Dissatisfaction with traditional romance has taken many people into new social arrangements that defy convention. The Object of My Affection explores one of these experiments with light humor. Nina (Jennifer Aniston), a Brooklyn social worker, offers her spare room to George (Paul Rudd), a schoolteacher who has just been jilted by Dr. Joley (Tim Daly), his narcissistic lover. The two of them become soul friends — a development which doesn't sit well with Vince (John Pankow), her know-it-all-boyfriend who's a lawyer. Then, when Nina finds out that she's pregnant, she tells George that she wants to raise the child with him rather than with the baby's father, Vince.
Playwright Wendy Wasserstein has adapted Stephen McCauley's novel for the screen. Director Nicholas Hytner adeptly juggles all the twists and turns in the plot with panache. Getting in touch with his nurturing instincts, George accepts Nina's proposal but then falls in love with an actor. In the end, Nina's determination to develop her own unique extended family is fulfilled but not without a few more surprises. Expect to see more movies exploring this terrain in the future.