Emma's a 35-year-old single mother who gets involved with 60-year-old Murphy Jones. She's trying to run a ranch and raise her twelve-year-old son while her ex-husband, a hunky good-for-nothin' who messes with her head, keeps reappearing. It falls to Murphy to set them all straight, including Emma, who can't seem to figure out who she's in love with and why.
It's charming, funny, well acted and has lots of other qualities to recommend it. But as far as I'm concerned, the real reason this is a great movie for single moms is that Murphy, the wisest, coolest and most courageous of all of them, is a man raised by a single mother. The movie makes this clear when the lying cheating ex-husband tries to ridicule Murphy for actually being able to befriend and understand Emma, something he seems totally incapable of.
In the end, Murphy gets it all - love, respect, friendship and the girl. It's lovely little ray of light for those of us raising sons by ourselves.
Directed by Martin Ritt; Columbia Pictures; 1985
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