Maid in Manhattan

Marisa Ventura (Jennifer Lopez) is a single mother trying to get by with her young son Tyler (Tyler Posey) by working as a maid at the Beresford Hotel in the heart of Manhattan. When not in school, Tyler spends time among Marisa's fellow hotel workers who think she is capable of being promoted to management. At school, Tyler has to give a speech about his chosen topic of Richard Nixon for his project. Marisa is separated from her husband Marcus, and they shared custody of Tyler. Marcus had a reputation for being late and Tyler is worried that he would miss his entire speech. Marisa drops Tyler at school in the morning, before heading directly to work. Paula Burns (Frances Conroy) is the head of the maid staff, who teaches under trainees that a Beresford maid is supposed to be expedient, considerate and above all, invisible. The original assistant manager of the maid team is promoted, hence opening a slot for a potential promotion and Marisa is the strongest candidate. John Bextrum (Chris Eigeman) represents senior management and he announces that the position will be filled internally. Bextrum says that any staff who has been with the hotel for three consecutive years is eligible to apply. The Beresford Hotel caters to the rich and famous and hence prides itself on being discreet and providing iron clad privacy to its guests. Caroline Lane is the director of Sotheby's and had shifted over from the Four Seasons after breaking up her engagement. Marisa had overheard Caroline talking to her friend on the phone that she got her assistance on purpose to leak her calendar to her ex-fiance and added a few meetings with him to make him jealous. Marisa was cleaning Caroline's room when she unpacks two dresses from Dolce & Gabbana that she had delivered to her hotel suite. Caroline asks Marisa to buy her three pairs of pantyhose. Marisa obliges her guest but has to scramble to fulfill Caroline's request while completing all her other tasks as she wanted to be on time for Tyler's speech at his school for which she had taken time off at 3 pm. The speech is at 4 pm and Marcus calls Marisa at 3:40 to inform her that he is in Miami and cannot be there for Tyler. Tyler's confidence is shot when he cannot see his father in the audience, and he messes up his entire speech. Tyler leaves the stage on account of the embarrassment. To cheer up Tyler, Marisa offers that he can come with her to the hotel for the entire weekend. Marisa then takes Tyler with her back to the hotel for the evening. Tyler is still feeling very depressed over his school project. While Marisa and fellow maid Stephanie Kehoe (Marissa Matrone) are cleaning the room of a socialite, Stephanie convinces Marisa to try on an expensive Dolce & Gabbana dress and coat worth $5000. The guest, Caroline Lane (Natasha Richardson), had previously asked for it to be returned to the store and Stephanie argues that it "technically" doesn't belong to anyone at the moment. Elsewhere in the hotel, Tyler befriends hotel guest and senatorial candidate Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes). Tyler meets Chris in the hotel elevator and says that he knows about his voting record and his stand on environmental issues. Chris is a Republican. Tyler learns that Chris has an interest in Richard Nixon, the subject of his school presentation. Christopher is a Congressman who recently broke up his engagement with a socialite before arriving in Manhattan for his campaign tour. The press labels him as a playboy. Tyler wants to go with Chris to walk his dog and the pair go to Caroline Lane's room to ask Marisa for permission. Chris meets Marisa who is wearing the designer coat and is instantly smitten with her. Of course, he assumes that she is Caroline Lane. The trio spend some time together in the park. Though Marisa and Chris are attracted to each other, Marisa is terrified that management will find out about the ruse and makes it a point to avoid Chris afterwards. Chris asks the hotel's head butler Lionel Bloch (Bob Hoskins) to invite "Caroline Lane" to lunch but he is confused when the real Caroline shows up instead of Marisa. Ironically, Marisa was present when she received the invitation and even offered Caroline some advice on what to wear for their "lunch a deux". However, when the real Caroline shows up, Chris asks his assistant Jerry Siegal (Stanley Tucci) to find "the other Caroline Lane" promising that he will attend an important dinner and wishes her go with him. Jerry asks Lionel to find her. Lionel has figured out that Marisa is the woman Chris has been looking for, and orders her to go to the dinner and end the affair swiftly if she wants to keep her possible future in hotel management. He and the hotel staff assist her in preparing for the evening by styling her hair, loaning her an expensive dress, and a spectacular necklace. However, Marisa is unable to end the affair, and she spends the night in Chris' hotel room. The next morning, Marisa is spotted by the real Caroline Lane and her friend leaving Chris' room. Caroline blurts out the truth to the hotel management, and Marisa is fired directly before Chris in Lane's hotel suite. Both Marisa and Chris spend some time apart, with him still thinking about her. Marisa is also hounded by the press and her disapproving classicist mother Veronica (Priscilla Lopez). Some time later, Marisa has secured another job as a maid at another hotel. Chris is giving a press conference in the same hotel and Tyler attends it and asks Chris whether people should be forgiven if they make mistakes referencing former President Richard Nixon. Tyler leads him to the staff room, where Marisa is having her break. Chris and Marisa are reunited, and the film ends with images of publications showing that Chris has been elected, he and Marisa are still together after one year. Marisa has founded her own hospitality business, and Marisa's maid friends have been promoted to management.