The Buddy System is a 1984 American romantic comedy film starring Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Sarandon, Nancy Allen, Wil Wheaton and Jean Stapleton.

The film follows the story of a cautious single mother who forms an unlikely friendship with her son's school security guard.

Emily Price is a single mother: she got pregnant in high school and was abandoned by the father before her son, Tim, was born.

She and Tim live with her mother, who is both protective and disparaging, and tends to overlook her daughter in favor of her grandson.

Joe, who is an aspiring novelist and an inventor of gadgets, decides not to report them and strikes up an unlikely friendship with Tim that gradually escalates to include Emily as well.