The Family Man | | Cast : | Nicolas Cage, Téa Leoni | | Director : | Brett Ratner | | Studio : | Universal Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, DTS Surround Sound, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | December 22, 2000 | | DVD Released Date : | July 17, 2001 | | Language : | French (Dubbed), English (Dubbed), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 29, 2005 | | Summary | Second chance | Content
 | The echoes of the Jimmy Stewart classic What a Wonderful Life are deafening in the movie Family Man, proving that, after a long time, life is wonderful.
The film introduce us the story of a man that, once upon a time standing on a crossroad in his life, took the wrong path.
Cage is Jack Campbell. We meet him 13 years younger, when he's about to separate from girlfriend Kate to make an internship in London. She begs him not to go, because she's convinced his leaving will mark the end of his relationship.
13 years later, we realize Kate was right. Campbell is a business mogul, single and with a lifestyle that doesn't include a wife and kids.
But in Christmas' eve, Jack wakes up by divine intervention in a sort of parallel universe, where he's married to Kate, has 2 children and lives in a New Jersey suburb, and even is the local bowling team leader.
Desperate and mortified, Jack makes the impossible to return to his old life, while discovering the value that brings having friend, a living wife and a beautiful family.
It's in this part where Family Man gets its hook; exploiting the feelings and emotional bonds that comes with an almost perfect family. Cage gives out a respectable performance that is overshadow by Leoni's role, whose freshness and passion transcends the screen.
A very unconvincing and deficient ending becomes the handicap of this film. Is a lighthearted movie, with a positive message and good intentions, but it could be much better.
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| Rating | | | Date | May 10, 2005 | | Summary | A GREAT MOVIE that all should see! | Content
| We often look back on our lives, no matter what age, and wonder how things would have turned out different. What if I hadn't ran that stop sign? What if I joined the Marine Corps instead of working for my uncle? What if I had been raised in a rural setting instead of the city? The family man takes the scenario of how one man see's how his life could have ended up had he made a different decision so many years before. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will, if anything, make you realize how more important family is than money. Hope you like it as much as I did.
In this romantic comedy, Nicolas Cage plays Jack Campbell, a workaholic bachelor who gets to see what his life might have been like had he stayed with his old sweetheart, Kate (Tea Leoni). Thirteen years before, Jack accepted a brokerage internship that marred his relationship with Kate, under the promise that they would only be separated one year. But much later, Jack has become an urban Wall Street exec with no wife or family of his own, and a mysterious proxy (Don Cheadle) offers him the opportunity to step into the life he left behind. After falling asleep in his posh New York apartment, Jack awakens to find himself in bed with his now-wife Kate, daughter Annie (Makenzie Vega), and a new baby, none of which he has ever experienced in his fast-paced single life. After discovering his "real" life has been eliminated, he begrudgingly tries to fit in with his newly appointed life as a family man. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 13, 2005 | | Summary | Pleasant Enough Diversion for Television or Cable | Content
| Jack Campbell (Nicholas Cage) is the President of a large brokerage firm in New York. He has a fantastic office, a great apartment, an expensive car and a closet full of expensive suits. His life is the job. He is leading his company through the final stages of a huge merger when a co-worker laments about working late. It is Christmas Eve after all. Jack explains that they can all celebrate Christmas on the 26th, after the deal closes and they are looking at '10 zeroes'. On his way home, he stops in a store and prevents a hold up. Cash (Don Cheadle), the potential thief, is actually an angel sent to Earth to give Jack a glimpse of what his life could've been. Before you know it, Jack wakes up in bed with his wife, Kate (Tea Leoni), in Teaneck, New Jersey. Kate was his college sweetheart, but they broke up soon after Jack took an internship in London. The two kids and slobbering dog bound in and wake them up. It's Christmas, daddy! Jack freaks out and drives to New York and finds out that he no longer exists. He returns to the burbs and tries to acclimate to his new life.
"The Family Man", directed by Brett Rattner ("Rush Hour") is a film that I did not rush out to see. Last summer, I watched a terrific Australian film called "Me Myself I" starring Rachel Griffiths. It explores exactly the same territory. If I didn't know better, I would say that "The Family Man" is a remake, but the Australian film was not credited as a source.
