Trama

A washed up singer is given a couple days to compose a chart-topping hit for an aspiring teen sensation. Though he's never written a decent lyric in his life, he sparks with an offbeat younger woman with a flair for words.

Cheery Alex Fletcher lives comfortably in Manhattan off the residuals from his 80's pop success and reprising his hits at school reunions, theme parks, and state fairs. But those gigs are declining, so he jumps at the chance to write a song and record it with reigning teen idol Cora Corman. Trouble is, he's good at melodies but needs a lyricist and has less than a week to finish. Enter Sophie Fisher, subbing for a friend who waters Alex's plants; she's a pretty good poet, quick witted, and could do it, if she'd agree. But there's some sort of shadow over her head that Alex may not be able to charm his way past. And what if they do get a song written, what then?—<jhailey@hotmail.com>

In New York, the washed-up singer Alex Fletcher has a decadent career singing his old hits in amusement parks, school reunions or dinner parties to survive. In the 80's, he was a successful singer of the band POP with Collin Thompson, but when his partner split, his solo-career was a complete failure. His manager and friend Chris Riley schedules a meeting with the successful teen singer Cora Corman and Alex has a chance to be promoted in a show if he delivers a new song for Cora's concert in the end of the week. Alex has difficulties to put lyrics in his melody, but he accidentally discovers Sophie Fisher, who is temporarily watering his plants and proves to be a sensitive poet and efficient lyricist. Their song is approved by Cora, but they disagree about her interpretation, while they fall in love for each other.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Alex Fletcher was one half of the 1980's British pop duo, PoP. While his PoP partner Colin Thompson has gone onto further fame and fortune in the entertainment business which includes being knighted by the Queen, Alex has faded into oblivion, his only forays into the entertainment world being singing PoP songs at cheesy retrospective gigs. He has the opportunity to make it back into the popular music world when current singing sensation Cora Corman, a huge PoP fan, commissions him to write a duet for the two of them, it needing to have the title "Way Back into Love", and which needs to be completed by the end of the week. There is no guarantee that Cora will actually record the song as she has made arrangement for other retro artists to write back-up material if Alex's song is not to her liking. Alex has a problem in that he was never good at writing lyrics, and is having issues with the lyricist he has chosen for the collaboration. He thinks he has come up with a solution when his temporary plant watering person, Sophie Fisher, starts humming some of her own made up and good lyrics to Alex's tune. Sophie is an unconfident woman and a hypochondriac, who believes that, although she writes, she is not a lyricist who can come up with words to Alex's very specific song. Even if Alex is able to convince Sophie to help him, he will have to help her overcome her emotional problems in life, most specifically around her own current minor notoriety concerning her now love/hate relationship with author, Sloan Cates, who has put his skewed version of their life on paper in the form of a best selling novel. If Sophie does assist him, she may learn the hard way of the compromises that often accompany the creative process, some of those compromises with which she may not be able to live.—Huggo

Cheery Alex Fletcher faded into to background of the Manhattan pop scene after his partner split away from their hit band PoP, singing their old PoP songs at cheesy retrospective gigs. His first comeback opportunity is when current singing sensation Cora Corman, a huge PoP fan, commissions him to write a duet for the two of them, to be entitled "Way Back into Love", but to be completed by the end of the week. Lacking inspiration and confidence to match the melody he writes easily, Alex notices his plant watering help Sophie Fisher, starts humming some of her own made up and good lyrics to his tune and decides to hire the hypochondriac without self-confidence, but must deal with her distracting personal issues if they are to make the deadline. Once they deliver it, Cora's absurd, irreverent 'arrangement' causes discord whether to fight for the song or go along for the money, while Cupid strings his bow.—KGF Vissers

Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) is a washed-up former pop star (from the British group 'PoP!') who seems happy in his "has-been" status (He has been invited to star in a show called "Battle of the 80's Has-Beens" where forgotten stars box each other in the ring), performing for 80s-loving fans at reunions and random locations, when his manager Chris Riley (Brad Garrett) tells him Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), a young megastar, wants him to write a song for her, titled "A Way Back Into Love" (which she wants to perform with Alex at Madison Sq Garden in 2 weeks).

