I am a single dad and I enjoyed this movie a lot! I laughed and I cried. I loved the bad date scene with Randy Quaid and Jeanne Garafalo. She played the bad date to perfection. The movie was not perfect but it was a commendable attempt to bring some humor to a subject which seems far from humurous when you are going thru it. Very entertaining!

Divorce is a pervasive fact of life in our society. The three men at the center of the story, Vic, Donny, and Dave, have recently been divorced. It appears that all three have gone through friendly separations, as in all three cases, children are involved. Since the kids are under the mother's custody, the fathers have the right to get them for week-end visits.

All three friends seem somewhat adjusted to their new realities. Vic, looks as the most grounded man of the trio. Donny, is the saddest case, and Dave, who is a wishy washy man, is trying his hand at a new relationship with a much younger woman. The wives, on the other hand, have moved on with their lives. The three women appear to have no problems with their new status.

The exchange of children occurs in a suburban McDonald's, a neutral territory. This is a type of "brand placing" that Hollywood films love to show. Fast food, alas, stands for an allegory of what's missing with most marriages these days when most families don't even share a meal together. There is also the talk radio personality who is in the air taking calls from divorced people and advising them what to do, yet, he doesn't even have a clue about what he is talking about; after all, he's been married five times!

The acting is adequate. The best thing in the film is Randy Quaid, who as Vic, makes the most of his role. Janeane Garofalo appears as a date from hell, in a funny sequence. The ensemble cast does fine work under Sam Weisman's direction.

The sad fact of this story is that all these children, we see in the film, will probably go through divorces in their own lives.

Dave (Matthew Modine), Vic (Randy Quaid), and Donny (Paul Reiser) are a trio of friends and divorced fathers. Dave has a beautiful new young girlfriend named Kim (Maria Pitillo) but still sports a wandering eye. Vic, whose soul was definitely bruised by his ex-wife, is just agreeing to go on a blind date with Lucille (Janeane Garofalo). As for Donny (Paul Reiser), he is also having severe trouble moving on, holding his former wife in high esteem, even though she has remarried. All of the men have children that they love deeply and who fall into their custody at the appropriate times. Yet, meeting their former mates at such places as McDonald's, in order to exchange their children, still gives everyone a pang of hurt. Will Dave learn to commit himself to one woman? Will Vic let go of his resentments and take a chance on a new love? And will Donny realize his ex is never coming back and give himself permission to love someone else, even if it is Dave's former wife (Amy Brenneman)? As for the kids, will they be able to weather their parents divorce, too? This is a truthful and touching film about divorce in modern America. Yes, it is very common now, making life complicated, especially when children are involved. But, even so, it is not the end of the world, as all of the men, women, and kids discover in this movie. All of the actors are wonderful, with Quaid, especially, giving an extremely humorous and thoughtful performance. Special mention should also go to Garofalo for her drop-dead-funny, neurotic-yet-lovable portrayal of a divorcée. Then, too, the California setting is lovely, the costumes very well chosen, and the production values quite high. Most of all, the script is funny, original, and brutally honest. If you have been down the divorce highway, you should definitely make time for this film. It will help heal wounds with its laughs and sensitivity. But, even if you just want to find a film that will let you "yuck it up", this one is a terrific choice.