Other mistake: How could Jane not be aware that Tom had only used one camera for the date rape interview, recording his fake tears later? That's the way things are done on television news shows and as an experienced, hard-bitten television producer she could not possibly be unaware of that. The reporter always records his or her reaction shots (called 'noddies') after the interviewee has left. Shooting with two cameras would involve two crews, two lighting rigs, a vision switcher and so on and so on and a straightforward interview simply would not justify such a complex and expensive set up.
Broadcast News (1987)
Directed by: James L. Brooks
Starring: William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter, Robert Prosky
Continuity mistake: When the William Hurt character is talking to Holly Hunter after her boring lecture, the first shot (from behind Hurt) shows him walking backwards while talking to Hunter. As he continues to walk, he comes perilously close to banging his head on an archway. Yet, on the reverse angle, Hurt has been repositioned about five feet from where he was.
Factual error: When the Joan Cusack character bolts into the control room with the "Mercenary" cassette, you can here the director counting down to roll the tape. A 3/4" tape being inserted and threaded up in the machine normally takes about 8 to 10 seconds, yet the tape plays when the operator hits the play button.
Trivia: Jack Nicholson appears in this film, although he was uncredited, and unpaid.
Trivia: Stephen Mendillo is only eight years older than his on-screen son William Hurt.
Paul Moore: It must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think you're the smartest person in the room.
Jane Craig: No. It's awful.
Tom Granick: It's amazing who's here.
Jane Craig: Who?
Tom Granick: Me.
Martin Klein: OK. What about this? Here's a tough ethical one. Would you tell a source that you loved them? Just to get some information?
Aaron Altman: Yes.
George Wein: Yes.
Ernie Merriman: Me too.
Jennifer Mack: Sure.
George Wein: You bet.
Aaron Altman: Jennifer didn't know there was an alternative.
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