In a transition scene, a paper boy is shown slipping off his bike. This was actually an accident, but they decided to keep it in the movie. In fact, the paper boy actor broke his wrist.
The original screenplay was about a woman in a coma and a man pretending to be her fiancé. Many studio executives thought this to be too predatory, but one suggested reversing the roles. Once the script was rewritten, the movie was picked up by Hollywood Pictures.
The role of Lucy was written for Demi Moore. Sandra Bullock took the role, saying she could relate to it, having just broken up from a four-year relationship.
The film wasn't originally supposed to be a Christmas movie. The studio wanted it set during the holidays, as it would be easier to sell.
At the Callaghans' Christmas party, Glynis Johns's character says, "I don't drink anymore. I don't drink any less either!" Co-star Jack Warden, who was also in that scene, delivered the same line thirty-one years earlier in Bewitched (1964) (It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog (1964)).