This movie takes place eight years after the Growing Pains series finale where the Seavers are in their new house. Mike finally married and adopted children, all adopted from countries around the world. Mike is successful in advertising. Carol is a successful lawyer on Wall Street. Ben cleans out swimming pools. And Chrissy is a 17-year-old kid about to graduate from high school with a smoking habit that she stops at the end of the film. Maggie gets fired from her job as a press rep for a senator, and runs against him for the job at her grandchild's suggestion. Carol acts as her campaign manager where she first clashes with, then falls for, the single father running the opponent's campaign, which leads to confusion and chaos.