MovieChat Forums > Broadcast News (1987) Discussion > Film flub (goof)

Film flub (goof)

posted 21 years ago by MarMitch
10 replies | jump to latest

I submitted this years ago but they never posted it under goofs.
(SPOILER)
Very near the end of the film, Holly Hunter goes to the airport to meet William Hurt to tell him she will not be going with him on the flight. He tells her that he will be going with or without her and if she changes her mind the plane leaves from Gate E2. He turns around and walks under a sign that very clearly shows: E1-E5 with an arrow pointing to the left....He walks under the sign and turns to the right.

I can't believe no one saw that while they were shooting the film.

[–] nviiibrown 21 years ago

Well, he's not the smart one of the trio.

[–] yodellingassassin 20 years ago

It's a while since I saw the film, but maybe it's possible that the departure gates were arranged on spurs running from a central avenue: Gates E1 to E5 on the left and E2 to E6 (for example) to the right, indicated by another sign off camera.

[–] cnh-1 20 years ago

Look again closely. This was not a goof. There are two icons on the airport sign, one on the left, one on the right. The B&W one on the left which you think is pointing left is actually an icon of an airplane. The one on the right is a yellow/orange arrow pointing right, which is the direction that William Hurt goes.

[–] trickg1 20 years ago

I suppose that you completely missed the fact that the airport scene of the movie was filmed at 3 different airports. I know this because I live in the DC area and have flown out of all three airports.

She goes to the airport to confront Tom and she shows up at BWI (Baltimore\Washington International) where they have the altercation.

Then, he says basically, "look, I'm going to be on the plane and we can talk about it then" and he gets on one of those big rolling people movers at Dulles.

Then, she is adamant that he is a jerk, so she gets into a cab bawling, and as the cab pulls out, you can clearly see that it is leaving National Airport (Now called Ronald Regan National Airport) in Washington DC.

How about THAT for a a goof? Of course for the largest percentage of the people who would see that movie, unless you have been in and out of those airports a lot, you would never know that anything was amiss.

[–] jk-96 20 years ago

I too am from the DC area, and pondered for a while the fact that Holly Hunter told the cab driver to avoid the beltway and take NY Avenue to get to Dupont Circle. I figured they must be at BWI in that case -- but what about the shuttle thing pulling away -- that had to be Dulles! Anyway, it's comforting to see that someone else besides me frets about such things. Besides that, I love the movie! The characters have such depth. Even the William Hurt character is sympathetic thanks to his self-knowledge and earnestness. It was neat how Albert Brooks' son immediately bonded with Hurt when the three meet again at the end of the movie. Love the little touches like that that make this an amazing movie. Did you catch that Peter Hackes (Paul)actually was a news reporter on TV in the old days? And here's a piece of triva for you: I once shared a cab with him when I was a young woman! (and yes he flirted with me!)

[–] triggerua 11 years ago

BWI used to use mobile lounges or plane mates for remotely parked aircraft before a new pier or terminal was built in the late 80s early 90s. The entire airport sequence was film at BWI.

[–] trickg1 11 years ago

Pretty sure when she's in the cab leaving that it's not BWI. It looks like how National used to look back in the early 90s. I could be wrong about the big people movers, but from my perspective, having been in and out of all three of those airports, it looks like it was shot in at least 2 different locations.

My name is Gladiator - Maximus Decimus Meridius

[–] triggerua 11 years ago

As a flight attendant based in DC I have flown for years out of all 3 airports. Unless you are seeing something that is new to me I am confident that the airport scenes were all shot at BWI. BWI did use mobile lounges like Dulles for remote parked planes and the interior and exterior shots are in almost the same location near what is concourse E today. The existing red tile pillars are still there.

[–] trickg1 11 years ago

Fair enough - it's been a long time since that movie was shot, and I've been known to be wrong before.

I live literally 10 minutes from BWI, but as a military bandsman stationed in DC I was in an out of all 3 airports frequently - we flew out of whatever airport where we could the cheapest flight rates.

The interior shots are clearly BWI - the red tile is a dead giveaway on that, but I could have sworn at the end of the movie when she's in the cab pulling away from the airport, it's National - it doesn't look like BWI at all, or at least nothing like it has looked since the early 90s.

My name is Gladiator - Maximus Decimus Meridius

[–] PotomacPunchy 18 years ago

I wondered about this myself but figured he had changed plans at the last minute and decided to fly somewhere else! Thought it was one of those "hidden meaning" things in films that I don't always get.