Hi J-14ers!
When I first moved to New York City, I was so determined to make it in the magazine industry. I didn't know anyone in the business to help get my foot in the door, my friends and family told me to be more realistic, and I was in a big crazy city that was so easy to get lost in the shuffle in.
But I stuck to my goal -- and did anything and everything I could that would point me in the right direction. Whether it was photocopying a stack of impossibly complicated newspaper clips that didn't fit on the copier or running off to fetch cupcakes for an office celebration I wasn't part of, I made sure I didn't just do everything right... but that I did it better than anyone expected.
And it's that exact sense of no-holds-barred determination and spirit that Rachel McAdams' Becky Potter has in Morning Glory that proves no matter what bad stuff gets thrown at you, it's up to you to pull it all together and take control of your own destiny.
In Morning Glory, Becky loses her job at a small television station's morning show -- and that job is her everything. But she doesn't give up on her goal to be a producer on the Today show. She puts herself out there and ends up getting a job at a (fictional) network called IBS on their morning show, Daybreak. But the moment she gets there, she realizes the place is a mess -- she may be the new girl, but this is her chance to make her mark... otherwise she risks getting the plug pulled on the show! Eeks -- talk about pressure!
By going with her gut and thinking outside the box, Becky puts everything on the line -- from getting a serious news veteran (Harrison Ford) to loosen up and cook his famous eggs on the show to getting the longtime anchor (Diane Keaton) to rap alongside 50 Cent (that in itself is enough of a reason to see this movie!).
Despite all the roadblocks in her life, Becky powers through it all -- and ends up not just with her dream job, but also living her dream life.
Maybe it's the fact that Becky went into the job interview in the same building I once interviewed for a job in... or that she commuted across the river from New Jersey to Manhattan on a ferry I pass by every morning.,. or that the whole film is about morning shows, which I've been obsessed with since I was a kid (Good Morning America rocks!)... but what really makes the film so relatable and lovable is that spirit of living life just the way you want to, no matter what people say!
And now the fact that I have a total dream job at J-14 Magazine is just further proof that it can indeed happen! So dream big, girls -- believe in yourselves, strive to do your best in everything, and I know you can do it too!
Did you see Morning Glory? What did you think of it? And what's your dream job that you're going to make come true?
Can't wait to hear from you!
Rachel Chang
J-14 Editor-in-Chief
Photo: Courtesy of Paramount
