Beth Goodwin [Alice Krige] is a happily married mother of two, sharing a life with her pianist husband Peter Goodwin [David Dukes]. Then, after a quiet period of balance, tragedy strikes: Peter suddenly becomes paralyzed in his hands and takes his own life, leaving Beth and the children heartbroken. In the meantime, Larry Livingstone [Jeff Bridges], a psychiatrist in New York, builds a life with his wife Jo [Farrah Fawcett] and their two young children, only to see that life unravel as Jo walks away and the kids move to London.
At a party hosted by Martin [George Hearn] and Sidney [Linda Lavin], Beth and Larry feel an undeniable, almost magnetic attraction. Jo arrives with her new flame, a man simply identified as Jack, which adds a charged undercurrent to the evening. Larry ends the night at Beth’s side, welcomed by her children Cathy Goodwin [Drew Barrymore] and Petey Goodwin [Lukas Haas]. Larry also introduces his own children, Robin Livingstone [Heather Lilly] and Billy Livingstone [Macaulay Culkin], to the Goodwins, highlighting the fragile possibility of two families blending together.
Neenie [Frances Sternhagen], Jo’s mother, is brisk and skeptical, questioning whether Larry has truly moved on quickly enough from his former marriage. Sidney counsels Beth to hold onto hope, reminding her that love can be imperfect and that even Martin once strayed. In a playful, romantic moment, Larry dresses up as Cupid and convinces Beth to take a leap and marry him.
Beth begins to worry about a future that might echo Peter’s fate, fearing Larry might abandon her as he once did his wife. Larry proposes they move to a new apartment, arguing that their current place may always feel like a reminder of Cathy and Petey’s father. Beth’s children resist the idea of relocating, clinging to the familiarity of their home. When Beth travels overseas for work, Cathy’s temper flares and she is arrested for shoplifting at Bloomingdale’s, signaling deeper tensions within the blended family.
Back home, Jo’s mother Neenie’s death casts a pall over the households, and Jo confesses that she still loves Larry, leaving him torn between the past and a future with Beth. Larry insists he did not cheat, even as he acknowledges a lingering connection to Jo. Cathy and Petey misread the couple’s intimate night, mistaking it for a violent struggle, which jolts the children into appreciating the steadfast presence of Larry. In the end, the family chooses to move forward together and make a fresh start in a new home, hoping that shared love can heal the wounds of the past.
