December 19–26, 1996

movie shorts

ONE FINE DAY

You know that thing that George Clooney does with his head, so he's got it cocked to the side just slightly, looking down and up at the same time, that adorable little boy thing? He does that a lot in this movie, generally in the direction of Michelle Pfeiffer. From the beginning of Michael Hoffman's film, when Natalie Merchant is crooning "One Fine Day" over the credits, you know what's in store: stylish pop romance. It's cynical and sugary in a "post-feminist" way. Single mom and single dad meet with cute, darling 5-year-olds in tow: they fuss, they fight, they keep finding reasons and nonreasons to hook up. They are extremely pretty together, yes. And by the end of the day, well, you can guess what happens.

— Cindy Fuchs

(AMC Andorra; Ritz 12; Northeast; UA Bryn Mawr; UA Riverview)