Switching Channels (1988)

The news anchor (Kathleen Turner) of a satellite news network quits her job in order to marry a handsome millionaire (Christopher Reeve). But the head of the news department is also her ex-husband (Burt Reynolds) and he connives to have her to do one last story involving an execution. Based on the 1940 film HIS GIRL FRIDAY (with the gender switch intact) by way of THE FRONT PAGE, this is the fourth film version of the Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur play. Directed by Ted Kotcheff (FIRST BLOOD), this updates the newspaper background to the world of network television journalism. Considering they reputedly couldn't stand each other, Turner and Reynolds play off each other wonderfully. Alas, what's lost are the marvelous supporting characters that populated the 1940 Howard Hawks movie although the movie tries to have quirky supporting characters, it doesn't compare. As long as the film sticks to the original, it's fairly entertaining and at times, more than that. But some of the changes (like the roll top desk into a xerox machine) don't cut it. Still, it's superior to the dreadful 1974 Billy Wilder version. With Ned Beatty (just awful), Henry Gibson, Charles Kimbrough and George Newbern.