Reel Talk: Anchorman
By Audrey Rock
Transcript Bulletin Film Critic

"Anchorman" isn’t at all what you’d call sophisticated filmmaking. Bad taste rules in the San Diego newsroom in which this film is set. In a horrifying but hilarious scene, a biker (played by Jack Black) drop-kicks a scruffy little dog off a freeway overpass. It was inappropriate, violent, cartoonish, and just plain wrong. I laughed till I cried.

That is the kind of antics you can expect for the 90 minutes of "Anchorman." The movie isn’t a story; it’s a string of preposterous, bizarrely played out, and horrifyingly funny gags based on the notion that a woman has no place in the newsroom.

Prissy San Diego anchorman Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) is enjoying his status as the top anchorman at the top male-dominated San Diego television in the 1970’s. The ambitious Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) is out to give Ron a run for his money.

She’s a reporter covering such “degrading” stories as kitty fashion shows. Ron and his co-anchors—sportscaster Champ Kind (David Koechner) weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), and field reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd)--keep themselves busy placing chauvinistic bets on who can catch Veronica’s interest. Ron eventually breaks down Veronica’s barriers, and the two begin dating.

But Veronica, who’s more cunning and intelligent than her male counterparts, is simply waiting quietly in the wings for her chance to shine. And when Ron fails to show up for a newscast, she’s given a chance to prove herself. She upstages him so spectacularly she ultimately winds up snatching his job.

What follows is a hairspray-infested war of bimbos fought out not only between Veronica and Ron, but also between warring local networks vying for the attention of San Diego.

The movie is, without a doubt, as offensive as it is funny. As usual, I’d have liked to have seen less of the offensive and more of the funny. Will Ferrell turns in an engaging role similar to his role in "Elf" and an equally irreverent one similar to "Old School." Needless to say, "Elf" was far more successful than "Old School." What this translates to is a riotously good time that should have amounted to a solid R rating rather than a stiff PG-13.

But with effectively placed cameos, tirelessly arrogant delivery from Farrell, and an incredibly talented comic ensemble behind him, the film is one in which you may find yourself frequently doubled over. Steve Carrell is exceptionally hilarious as terminally stupid weatherman Brick Tamland, who’s IQ is so low he can’t answer a simple question.

As you can probably surmise from statements referring to television journalists being portrayed as idiots and dogs being punted off bridges, "Anchorman" is anything but politically correct. If that’s what you go in for, you’re going to have a great time at this movie. Just be sure to take note of my warning on the rating—the MPAA got it wrong once again. The rampant sexual innuendo goes way beyond the norm, and way beyond the tasteful. This should definitely be an R.

Grade: B