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One Fine Day (PG-13, 1996)

common sense media says

Clooney and Pfeiffer plus kids is fun romp.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know the movie touches on issues such as divorce and absentee parents. One child wanders off continuously, scaring caregivers. Overall this is light, romantic, escapist fare.

Positive messages: Despite frantic schedules and random crises, main characters rise to the challenge and ultimately remain responsible, loving parents. Another character skirts his parental duties.
Violence: One child continues to wander off, scaring caregivers, one of whom screams her name standing on top of a car.
Sex: Melanie and Jack kiss passionately in one of the final scenes. Melanie is shown in a bra while she's trying on different outfits.
Language: Jack says "Goddamnit" and "bastard."
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Characters drink cocktails at an after-work business meeting. One child overhears another mention "LSD" and asks parent what it is.
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More on One Fine Day

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about how the main characters complement each other, despite their initial feelings of dislike. Why do you think it's hard for these divorced parents to hit it off? How is it hard for kids of parents who date? Why does Melanie have pictures of her ex-husband everywhere? Why is it so scary for parents when a child wanders off?

What's the story?

What's the story?
In this fast-paced romantic comedy, multitasking single mom and architect Melanie (Michelle Pfeiffer) meets journalist Jack (George Clooney), who is taking care of daughter Maggie for a week while his former wife honeymoons with her new spouse. The two immediately clash when they find themselves towing their children around Manhattan after they miss a class field trip, because Melanie is a bit of a control freak while Jack charms his way through life. As they careen through the day as an unexpected team, the feelings between Melanie and Jack begin to thaw, and they reevaluate their opinions of each other (and themselves). Will the gun-shy survivors of divorce take a chance on love? Their kids seem to know the answer from the start.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Sometimes the parents' constant bickering threatens to bring the movie down, but the kids save these scenes from descending into nastiness with their cute antics. And when the adults' identical-looking cell phones accidentally get switched, this makes for an enjoyable running gag.

Melanie and Jack gamely try to balance their workdays with parenting, a tactic that yields both disastrous results and touching moments. A final romantic sequence feels a bit too long and slow compared with the rest of the movie's quick-moving plot, but overall it's entertaining.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
Director: Michael Hoffman
Cast: George Clooney, Mae Whitman, Michelle Pfeiffer
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 108 minutes
Theatrical release: December 20, 1996
DVD release: January 14, 2003
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: language and mild sensuality.
This review was written by Teresa Talerico
 
 

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moviegeek
adult
 
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helped me decide (3) | had useful details (4) | read my mind (3)
oniongirl
teen, 14 years old
9
 
super sweet, super funny, super fun!
this is a great movie! it is very funny, very sweet, and completly captures all the stuff a parents has to go through! there are a few kisses, but nothing very sexual. a tiny bit of language, but no violence.
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was this review useful?
helped me decide (4) | had useful details (2) | read my mind (2)

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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