Divorcees Juggle Kids and Career in One Fine Day

Journalist Jack Taylor (George Clooney) and architect Melanie Parker (Michelle Pfeiffer) are divorced New Yorkers trying to juggle high-powered careers and parenthood. Jack’s daughter Maggie (Mae Whitman) and Melanie’s son Sammy (Alex D. Linz) are kindergarten classmates. After a carpooling attempt gone bad causes them to miss their field trip, their parents have to spend all day trying to figure out what to do with them in the 1996 rom-com One Fine Day.

This is one of those movies that I’ve stumbled upon multiple times while channel surfing, and I finally decided to watch it from the beginning recently when it came up for Instant Viewing on Netflix. This PG-rated movie is part romance, part parent-child bonding film. Jack and Melanie have never met before this day, but they immediately clash as his lackadaisical tendencies set the day’s chaotic events into motion. Jack does not have primary custody, and although he loves his little girl, he finds it hard to be bothered with the minutiae of looking after her when his ex-wife drops her at his door unexpectedly. Control freak Melanie is the primary parent, but her focus on her career is so intense that Sammy sometimes gets left in the lurch. Both of them are extremely distracted, which causes problems for them as they try to pull off career-saving moves while keeping their kids busy.

Sammy and Maggie are both adorable and aggravating. While his primary problem is a propensity for putting objects in his nose, hers is wandering off quietly so that no one realizes until moments later that she has disappeared. Both are sweet-natured but oblivious to the trouble they are causing with their fidgety actions. Some of the mischief they get into is funny, while at other times it’s cringe-inducing. This is a big, dangerous city, after all, and both Jack and Melanie, who alternate supervising the kids, have a very difficult time keeping a close eye on them. Several scenarios would really be pretty alarming if they occurred in real life.

Of course, part of the development of the characters over the course of this single day is the adults realizing they need to be more attentive and, to a lesser extent, the kids realizing they need to stop running wild. The lesson doesn’t sink in so much with the children, but I would say there’s a least a hint that they will make more of an effort in the future. Then, of course, there’s Jack and Melanie, and while they mostly meet each other briefly before going their separate ways, they gradually get to know each other and begin to understand that their initial distaste for each other may have been misplaced.

In the midst of this jam-packed day, we see the four of them interact with a variety of people as Jack tries to find a key witness to back up something he printed in the paper and Melanie attempts to sell her latest design to a high-powered bidder. These brief interactions are fun, and I especially liked Charles Durning as Jack’s irascible boss and Ellen Greene as his key witness. However, this movie is mostly about the kids and their parents and how their being thrown together leads them to a better understanding of themselves and the possibility of more meetings to come. Epic romance this is not, but it is a cute movie showing that sometimes, a single day can tell two people quite a lot about each other.

Jessica Tandy Works Simple Enchantment in The Story Lady

With so many other entertainment options available, many people suspect that good old-fashioned books are going out of style. The Story Lady, a 1991 made-for-TV movie starring Jessica Tandy, posits that the thirst for good stories is as strong as ever. In this charming film, Tandy portrays Grace McQueen, a widow who has just moved in with her daughter Meg (Tandy Cronyn) and son-in-law Norm (Richard Masur). Uninterested in the senior center Meg suggests she attend, Grace seeks out volunteer opportunities but is rejected at every turn until she discovers public access television and decides to broadcast her own show reading classic tales like Thumbelina and The Little Mermaid.

Just a silver-haired lady in a rocking chair reading a picture book. It doesn't seem like the formula for thrilling television, but with a little help from Scott (Christopher Gartin), the fresh-out-of-college producer immediately enchanted by her unassuming manner, her weekly show becomes a staple for hundreds of children and their parents. One child especially taken with the series is lonely Alexandra Pollard (Lisa Jakub), who lives with her workaholic mother, Julie (Stephanie Zimbalist). When Julie sees Alex watching Story Lady, she detects an opportunity. It's time to take Grace to the big time. Julie invites Grace to stay with her and Alex in New York City for a week while she films the pilot of a new, amped-up version of her little show. But how will this humble woman hold up under the bright lights of network television?

The film concludes toward the end of December, making this a movie that could be classified as a Christmas special. Key elements of the ending include an elementary school presentation of A Christmas Carol and a special Christmas delivery courtesy of Grace. But most of the movie isn't particularly tied to the holiday. It's an any-time-of-year story of families learning to respect and make time for one another, whether that means cutting back on work hours or simply making a date to enjoy a story together. It's about a mother and daughter reconnecting and a disheartened woman reclaiming a sense of joy by spreading happiness to others.

Tandy leads a strong cast, creating a character who is warm and witty, a bit bewildered by certain aspects of modern life but too savvy to be taken advantage of. Her rapport with young Jakub and the endearing Gartin is especially good, and she shares a great scene with Charles Durning as a judge late in the movie. While the movie is more sappy than comical, there are plenty of funny moments, particularly when Grace gets to the big city and learns what is expected of her. The Story Lady is a feel-good film that families can enjoy together, and its emphasis on quality time and excellent literature is just as refreshing today as when it was made.