Michelle Pfeiffer plays Melanie Parker, the divorced mother of a young son. She juggles raising a son and a demanding career as an architect. Her ex is a musician who can not be depended on. She has a poor view of artists and men in general. She considers them irresponsible.
George Clooney plays Jack Taylor, a divorced dad who has his daughter every other weekend. He is like a big kid, He is also a reporter and everything Melanie dislikes. One fine day, Jack is late to meet Melanie with his daughter and both kids miss the scheduled field trip. Neither parent can find a babysittter and through some mixup they end up with each other's cell phone. They bring their kids to work. Maggie, Jack's daughter, loves cats and while her father is talking to his boss, she plays with the newsroom cat who ends up eating the school fish. She gets forgotten in the newsroom when Jack leaves for a story. Melanie on her side, takes Sam to work, while playing with his cars in the recption area, his mother trips on the cars and flattens the model she was to present at an important meeting and he spurts grape juice on her blouse. Both Jack and Melanie being desperate, decide to leave their kids at a drop off day care centre. It does not take long and the kids call Melanie in tears, wanting her to pick them up. Melanie calls Jacks and negotiate some time for both of them to take care of their meetings and time where each one will take care of both kids. More mishaps happen, Sam ends up at the doctor under Jack's care and Maggie wanders off under Melanie's care, Melanie desparate to find Maggie, ends up at the police station.
It is a very funny, romantic comedy. Very enjoyable.