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Anchorman 2004 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Adam McKay
PG-13, 91 min. (sexual humor, language, comic violence) |
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Starring: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, D. Koechner, Fred Willard, Chris Parnell, Vince Vaughn
Producer: Judd Apatow
Screenplay: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay
Cinematography: Thomas E. Ackerman
Distributor: Dreamworks Pictures
Released: 7.09.04 (Wide) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
It seems Will Ferrell has finally found the perfect outlet for his particular brand of comedic aggrandizement in the satirical
and funny Anchorman. In his previous efforts, the miserably unfunny Old School and the clumsy Elf, Ferrell
proved his knack for both subtle and obnoxious humor to no avail. But here, in a film directed by SNL alum Adam McKay,
he finds a strange but effective balance between off-kilter histrionics and a razor-sharp portrayal of a character who lived
in a world that saw women as play toys for a good day's work. Anchorman's comedy, which is more or less hit-and-miss,
is merely the conduit for a celebration of women's liberation in the workforce. The film eventually succeeds because it has
a heart between the nonstop gags and countless attempts at fusing time and place with today's politically-correct climate.
The early 1970s were a local news station's finest hour, since cable television and 24-hour news coverage were a thing
of the future. An anchorman's nightly news presentation was a community's primary source of information, thus
trust and loyalty was the station's greatest asset. Entrusted to men, the news team was a tight knit group that lived and
worked in a bubble of chauvinism and momentary bliss. So it came as no surprise that the introduction of women into
this exclusive club would face some stiff resistance. At one point one anchor man claims that "women's periods attract bears."
San Diego's Channel 4 anchorman, Ron Burgandy (Ferrell), is the epitome of an era that valued perception above substance.
His fellow newscasters - Champ Kind (David Koechner), Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), and Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) -
followed his lead like sheep to the shepherd. Their world of male fantasy is shaken by the arrival of the smart and sexy
Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), a woman whose career goals match Burgandy's own. At first disregarded
and assigned lesser tasks (reporting on the local cat show), Veronica is given her shot when Burgandy doesn't show up for
his nightly lead anchor duties. She's a success, named co-anchor, and turns Burgandy's world upside down. Although
an instant rivalry is born, somehow the two anchors connect romantically despite their obvious contempt for each other. But can Burgandy
and Corningstone co-exist in a world of cutthroat competition?
The cast and crew obviously had a lot of fun making this picture. From Burgandy, the Scotch drinking, smoking, poster
boy for sexual harassment, to his devoted peers, hardly anything escapes the scathing humor directed at this male-dominated
era. The facial hair, striped suits and ties, and general silliness on display accentuate the film's desire to underscore
how far the country has traveled since those narrow-minded years. There are scenes that stand out, such as Burgandy's
inability to prevent reading anything the teleprompter displays, and his relationships with women prior to and after Corningstone's
arrival that announce the beginning of a new era. There are also scenes that don't work, especially a rendition of "Afternoon Delight"
and a flute-playing perfomance by Burgandy at a nightclub that feel forced rather than naturally evolved from the storyline.
Finally, there is a scene that sees four rival networks' anchor teams fight it out in an all-out brawl for supremacy a la nature's
first order of survival - the various weapons and over-the-top zaniness of the moment triumph over its out-of-step
presence in a film that fosters another idea.
Through good perfomances from its cast, especially Ferrell and Applegate, Anchorman avoids the fate of so many other
comedies that fail to recognize geniune humor from raunchy excess. The underlying sweetness (a strange feeling to be sure)
of the production allows the film to take ensuing potshots at both sexes without becoming grating or offensive. Ferrell
has the rare ability to exude both charm and goofy ineptitude from his characters regardless of the circumstances he finds
himself in. Supporting turns from Fred Willard (as the station manager) and Vince Vaughn (as a rival anchor man) add
to the irreverent mood of the picture, and cameos from the likes of Luke Wilson, Tim Robbins, and Ben Stiller provide
further laughs. Anchorman won't go down as a masterpiece of behind-the-scenes shenanigans at news stations
(such as Network), but it offers enough humor to make its point without becoming bogged down in sentimental
postering of an era that lived and worked in a time of blissful ignorance.
© 2004 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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