SJP comedy explores lives of working moms

Millions of American moms balance work and family every day. It's a reality at the heart of a new comedy that sets "Sex and the City" 's Sarah Jessica Parker as the every-woman who strives to have it all.

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In "I Don't Know How She Does It," Parker trades her sexy, single status for working mom and steps into a role shared by 16 million American women.

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Working moms balancing job and family have been Hollywood heroines for decades, though the stories have often focused on the struggle of making it work - and most often it doesn't. Of course, today's career moms have little choice, but to harmonize home and office every day.

Pictures: "I Don't Know How She Does It" premiere

On "The Early Show," Allison Pearson, author of "I Don't Know How She Does It," said she got the idea for the book from an experience when she was going on a business trip.

She explained, "I was away and my husband, I handed him a list of things to do in my absence. He looked at it and he said, 'But it looks like a plan for invading a small country.' The baby wasn't very well while I was away and I got back and thought, oh, my God.'"

Pearson added, "My girlfriend rang me in the middle of the night and said she needed some green icing dye for a Barney the dinosaur cake. I said, 'You're a TV producer, you shouldn't be up in the middle of ht night making a Barney the dinosaur cake,' and she said, 'I promised her. I promised her." And I felt so powerful, the need to do your work and to honor the great love and responsibility you feel for your kids. I think anything is a dilemma and has huge comedy in it, as well."

When bringing it to the screen, Aline Brosh McKenna, screenwriter for the film, said many women that she talked to were interested and excited about the project.

"Everybody does it in a different way," she said. "Everybody is struggling to find their own ways to make this work. It's a very compelling issue for women and everyone is trying to find their own way to sort of make it all happen."

For the full interview with Pearson and McKenna, click on the video above.

"I Don't Know How She Does It," is out in theatres on Friday, September 16th.