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Anchorman: The
Legend of Ron Burgundy
(2004)
Starring:
Will
Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd
Director: Adam McKay
Rating: PG-13
Distributor:
DreamWorks SKG
Release Date:
07.09.04
Review
Posted: 07.09.04
Spoilers:
None
By
Dylan Grant
"Anchorman" Reports Laughs All Around
The
question was bound to come up: who is the anchorman Ron Burgundy is
based on? Everyone asks because everyone thinks they know. The answer
may be that Ron Burgundy is the every anchorman. Every city (every
station?) has one: the guy on the news who takes himself and the job
of reading news too seriously, the guy who has been at it so long that
he always talks like he is reading from a TelePrompTer. Indeed,
Burgundy’s weakness is that he will read anything that is typed
into the prompter without a second thought, as though the words bypass
his brain and come straight out of his mouth.
Will Ferrell
is Ron Burgundy. He more than plays the role, he seems to
channel Burgundy from every news anchor that ever lived. He makes
Burgundy likeable, even while being totally pompous. Burgundy is the
number one anchor in San Diego, a legend at the top of his game. Life
is perfect… until station manager Ed Harken decides that – because of
“something called ‘diversity’” – to bring a woman in to co-anchor the
news. Burgundy and his news team are hilariously out of touch, and
they do not know how to respond. The very prospect goes against
nature. “I read,” one of them, Brian Fantana (Rudd), says, “that their
periods attract bears.”
Enter
Veronica Corningstone (Applegate), the sharp reporter who has been all
over the country and seen sexism in every port. She is not about to
take the men’s’ slights (or covering feline fashion shows) lightly.
Applegate brings much comedic wisdom to the role, making Corningstone
a tough woman, but one who cannot help but like Burgundy.
There is a
wide range of cameos in the film, and to reveal them would be to spoil
a good thing. Vince Vaughn is hysterical as Burgundy’s nemesis, the
number two anchor in San Diego, Wes Mantooth (“What are you doing on
our station’s turf, Burgundy?”). The scenes between him and Farrell
are priceless. When a spat between them breaks out into a five-crew
brawl, with anchors from all over the city, the result is a Roman
gladiator style fight to the death. Some have said that this was over
the top, and it may be, but was also very funny.
Aside from being able to perform it, Will Ferrell is a terrific comedy
writer (he co-wrote the script with director Adam McKay). There are
more good laughs in Anchorman than there have been in a movie
in years. The comedy is nonstop in this film. I can’t wait to see what
Ferrell does next.
Film
Rating:
êêêê (out of
5)
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