Cora is a big fan of Alex as his songs got her through her parents' divorce when she was 7 years old. Ray (Matthew Morrison), Cora's manager informs Alex that they have 7 other retro artists working on the same title, so they really need the song by the end of the current week (by Friday) Alex is reluctant to compose again after two decades, because his strength was always the tune, his ex-partner Colin (Scott Porter) always wrote the words. However, his caring but professional manager tells him that his music career is completely doomed if he doesn't switch gears-interest in his nostalgia concerts is dwindling.

During an unsuccessful attempt to compose the song in collaboration with a "very hip, very edgy" lyricist Greg Antonsky (Jason Antoon), Alex discovers that the woman who is temporarily watering his plants, Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), has a talent for writing lyrics. Alex, on a 48-hour deadline to write the song, asks her to help him, but she refuses multiple times (She brings Rhonda to a High school reunion gig. Later Alex comes to the shop where Sophie works and says that he can't take no for an answer), to the chagrin of her older sister Rhonda (Kristen Johnston), who happens to be a huge fan of Alex. It's not until Alex composes a lovely song with some of Sophie's lyrics and plays it for her that she realizes they could do it. Over the next few days, they grow closer while writing the words and music together.

Sophie reveals she had lost confidence in herself and abandoned writing after a disastrous romance with her English professor Sloan Cates (Campbell Scott). Sloan got close to Sophie and never revealed that he was engaged. When she found out, they had a messy break up. A yr later Sloan released his book, on a leading character based on Sophie's life, which went on to become a national bestseller. Sloan characterizes Sophie as a brilliant imitator, but an empty writer, with no original thoughts.

Alex reveals that Colin stole their last 3 songs, which he published in his own solo album and sold 8 million copies. While Alex's solo album sold 50K copies. One particular copy at the local music store has been on the shelf for over 6 yrs.

Working for 2 straight days, and barely meeting the deadline Cora has set for the song's delivery, Alex and Sophie are thrilled when she accepts it; however, at a celebratory dinner with Alex's manager Chris (Brad Garrett) and his wife, Sophie is mortified to encounter Sloan. Sophie hides in the bathroom, but Alex encourages her to confront Sloan. Sophie practices her entire speech with Alex in the bathroom. She confronts him but finds herself tongue-tied in his presence (Sloan tells her that he has signed the rights for a film based on his book), and Alex's own attempts to defend her result in a scuffle. Nursing their wounds back at Alex's apartment, Alex and Sophie fall into an unplanned romantic encounter.

Over the next couple of days, Sophie goes with Alex to his gigs and encourages him when Alex has doubts about his ability to entertain crowds. Alex goes with Sophie to a dinner with Rhonda. When Cora invites Alex and Sophie to hear her interpretation of "A Way Back into Love," Sophie is horrified by her Indian-vibe, sexually confident interpretation of their earnest song. Alex rushes Sophie out of the room before she can say anything, and tells her he agrees it's awful but says they need to accept it as the cost of doing business. Later at Cora's party, despite Alex's best efforts to block her, Sophie finally tells Cora that she feels the new arrangement clashes with the insecurity expressed in the song's lyrics. Cora says she's still going to perform it her way but expresses appreciation for Sophie's honesty.

Cora has tasked Alex and Sophie to write another verse within the next 24 hours. But Sophie says she can't write when she is not inspired. Sophie leaves Alex when she gets upset by his willingness to demean his talent and his claim that Sloan was right about her personality. The next morning, Alex meets Cora, only to learn that Sophie faxed her the lyrics based on her conversation with Alex the night before.

Sophie, intending to start a new life in Florida, reluctantly attends the opening of Cora's new tour at Madison Square Garden, at which Alex and Cora will debut "Way Back into Love". Upon hearing that Alex is singing a new song "written by Alex Fletcher", Sophie, believing that Alex is stealing credit for her work; attempts to leave; but however, the song Alex sings is called "Don't Write Me Off", his plea for Sophie to give him another chance. A touched Sophie finds Alex backstage and he confesses to having successfully convinced Cora to drop the risque version of "A Way Back into Love" in an attempt to win Sophie back. He and Cora perform the tune as he and Sophie intended it to be sung.

The end of the movie (an homage to VH1's Pop-Up Video) reveals that the song becomes a hit for Cora and Alex, the film version of Sloan's novel flops with critics and moviegoers (destroying his career), PoP! reunites for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, after which their lead singer Colin Thompson (who left the band with some of Alex's songs to start a solo career) winds up having his hip replaced after years of dancing, and Alex and Sophie go on to become successful partners, both in songwriting and romance, with five more new pop hits.