Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
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.
One Fine Day is a perfectly serviceable mid-90s romantic comedy that hits all the genre's familiar beats without much surprise. Clooney and Pfeiffer bring charm and professionalism to their roles, elevating what is otherwise a formulaic will-they-won't-they setup. The cinematography is functional New York location shooting without particular visual ambition. The plot is thoroughly predictable — two single parents bickering across a long day before inevitably falling for each other — and the ending delivers exactly what the audience expects with no subversion or resonance. Novelty is low given how squarely it fits the late-80s/early-90s romantic comedy template. It's a pleasant, watchable film but derivative in concept and execution.