At the beginning of the film, Alex (Hugh Grant) is a washed-up former pop 星, つ星 who is attempting to revive his dwindling career によって hitching his name to the rising 星, つ星 of Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), a young megastar who has asked him to write a song titled "Way Back Into Love." During an unsuccessful attempt to come up with words for the song, he discovers that the woman who waters his plants, Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), has a gift for 書く lyrics. Sophie, a former creative 書く student reeling from a disastrous romance with her former English professor Sloan Cates (Campbell Scott), initially refuses. Alex cajoles her into helping him によって using a few quickly-chosen phrases she has 与えられた him as the basis for a song. Over the 次 few days, they grow closer while 書く the words and 音楽 together, much to the delight of Sophie's older sister Rhonda (Kristen Johnston), a huge ファン of Alex's.

Sophie and Alex struggle with their song.
Barely meeting the deadline Cora has set for the song's delivery, Alex and Sophie are thrilled when she accepts it; however, at a celebratory ディナー with Alex's manager Chris (Brad Garrett) Sophie is mortified to encounter Sloan. She confronts him but finds herself tongue-tied in his presence, and Alex's own attempts to defend her result in a scuffle. Nursing their wounds back at Alex's apartment, Alex and Sophie fall into an unplanned romantic encounter.

Sophie is later horrified when she finds Cora plans to record a sexy interpretation of "Way Back into Love," complete with an Indian vibe which she feels clashes with the romantic spirit of the song. She is determined to convince Cora to abandon the arrangement, but Alex vetoes her efforts for fear he will lose Cora's goodwill. In the ensuing argument, he admits Cora's version is awful but contends accepting it as the cost of doing business. Upset によって Alex's willingness to demean his talent and extremely hurt によって his argument that Sloan Cates was right about her personality, Sophie leaves him.
Sophie, intending to start a new life in Florida, reluctantly attends the opening of Cora's new tour at Madison Square Garden, at which Alex and Cora will debut "Way Back Into Love". Upon hearing that Alex is 歌う a new song "written によって Alex Fletcher", Sophie is upset to believe that Alex is stealing credit for her work; however, the song Alex sings is called "Don't Write Me Off", his plea for Sophie to give him another chance. Touched, Sophie finds Alex backstage, and he confesses he convinced Cora to drop the risqué version of "Way Back into Love" in an attempt to win Sophie back. He and Cora perform the tune as he and Sophie intended it to be sung, and the two songwriters embrace in the wings.

The end of the movie (a homage to VH1's 'Pop-Up Video') reveals that the song becomes a hit for Cora and Alex, the film version of Sloan's novel flops with critics and moviegoers (ending his career), PoP! reunites for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame where Colin winds up having his hip replaced after years of dancing, and Alex and Sophie go on to become successful partners, both in songwriting and romance.