RSVIP: Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford at "Morning Glory" Premiere
In "Morning Glory" her most endearing onscreen pairing since she fell for Jack Nicholson in "Something's Gotta Give," Diane Keaton, right, teams up with Harrison Ford, who plays an intractable veteran news anchor, to host a troubled network morning show. Keaton, playing a former Miss Arizona, is pitted against Ford, and the duo give off an embattled chemistry that lights up the big screen. At Sunday's premiere of "Morning Glory" at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York, Ford's white hair had the Tinsel Town messy on purpose look. Up close, the craggy neck doesn't quite match the boyishly smooth face. Scars on his chin from a car accident in 1968 and a metal stud in one earlobe add machismo. The loafers and red socks were borrowed from his newsman character.
"The early mornings," Ford said, describing the news gig to reporters. "That's the easy part."
And while he made a sensational anchor on camera, he said he wasn't willing to try news as an occupation. "I like the job I have, thank you."
That said, Hoda Kotb, of the "Today Show," not in the film, mentioned that she'd love to work with Ford. "Can you imaging co-hosting with Harrison Ford? Nothing would be better. He's in my top five list."
Rick Younger, who plays a producer in the film, told Luxist that Ford was generous on the set. "One day, he shared something he had learned from Marlon Brando," said Younger. "As an actor, a lot of times we think that things going on under the surface can't be seen. And Brando had told him that that the camera sees all."
At the Ziegfeld, Patrick Wilson, far right, who plays Rachel McAdams' love interest in the film, was wearing a suit by Reiss. Wilson said he definitely had issues during his love scenes with McAdams, center. "My wife was nine months pregnant when we were shooting those scenes," said Wilson."So it was all about checking the phone to see if she was in labor."If the dialogue feels accurate, that's because Aline Brosh McKenna, who wrote the script for "The Devil Wears Prada," spent time at morning shows to research "Morning Glory."
"It's actually very funny," she said of the real sets. "First of all, they get up so incredibly early. They're up at 3:00 a.m. And it's live television. I didn't see any bloopers, but I was there when their BlackBerries went out for 45 minutes. It was a total panic."
Jeff Goldblum, right, wearing a custom-fitted suit by Band of Outsiders at the premiere, plays a warmish network suit onscreen. "Year in, year out, that might drive me crazy," said Goldblum about having to wake in the wee hours.
"This movie is about the balance of working hard and playing hard," he continued. "My character can be severe and kind of push this young woman [Rachel McAdams], but all in the service of nurturing her and challenging her and getting her to expand and transform herself."
"We're very excited," said McAdams' real-life mom on the red carpet.
"She's a dream," Jay Russell, who also plays a morning-show producer in the film, said of McAdams. "She's the kindest, warmest, most humble, most gracious person. She even came to see me in an off-Broadway play I was doing."
For the film's debut, McAdams was transformed from a mousy newswoman into a star, with a big smile, big eyelashes, and a crinkled dress by Lanvin. "What I love about Diane [Keaton]," she said, "is that she plays Colleen so you can see the heart underneath . . . she even dresses up in a sumo suit to get people to laugh." "She'd do anything to stay on television," said Keaton. "Sell her own mother!" On the red carpet at the theater, Keaton passed reporters with an Annie Hall-style "Oh my God, hi!"
The style icon went "Planet of the Apes" for the event, wearing a sleeveless leather dress, black tights, and tall heels. "I have a date tonight," she said, grabbing the hand of the fellow who was with her, who appeared to be a friend.
"Diane is a bundle of energy," said J. Elaine Marcos, who plays a sexpot on the morning show. "I remember sitting there with Diane with our hair in rollers in one scene, and we were just chatting about Broadway. "I'm doing 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,' and she was talking to me about being naked for 'Hair.'"
While the film accurately portrays morning television, some creative license was taken. Onscreen, Schiller's Liquor bar is said to be on Madison Avenue, but in real life, it can be found on the Lower East Side. Alice Callahan, the tall, thin actress who bumps into Wilson and McAdams at Schiller's in the film, says that in real life, she orders croque monsieur, fries, and a Pimms Cup at the bistro. Two other classic New York watering holes enjoy cameos. When McAdams heads out in search of Ford's character, allegedly on a bender, she checks with the real-life Elaine Kaufman at Elaine's and catches up with Ford, above, right, at 21, the former society speakeasy, at a table with Morley Safer and Chris Matthews.
Classy pub crawl, fun film.
