After the death of his wife, Sam Baldwin moves to Seattle with his son, Jonah. When Jonah calls in to a talk-radio programme to find a new wife for his father, Sam grudgingly gets on the line to discuss his feelings. Annie Reed, a reporter in Baltimore, hears Sam speak and falls for him, even though she is engaged. Unsure where it will lead, she writes Sam a letter asking him to meet her at the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day.
