Intermission: Ferrell, 'Anchorman' provide comedic summer relief

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Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.|ret||ret||tab|

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Sometimes, especially in the midst of the summer action season, the average movie viewer simply needs some good dumb fun. Director Adam McKay and star Will Ferrell have co-written one of the best dumb fun films of the year. "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" takes us back to the heady days of the 1970s when suits were polyester, hair was sculpted and the news was anchored by men.|ret||ret||tab|

Ferrell is well known for his work on TV's "Saturday Night Live" and his hit comedies "Old School" and "Elf." McKay is not as well known, but his comedic credentials are impeccable. He worked with the Second City comedy troupe in Chicago, which has spawned such talents as John Belushi, Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray and all of the folks from the lesser-known "SCTV." |ret||ret||tab|

From there, McKay founded The Upright Citizens' Brigade, another improvisational comedy ensemble. In 1994, after failing an audition to be a performer on "SNL," he was hired as a writer. Two years later he was promoted to head writer, although his self-imposed title and credit on the show was as "Coordinator of Falconry." He left after the 2000 season, but while there he wrote some 600 sketches. So, even while not as high profile as Ferrell, there's a good chance the audience is already quite familiar with McKay's work as a writer. "Anchorman" marks his debut as a feature film director, but he directed numerous short films that were shown on "SNL."|ret||ret||tab|

Ferrell, as Ron Burgundy, is a big personality in San Diego circa the early 1970s. His photogenic looks and uncanny ability to read exactly (sometimes to a fault, as we see later in the film) what's on the TelePrompTer have elevated Ron, and the Channel 4 News Team, to the top of the ratings in San Diego. The only thing bigger than Ron's personality seems to be his ego, but Ferrell and McKay have managed to give the newsman some good-hearted sweetness that makes him a more sympathetic character than one might imagine.|ret||ret||tab|

While the film is a vehicle for Ferrell, the ensemble cast (and several high-profile cameos) are the glue that holds it together. Channel 4's team consists of Burgundy, a "man on the street" reporter named Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), sports reporter Champ Kind (David Koechner) and a weatherman with an IQ in the 40s, Brick Tamland (Steve Carell). Fans of Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" will know Carell to be one of the funniest people on TV and his Brick Tamland provides some of the most hilarious moments here.|ret||ret||tab|

Station manager Ed Harken (Fred Willard) has a new gimmick in mind for the show. He hires a woman (a woman!) to do some pieces here and there. Played by Christina Applegate, Veronica Corningstone has dreams of becoming a network anchor, but Harken gives her puff pieces like a feline fashion show to cover. The men on the news team are threatened by Veronica, but that doesn't stop them each and every one from trying to seduce her. |ret||ret||tab|

While keeping her character's integrity, Corningstone does have a liaison with Burgundy. She decides they need to keep their affair on the hush-hush. He signs off his next newscast by telling all of San Diego about it.|ret||ret||tab|

Things get stickier when Ron is late for the show one evening. Harken puts Corningstone on as anchor, and she's an immediate hit. This leads to much animosity between Burgundy and Corningstone, made worse when the woman is elevated to co-anchor. Things come to a head when Veronica, playing a somewhat underhanded trick, manages to get Ron fired.|ret||ret||tab|

After losing his job, Ron loses all of his self-respect. He drinks all day and even his old news buddies, on orders from Harken, won't have anything to do with him.|ret||ret||tab|

But, after all, this is a feel-good film. So it's no surprise when a news story (that we've been following from early in the movie) is finally reaching its conclusion, it's Ron who comes to the station's as well as Veronica's rescue. |ret||ret||tab|

Think of "Anchorman" as doing for local news what "This is Spinal Tap" did for heavy-metal bands. Most of the time, like in "Spinal Tap," the scenes that are funniest are the ones closest to the truth. |ret||ret||tab|

There is one exception. Ron's arch rival is Wes Mantooth, an anchor on the perpetually second-ranked station in San Diego. The two news teams meet in an alley one day and a gang fight ensues. It doesn't just involve these two news teams, though. This is the only time in the film when the script strays far away from reality, but it is funny if you don't mind your slapstick mixed with death and mayhem. Watch for the cameos here.|ret||ret||tab|

I wasn't a fan of Ferrell on "Saturday Night Live," didn't care all that much about "Old School," but really liked "Elf" in spite of myself. With "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," Ferrell adds again to his comedic repertoire, and hopefully he and McKay will continue to work together.|ret||ret||tab|

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