Jackie’s (Susan Sarandon) husband, Luke (Ed Harris) has divorced her for the young, beautiful and successful Isabel (Julia Roberts). Jackie is resentful of Isabel and her work, and doesn’t consider her dedicated enough to take care of her 2 children. She takes every opportunity to put Isabel down, though the latter does try hard to be a good mom to the children while not posing a threat to Jackie. She makes an effort to fit into the family without being seen as “the other woman”, but doesn’t seem able to win the hearts of Jackie or her 12-year-old daughter. However, things change when Jackie discovers that she has cancer. Now she realizes that if she were to die, the kids will be left to Isabel, since Luke has proposed marriage to her. Jackie is gradually forced to accept Isabel and help her to be part of her family.