Python Hyena
One Fine Day (1996): Dir: Michael Hoffman / Cast: George Clooney, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mae Whitman, Alex D. Linz, Charles Durning: Romantic comedy about single parents raising children while struggling to maintain a job. Title suggests chance centering around George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer who dislike each other but must rely on each other when their children miss a field trip. They are both too busy so they work out a schedule where she gets to her big meeting and he conducts an important interview. As predicted they grow romantically linked and form a mutual respect. Director Michael Hoffman gives the film a subtle feel, which is fine except that the screenplay is a bore. Clooney and Pfeiffer are charming and are pretty much the only saving element to this film. They mirror parents that are frustrated and overworked but supporting roles are flat. Mae Whitman and Alex D. Linz play the two children who will be more trouble than needed. Linz in particular jams marbles up his nose. It regards balance and taking time to appreciate the important things. The screenwriter clearly lacked balance and hardly appreciated the important things such as a screenplay that rises above toilet paper potential. It is not very demanding in terms of look, and it has all the energy of a bad sitcom. In the end it is presented just like the work schedules featured here; routine and time consuming. Score: 5 / 10
SnoopyStyle
Melanie Parker (Michelle Pfeiffer) is an architect and mother of Sammy (Alex D. Linz). Jack Taylor (George Clooney) is a newspaper columnist and father of Maggie (Mae Whitman). They are both extremely busy divorcées, late for their kids' school field trip, and forced to babysit their kids for the day around their busy schedules.These are two of the sexiest people in the world. It should be an easy matter to make a hot rom-com out of this. But this is a struggle. The scheduling problem reminds me of driving carpool and kids' baseball practice. And there aren't any big laughs. I think the biggest problem is that neither are great comedic actors. The humor is pretty much all the same. The kids cause problems for the parents, and they struggle to keep going with their hectic day. It's all very cute. The comedy is passable.On the other hand, the romance doesn't get enough of a chance. They are separated for too much of the movie. I'm surprised they had time for romance with their busy day. The kids have more chemistry. The chemistry between the adults seems much more manufactured. I guess all rom-coms are manufactured. I just don't want it to feel like it.
aristodeea
This movie is wonderful. Really makes my heart happy every time I see it. I first saw it when I was 12, now at I'm 25 and I enjoy it even more. The story is amazingly simple and beautiful, a bit predictable indeed, but the feeling in the movie makes your heart sing, like a beautiful spring sunny day! All four actors :) are so sweet and natural, it's almost hard for me to imagine that they act and not.. just live one .. fine day. The children are so sweet .. the parents are lovely. I love this world after seeing this movie! Some of you might think that I overreacted, but it's just wonderful!Movie for open heart people!
Scaramouche2004
One Fine Day is a lovely Romantic Comedy that avoids many of the clichés usually associated with the genre.Most RomComs stick with the formula whereby the two leads meet, argue, fall in love, part when a truth or lie is discovered, and yet they kiss and make up at the end and live happily ever after.One Fine Day breaks with that tradition somewhat, as the romance builds more realistically over the course of the movie with nothing really said or done about their feelings till the very end and the Comedy aspect is subtle and is derived mainly from the interaction of the characters rather than excessively witty dialogue or situations.Clooney and Pfeiffer have great on screen chemistry which adds to the films overall charm as they play busy working single parents who, due to missing the school bus and field trip are unexpectedly left holding their respective babies despite both having life changing business commitments throughout the day.The two meet, and due to his childlike immaturity and her control freak attitude, immediately rub each other up the wrong way, but when they are forced to rely on each other to do the babysitter routine whilst they each attend their meetings and satisfy their employers, they grow closer and closer so that by days end, their animosity has turned to friendship, to attraction and finally love.Its a shame the film contains quite a few expletives as on the whole this film would have been suitable for the whole family, a universal comedy suitable for all in the old style, like a film from the 40's or 50's. say.In fact saying that you could easily see Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in the lead roles.A great film that has aged well despite its twelve year age tag and one I heartily recommend.
AD
