'Broadcast News' offers template for great rom coms

James L. Brooks was looking out for us when he made “Broadcast News” in 1987. Recently re-released in an excellent Criterion Collection edition, the film is a time capsule sent to remind us of what a great (romantic) comedy is like.

The film charts the decline of evening news programs as anchors who aim to educate are replaced by news celebrities who aim to entertain. William Hurt represents this new generation as an anchor who doesn’t even understand the news he reports. Albert Brooks plays his polar opposite, a hard news reporter who drowns in sweat when he tries to anchor a show.

Holly Hunter plays a producer who is stuck between her loyalty to Brooks and her lust for Hurt. She is a stand-in for the audience, which must constantly fight for substance over mindless entertainment.

There are surprisingly few laughs in “Broadcast News,” and the movie delves into rather dark territory at times. Still, having characters who act like real human beings is exhilarating and something that most comedies have forgotten how to do.