised James L. Brooks's entertaining, deeply characterized portrait of television journalism, especially its performances and insight into high-pressure professional life.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jane, Tom, Aaron, and their colleagues navigate live television production, professional rivalry, and constant newsroom deadlines.
Tom's appeal as an anchor challenges Jane and Aaron's commitment to knowledge, substance, and traditional journalistic standards.
Jane's relationship with Tom unfolds alongside Aaron's unrequited love and their rivalry over competence, attraction, and integrity.
The film combines fast newsroom exchanges, Jane's compulsive intensity, and workplace emergencies with serious romantic and ethical stakes.
Films like Broadcast News, and why
The Apartment
Shared workplace romance, sharp dialogue, professional ambition, and emotionally complicated relationships in a high-pressure media environment.
Working Girl
Shared witty romantic comedy tone, career-driven characters, ensemble chemistry, and conflicts between personal desire and professional identity.
All the President's Men
Shared newsroom setting, fast-paced dialogue, institutional change, and tension between journalistic ideals and commercial pressures.
Network
Shared sophisticated comedy-drama, professional rivalry, love-triangle dynamics, and critique of media performance and celebrity.
Movie Details
- Director
- James L. Brooks
- Release Date
- 1987-12-16
- Runtime
- 133 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (486)
Cast
- Holly Hunter
- William Hurt
- Albert Brooks
- Robert Prosky
- Lois Chiles
- Joan Cusack
- Peter Hackes
- Christian Clemenson
- Jack Nicholson
- Robert Katims
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Broadcast News about?
- A driven television producer must balance a turbulent love triangle with a newsroom’s shift from journalistic substance toward polished celebrity.
- What is Broadcast News like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Broadcast News as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Broadcast News violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Broadcast News.
- What did critics think of Broadcast News?
- Critics broadly praised James L. Brooks's entertaining, deeply characterized portrait of television journalism, especially its performances and insight into high-pressure professional life.
- Which films are like Broadcast News?
- Films with a similar feel include The Apartment, Working Girl, All the President's Men, and Network.
- How long is Broadcast News?
- Broadcast News runs 133 minutes.
- Where can I watch Broadcast News?
- In United States, Broadcast News is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
