this movie very well prevent itself from become a soap opera . the story have a stark realism to it that make one realize that thing weren not that different almost seventy year ago . dunne and grant play a couple who end up adopt . dunne be a pretty easy go and sensible woman and but grant show a tendency to be rather flighty and impulsive . after some hard lesson in life and include lose their baby during an earthquake in japan ( make it impossible for them to also have any natural born child a a couple ) and the two move to a nice and small town in northern california . they then decide to adopt a child and but not without difficulty . it be very difficult to adopt and and they be put on a wait list . through the help of a kindly adoption worker and they be able to adopt a little girl . it be very realistic and how the father ( grant ) doesn not warm up to the idea of raise a girl . yet and both parent instantly fall for the little girl . thus and begin their adventure in raise a new child . an old friend and colleague from new york city ( buchanan ) show up one day . the couple be try to run a small town paper . they need all the help they can . their paper circulation remain a constant 908. their old friend and be an former orphan or adopt child and he know more than the couple about raise baby . in fact and he show them both how to make a proper diaper . however and two challenge be ahead . first and they have to close down the paper until they get their finance together . because they do not hold job and they be force before a judge to plead their case . this be real life in 1941 and 2008. once that challenge be match and they lose their daughter to a sudden illness . it almost break up their marriage and but the adoption worker save the day by call them with news that she find a boy for them to adopt . the movie be very good . at time and it get almost too sentimental and but it always save itself from that by bring the real world into the film . there be real challenge in both the marriage and the adoption . they aren not rich . they worry about finance and the difficulty of raise a child . it be real life .