James L. Brooks on the 30th Anniversary of Broadcast News Dashboard Dashboard

“I’ve always been a journalism junkie. When I was a kid I would go to the library into the archives and read Edward R. Murrow scripts. He spoke in literature. He lived totally in higher purpose and considered integrity as absolute... I knew a lot of people in journalism and worked for a bit at CBS News. I began research for Broadcast News when the whole field was changing. I witnessed a lot of it in the film. There were four women who contributed to the main character (Jane Craig, played by Holly Hunter). I wanted her to be a new kind of woman, where her very excellence made her life more difficult...One of the best moments I had watching Broadcast News with an audience was when Jane's female assistant told her, 'Except for the social part, you're my role model.' And it got a laugh of recognition from the audience."

On Sunday, February 18, The Guild Screenings will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Broadcast News with a 5 PM screening at the Writers Guild Theater, followed by a Q&A with Brooks, moderated by Cameron Crowe.