Plot: What’s it about?
Jack Taylor and Melanie Parker are about as opposite as you can imagine possible. Jack (George Clooney) is a newspaper columnist, who worries more about having fun than anything, while Melanie (Michelle Pfieffer) is a career woman, who is responsible and level headed. These two distinct personalities are about the meet head on, when Jack causes both of their kids to miss a school field trip. Both Jack and Melanie have the biggest and most important day of their careers in the next eight hours, but they can’t just cart their children along for the ride. So they have to work together, to balance their kids between them, in order to get through the day and take care of business, all while being good parents to boot. While they don’t have much in common, Jack and Melanie just might discover a unique bond they share, and fall in love in the process.
One Fine Day is one of the gems that can be uncovered if you dig around in the romantic comedy genre. While the genre is packed with uninspired offerings starring leads with little or no chemistry, this movie manages to capture some magic, thanks to a great storyline and some solid casting. The main appeal of this movie is the chemistry between Clooney and Pfieffer, with the two lighting the screen up, working together so well. The two find themselves in a situation they can’t control, and it’s great the way the different personas handle what’s going on. The two bicker and argue through the whole movie, dialogue that is filled with laughs. I feel movies in this genre sometimes forget to include much comedy, but One Fine Day succeeds on both levels. It’s also great how the two stay true to their characters, not just abandoning the script to make an ending work. I recommend this movie as a rental if you haven’t seen it, and the disc would make a nice purchase, if you love the movie.
One Fine Day has a great cast, but it relies less on its supporting cast than most movies. George Clooney and Michelle Pfieffer garner most of the camera’s attention, and they deserve the screen time. The two work seamlessly together, and their back and forth dialogue is hilarious and well enacted. Clooney (From Dusk ‘Til Dawn, Out of Sight) plays the role with the perfect amount of boyish charm, a great fit for this playful, irresponsible character. Pfieffer (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Story of Us) also fits her role well, giving a bitchy, yet appealing edge to Melanie, as well as some great lines. As good as the two are apart, they work together even better, and make this movie worth seeing. Charles Durning (I.Q., The Hudsucker Proxy) and Mae Whitman (When A Man Loves A Woman, Independence Day) add solid performances to the movie as well. The supporting cast also includes Alex D. Linz (Home Alone 3), Holland Taylor (The Truman Show, George of the Jungle), Amanda Peet (Simply Irresistible), and George Martin (Drunks).
Video: How does it look?
This disc presents One Fine Day in a 1.85:1 non anamorphic widescreen transfer. Certainly this is a fine visual transfer, but if 16X9 enhancement been applied, it would have been great. Still, this is better than most catalog releases. The colors come across well, with bright and vivid tones, as well as accurate flesh tones. The colors are very warm and earthy, especially the outdoor scenes, and the disc brings this visual effect to life well. The contrast levels are well done, with high detail levels and good shadow separation. The print shows some minor flecks and grain, but nothing to get upset about.
Audio: How does it sound?
Now, we all know romantic comedies are not known for their audio presence, but One Fine Day is an exception, with some great audio work. The dialogue is clear at all times, but still remains in the front channels, where it belongs. What makes this track stand out is the surround effects, such as phone calls and some subtle effects in outdoor scenes, which have a rich scope of audio. The surrounds are not used in a powerful manner, but certainly they enrich the viewing experience.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As with most of the recent Fox releases, One Fine Day contains the theatrical trailer, as well as trailers for other romantic comedies.
