本片根据家族小说的拿手作家重松清的作品《家庭餐厅》来做改编，聚焦了一对孩子已经独立生活只剩下两人的50岁中年夫妇，他们该如何适应这样的生活而引发幽默又温情的故事。面临中年离婚危机的中学老师宫本阳平（阿部宽饰）苦恼的同时，通过中学学生和料理教室的伙伴们的关系再度认识家庭，与妻子美代子（天海佑希饰）踏出新的一步。
"Miss, what's that?" the kid asked the stewardess, pointing to a small crack that he noticed in celing above him. At that point, the crack widens and the entire roof of the airplane is ripped off. Based on a true story. On April 28, 1988, Aloha Airlines flight 243, halfway between Big Island and Maui, suddenly lost an 18-foot section of its front fuselage, due to metal fatigue. At 24,000 feet of altitude, the sudden decompression leaves room for panic in the cabin. But in the flight deck, Captain Schornstheimer and First Officer Tompkins are faced with the difficult task of safely landing the crippled, barely-controllable airliner, as the title says.
故事发生在当代的上海。陆敏（肖博 饰）是一名面临高考的高中生，由于没有显赫的家庭背景，能否考取重点大学，将来找份好的工作，成了他当前心中的最大负担。他妈妈芳芳（宋丹丹 饰）是典型的上海家庭妇女，过日子精打细算，毎天热衷于参加电视台各种有奖知识竞赛，家里大到冰箱洗衣机，小到肥皂洗衣粉，都是她参加这些活动搬回家的。陆敏的爸爸大义（傅彪 饰）下岗后频频参加各种再就业培训，但毎逢面试准砸锅，好不容易找到一份陪酒员工作，也因不胜酒力被送进医院。就这样，一家三口奔波在各自的考场上，面对生活的种种困忧，他们象大多数家庭一样，别无选择......
