Nicholas Thurkettle

Originally published 7/16/04

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy
Director: Adam McKay
Writers: Will Ferrell and Adam McKay
Producer: Judd Apatow
Stars: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steven Carrell, David Koechner, Fred Willard

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy is like the cinematic equivalent of Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain. It’s a successful satire because every audience member is going to think it’s about their local news anchor, and every local news anchor is going to fear it’s about them. But I know better. It must be about Paul Moyer. It must.

The inhuman tones of the local newsreader – the condescending faux-gravitas, the nightly emotional whip-sawing from murder to consumer products that may kill you to the cute puppy story, and the calculated banter and homeliness – these are ripe comedy targets that have been scored on for years. Anchorman does them one better, though, by asking us to embrace one of these self-important blowhards, and root for him to win.
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