Switching Channels

It's SNN Satellite News Network in Chicago. Christy Colleran (Kathleen Turner) is their overworked lead reporter. Finally, her ex-husband producer John L. Sullivan IV (Burt Reynolds) sends her off for a relaxing vacation in Canada where she falls for hunky sporting goods company owner Blaine Bingham (Christopher Reeve). She quits. John contrives to keep her around with a pending execution story and other underhanded moves. Roy Ridnitz (Ned Beatty) is running for governor on his law and order credential. He tries to prevent the interview with prisoner Ike Roscoe (Henry Gibson) who killed an undercover cop. Although Ike claims that he was a corrupt drug dealing cop who killed his son with drugs.

This is His Girl Friday (1940) which is itself an adaptation of The Front Page (1931). It's a screwball comedy and biting satire aimed at media and politics. I need more chemistry between Turner and Reynolds. Reeve is trying to be goofy and uptight. He should be capable but I would have liked his character to be a stiff with a stick up his butt. Maybe he could be a nerd. I don't like him playing it this way. I just want to like Turner and Reynolds more. It's functional. There is a good reason why this story has been remade so many times. It's a fun screwball comedy... if it's done right.