Morning Glory, the latest workplace related romantic comedy from the screenwriter of The Devil Wears Prada, is set around an early morning American t.v. show whose familiar, light-hearted and cosy charm is just about all it has going for it. Fitting then that the film itself shares only those positives. A movie almost completely aimed at twenty-something woman, Morning Glory is, I imagine, reassuring to that half of the population striving for high-powered employment and the power of control and acceptance over the male ego. The end result is that oh so warm comfort blanket - director Roger Michell might as well be screaming "We understand you" to all those women who feel undermined by the pressures of not being able to do their job, not because they don't have the skill to do it, but because of the obstacles & hurdles that are regularly getting thrown in their way. Fine, it's a subject probably worthy of discussion but Michell of Venus, Enduring Love and even the more on it's mind rom-com Notting Hill fame, can't bring much energy, depth or vibrancy to the occasion. Rachel McAdams' likeable and spirited energy as the newly-hired producer demanding respect on a failing morning show might well be the saving grace and endearing force that at least keeps you from nodding off too much. You want to see her triumph. In something of a gusto performance, she avoids the film descending into a complete disaster but still, this is junk food. A highly sugared and all too often served up dramedy we see two or three times a month and the female population never seem to get tired of it. I am though. It's alright giving Morning Glory a pass as an inoffensive chick-flick but, just like morning television itself, if I'm forced to watch it - my brain cells are fried for the rest of the day by the silliness of it all. McAdams plays Becky Fuller, the latest in the long line of female work-place romantic singletons who are over-stressed, over-worked, overly clumsy and under-sexed. She's Tina Fey in 30 Rock, she's Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada, she's Katherine Heigl in everything she's ever made and once again we are forced to believe that she couldn't have any man she wanted with just a click of her fingers and well, just eye contact with a red-blooded male. In the opening scene plucky Fuller is fired from her New Jersey producing job in a unfortunate cost-cutting measure (she genuinely seemed good at her profession) but with little experience on her CV, she can't get another network to take her employment applications seriously. After a little while she takes the first job she can find, as executive producer at the bottom-placed network morning show "Daybreak", based in New York, earning half of what she was before. Jeff Goldblum, in the most economical and effective role of the film, is the network boss and tells Becky she's joining a sinking ship and is dubious about the promises such an overly enthusiastic and inexperienced young woman gives to try and turn things around. He hires her though, probably because there were no other candidates. Anyone who has ever seen a workplace set rom-com will know what to expect here. The job isn't the bed of roses she had hoped it would be and it's a 24/7 battle to jump through hoops, keep all her staff happy and make sure a presentable show goes out on air, without too many glitches. It's one thing trying to up those ratings but just getting a show out problem free is more of the headache. The main part of the movie concerns the relationship shared between the producer and Harrison Ford's veteran newsman Mike Pomeroy, as Becky tries to lighten up the cranky old bastard who remembers the glory days when he would actually deliver 'real news' to people. Ford's performance was troubling for me. I'm not saying he isn't good in this film. There's moments when his eyes look interested, which is more than you can say about the majority of the movies he has made in the past ten years that weren't Indiana Jones. But... I just couldn't see him as the great newsreader he is built up to be. There's a few moments where you are supposed to feel "Ah yes, I get this... this guy is good, he's just not interested in the human interest junk he has to read" but it never comes. He's just monosyllabic, boring, using the least amount of energy to deliver his lines even in his moment of triumph. He just growls and snears. Diane Keaton plays the other t.v. anchor, Colleen Peck, a feisty longtime host who knows how to sell morning shows - always with a smile, a laugh, oh, and to kiss a frog when she is asked. As with The Devil Wears Prada, the under-written boyfriend part this time falls to Patrick Wilson who is perfectly fine in the few scenes he is in but doesn't have much of a character. It's the filler subplot. This is a comedy about people who live for their jobs and a false sentiment from Ford's character about the value of family doesn't seem to ring true with the vibe of the picture. I imagine screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna is a workaholic. She must be. Here's a comedy that has fully refined and skillful actors and it underutilises it's star power at every turn. They managed to attract Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton but don't give them enough and it's a shame because I kept feeling that the structure of a better movie was in place. Maybe it's because of the Diane Keaton connection but I couldn't help but think if the film was based from her point of view, as a grumpy new colleague takes her co-seat and they go through some kind of Something's Gotta Give rom-com motions, I might have been more interested. I just kept wanting more from Morning Glory. However I can safely say now I don't ever need to see anymore romantic comedies about work obsessed female producers on morning television after this and The Ugly Truth last year. That quota is used up now. Morning Glory is released in U.K. cinema's today.