Plot
The movie chronicles one woman's (Meg Ryan) alcoholism and her husband's (Andy Garcia) efforts to help her.
Meg Ryan plays Alice Green, a school counselor who has a serious drinking problem and is married to Michael (Andy Garcia), an airline pilot. Though she's lighthearted and loving, Alice is often reckless and, when drunk, even neglects her children, nine-year-old daughter Jess (Tina Majorino) from a previous marriage, and four-year-old daughter Casey (Mae Whitman), whose father is Michael. After an accident, Alice realizes that she has "hit bottom" and goes into a clinic for rehab. When she returns home, she has kicked her addiction and has become independent and strong, and her perfectionist, controlling husband has trouble adjusting. Michael is used to his wife being weak and helpless, and they end up seeing a marriage counselor to recover from Michael's "co-dependency" on Alice's role as an alcoholic. Then Alice gets the help she needs, but realizes she can't be with Michael. However, even through all the trials and tribulations Michael gets back together with Alice after deciding to move to Denver. He returns on the day she gives a speech at an AA function. Her speech is about how everyone deserves a second chance. He kisses her for a long time as the credits roll.
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—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)