One Fine Day (1996)

The lives of two strangers and their young children unexpectedly intersect on one hectic, stressful day in New York City.

Director:

Michael Hoffman

Writers:

Terrel Seltzer, Ellen Simon

Stars:

Michelle Pfeiffer, George Clooney, Mae Whitman

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Melanie Parker
George Clooney	...	Jack Taylor
Mae Whitman	...	Maggie Taylor
Alex D. Linz	...	Sammy Parker
Charles Durning	...	Lew
Jon Robin Baitz	...	Yates, Jr.
Ellen Greene	...	Elaine Lieberman
Joe Grifasi	...	Manny Feldstein
Pete Hamill	...	Frank Burroughs
Anna Maria Horsford	...	Evelyn
Gregory Jbara	...	Metro Reporter
Sheila Kelley	...	Kristen
Barry Kivel	...	Yates, Sr.
Robert Klein	...	Dr. Martin
George Martin	...	Smith Leland

Storyline

Melanie Parker, an architect and mother of Sammy, and Jack Taylor, a newspaper columnist and father of Maggie, are both divorced. They meet one morning when overwhelmed Jack is left unexpectedly with Maggie and forgets that Melanie was to take her to school. As a result, both children miss their school field trip and are stuck with the parents. The two adults project their negative stereotypes of ex-spouses on each other, but end up needing to rely on each other to watch the children as each must save his job. Humor is added by Sammy's propensity for lodging objects in his nose and Maggie's tendency to wander.

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Plot Keywords:

architect | one day | single mother | single father | reporter | 

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Taglines:

She was having a perfectly bad day... Then he came along and spoiled it.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and mild sensuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

20 December 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un beau jour

Filming Locations:

Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,226,430, 22 December 1996

Gross USA:

$46,151,454

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$97,529,550

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Rosa Productions, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Thanks to the performance in this film, Alex D. Lenz would eventually star in "Home Alone 3" taking over the franchise for Macaualy Culkin for Fox which would be released a year later in 1997 almost around the same time this film was released by the studio.

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Goofs

When Melanie and the kids are sitting eating their ice creams, a large clock can be seen on the wall. It appears to read 6 o'clock, when the time should be around 3:30. (even if it doesn't say 6, it most certainly doesn't show anything remotely close to 3:30).

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Quotes

Melanie: You MUST be Kristen's ex-husband?
Jack: Why do you say that?
Melanie: [pointing to Maggie] Well, that's Kristen's daughter...

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Connections

References She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985)

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Soundtracks

One Fine Day
Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King
Performed by Natalie Merchant
Natalie Merchant appears courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group

User Reviews

For once, a throwback which doesn't grate

When movies of today try and capture that "old-fashioned" feeling, usually it's the "values" that they're trying to recapture, forgetting that if you don't make a good movie, what you're left with is two hours of preaching. This movie, on the other hand, may be trying to capture that "old-fashioned" feeling, but the values it's after are the values of craftsmanship and intelligence, two things rarely seen in comedies these days. Oh, yes, and chemistry; Clooney and Pfeiffer have it in spades here. The fact that it's set among the world of working parents and, for the most part, tries to get the details right, also helps. And, oh yeah, it's funny. It is a little cloying at times, and the end feels abrupt, but overall this is a pleasing movie.