"The Family Man" is also very similar to the classic "It's A Wonderful Life". Both films explore the lives of men that are interested in change and both men get to see what their lives would be like if they were changed. There is a key difference and this difference is why "The Family Man" ultimately does not work. In "It's A Wonderful Life", James Stewart's character does not fulfill his dreams, but he actually likes his life. When things get very bad, all of the sacrifices he has made throughout his life come crashing down and make him resentful. He gets to see what his life would be like if he had never been born. In "The Family Man", Jack Campbell is very successful and seems to enjoy his life immensely. His old girlfriend calls, which prompts about a moment of misgiving. Then he is back to business. The glimpse of his alternate life is forced upon him. He soon comes to accept it, but he never really wanted it and it takes him a long time to realize that he was missing anything. "It's A Wonderful Life" is about a man's glimpse of a life that he doesn't really want. He is given the glimpse because he has helped a lot of people and his misgivings are misplaced. "The Family Man" is about a selfish man that really isn't interested in changing. His alternate life is forced upon him, beating him over the head until he accepts it. This is supposed to make us feel warm and fuzzy, but it only made me annoyed.
The best thing about "The Family Man" is actually the family woman. Tea' Leoni plays Kate, Jack's girlfriend/ wife. She is simply great. I believed she was married, made a few sacrifices and now really enjoys her life, with this man, with her two children. She is a wife I would like to have. Funny, sexy, loving, sarcastic, demanding. This is also the first major role for Tea'. Yes, I know she was the star of "Deep Impact", but she acted against a rock. In "The Family Man', well, she acts against a rock.
No, that isn't fair. Nicholas Cage actually does a pretty good job. But to make this film successful, and the perennial Christmas classic it wants so bad to be, Jack needed to have a little more doubt. As I said, he loves his life. Why is it necessary to show him an alternate? He isn't thinking about suicide, he isn't unhappy, he isn't destitute. The journey becomes meaningless because the main character does not want the journey.
"The Family Man" is the perfect film to catch on video or on cable because it has some pleasant moments that might make you smile. It isn't worth a bargain matinee.
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| Rating | | | Date | April 01, 2005 | | Summary | Love Like You Dreamed it: Reversed Mid-Life Crisis | Content
| This movie is the other side of passion. It is the 'It's A Wonderful Life' of our age and just as touching. This movie is for all of us who have it all but have forgotten or don't know it and are wondering... what if? This is a story of what really matters: sharing life with those you love and measuring success by the quality of one's relationships.
The intelligent dialog is scripted in a dramatically direct but believable way, asking the question, "What if...?" Jack Campbell (Nicholas Cage), a powerful CEO, is a man who says, "I have everything I need" In fact he has more and is content with his life, but oblivious to what he might really own: those things which money can't buy. Inadvertantly, he crosses paths with an angel whos mission it is to test peoples character in their dealing with one another. Touched by a courageous act of Jack's, the angel decides to open Jack's eye's to the wealth he could never earn on Wall Street.
Jack Campbell is given a "glimpse" of what his life would have been had he married his college sweetheart and had a family. His is forced to live a middle class life. He ignorantly makes the life of his might-have-been family a bit chaotic as he pieces together the events which causes his middle class lifestyle instead of becoming a powerful CEO. He must continue to live this life until he, the man who has "everything" he needs, learns what it is that he is missing.
What really makes this story special is the reversed mid-life crisis roll of Jack Campbell. Since Jack has everthing he ever wanted it removes the typical mid-life crisis scenario of wanting more which in turn allows the story to more sincerely explore the depths of our human needs.
Although, Nicholas Cage's portrail of a powerful executive is slightly off, he is fabulous as the stund middle class father of a family he never had. Especially touching is the how his character learns to overcome his blinding ambition to become the "envy" of his peers for the sake of his personal pride. Nonetheless, this movie could not have been as enchanting without Tea Leoni's strong, intelligently and lovingly scripted role. Her character is the woman of our dreams... (And, then there's Tea herself!) If you are a man in your 30's who has never been married for fear of losing yourself and everything you own, you will be inspired to fearlessly entertain the hopes and joys that might be yours.
What might we have become if...? Unique is this movies positive outlook to this question. This story submits an alternate answer to those who pridefully insist they will be happy as soon as they accomplish 'something'. It suggests that joy is sharing with one's family life-as-it-is along with their hopes and dreams of what they are still becoming.
I left this movie asking myself, "What have I become", "where am I going" and "what's really important?" |
| Rating | | | Date | March 09, 2005 | | Summary | A very good Christmas movie | Content
| I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It is not often that you see a Hollywood movie glamorize the family over the go-go corporate world, but this one does it in grand fashion. Nicholas Cage (not usually one of my favorites, but very good in this role) wakes up to find himself a family man - 2 kids and a mini-van. He is very upset by this twist and tries to get back to his corporate life, but in the end he learns some valuable lessons (I don't want to give it all away!).
It is like "It's a Wonderful Life" but in reverse - Cage gets to see life as it could have been so much better, whereas George Baily gets to see life as it would have been so much worse. A very fine movie.
For the family viewer, there are a couple of "sexy" scenes that might not be for young children. They are pretty quick, but you should be forewarned. |
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