It has comedy, romance, adventure (kind of). This movie really kind of takes you on a roller coaster ride. The acting in it is brilliant. It helps that it's a great script too, though. The music is fitting to the story. I really like the point in the movie where they put in Van Morrison's Have I Told You Lately, it's so fitting. The movie is great, but the soundtrack is outstanding.I wasn't sure just how it would be resolved and was happy to see that in the end family won out. This is a must see in this day and age when parents of both sexes tend to put everything else before their home commitments. The consequences of power grabs was shown in a very realistic way. I know. I've seen it close up with people I know and maybe this movie would be a good gift, subtle hint, to someone you know who could use a little push to make wiser decisions of their own. Who knows, it might just be the impetus needed to save a family from the problems that happen when career trumps home life.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

In "One Fine Day" George Clooney is at his charismatic best and Michelle Pfeiffer is on top form too. Plot In A Paragraph: Jack Taylor (Clooney) and Melanie Parker (Pfeiffer) are two divorced strangers, who are forced to rely on each other, during one crazy day, when both of their kids miss a school trip and both are face losing their respective jobs. I really enjoyed this movie, Michelle Pfeiffer pulls off both distressed single-parent and love interest to Clooney roles well, and how in the world, had I missed what a fine pair of leg she has. George Clooney is at his charming and charismatic best, and I always love see Charles Durning on screen. Likewise Holland Taylor (who plays Pfiefers mother) is always a joy to watch. Amanda Peet does OK in her supporting role as Celia. However this movie is let down by a few things. Whilst Mae Whittman was fine as Clooney's daughter Maggie (OK her penchant for wondering off after cats was a worry) Alex D Linz is one of the most annoying children I have ever watched on screen, that's actually harsh on the actor as he did as he was told, and performed well enough, it's his character that annoyed the living hell out of me!! The Mayor is one of the worst type of corrupt official clichés played by an unconvincing actor. Any movie with a Jaws reference gets two thumbs up from this reviewer.

I loved this film! It captures perfectly the daily struggle of single parents coping imperfectly with the demands of raising their children. The background of a rainy springtime New York fit the mood perfectly.Melanie Parker (Michelle Pfeiffer) opens the film dejectedly sitting at her desk writing checks to pay the many pressing bills. Her ex-husband is far more involved in his own pursuits than concern for his son. I suspect that Melanie is getting little financial support from a musician who works only intermittently. The blues really hit home when you get to the late hours and the distractions of earning a living are on temporary hold. It gets really hard not to dump on the absent spouse to preserve a child's relationship to the missing parent.Jack Taylor (George Clooney) lives in a wreck of an apartment that he has no ambition to repair. He has custody of his daughter every other weekend and he is able to get back at his ex-wife by forcing her to leave her daughter in a environment that totally offends her sense of order without being so ramshackle that she can get the courts to intervene. Lots of childish bickering between the parents accompany every custody weekend. Total realism in that scene where the daughter Maggie (Mae Whitman) is dropped off.Melanie is a woman who has been forced to become much more forceful than her nature would prefer. She has enrolled her son Sammy (Alex D. Linz) in a prestigious private school rather than the far inferior public school. That schooling demands the income of a professional woman. She must function in a competitive professional environment. She cannot afford to allow sentiment to hinder her career if she is to provide for her son. But her career is balanced on a knife edge. When Sammy and Maggie miss their school's field trip, due to Jack's cavalier attitude toward the school schedule, the children wind up complicating their parent's already hectic schedule.Jack Taylor definitely has some childlike qualities that both intrigue and annoy Melanie. These traits are what doomed her marriage and she cannot afford to fall for the same irresponsible type of man. She takes a while to realize that when the chips are down, Jack can bring considerable resources to bear on a problem. Jack adores his daughter but is ill equipped to provide a suitable home environment for a girl. Deep down, he realizes he desperately needs a good wife. This awareness makes Jack resist the allure of his coworker Celia, who would enjoy getting much closer to him.It was touching to watch the two children start to bond during their enforced togetherness at the day care center. Sammy starts to look after the welfare of Maggie when it would be easy to just consider himself. Melanie starts to apply her maternal care to Maggie as well as to her son. Jack starts to take an interest in Sammy, a boy who is desperate to have a father in his life. The bond between the parents grows in large measure from their growing attachment to each other's children.The unruly behavior of the two children was very realistic. Children in broken homes often develop such problems. A divorce impacts every aspect of a child's development.The film compresses the development of the romance into a single day. That is somewhat forced and unrealistic. Otherwise, this film is spot on and a joy to watch.

This is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I saw this movie when it came out with my mom (we're both Michelle and George fans) and it's become one of my "feel good" movies, along with Sleepless in Seattle and Amelie. The film is great, with great performances, cinematography and music. It's the kind of movie that makes you feel good. I love all the things that keep happening throughout the course of the day and how Michelle keeps getting on her clothes! It's a bit like Pride and Prejudice with the dislike and banter the two lead characters. A real winner with charm and wit, that's a guaranteed smile-maker! One of the best films of 1996 and if you haven't seen it, what the heck are you waiting for?