Père de famille

The Family Man made me laugh so hard I cried. I went to see this movie yesterday with a couple of free passes that had to be used up before the end of the year. Happy New Year!

This is my favorite type of movie, the fish out of water movie. Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni were really great together. I've always liked Téa Leoni. I remember her in Flying Blind. Too bad that show only lasted one season.

It struck me funny when Cage, as Jack Campbell, says, "This is not my house.", that there wasn't any Talking Heads soundtrack behind him. It worked for me in the TV commercial.

Makenzie Vega was exceptional as the little girl.

The Family Man (2000)

Because this is a Christmas movie, I've now seen it twice, and it's really not bad at all. The best aspects, like Don Cheadle, are too brief, and the plot is sometimes rammed into position by sentiment and a need to be popular. But it eventually makes sense and you come around to see the ordinary charm that pervades.

Not that Nicolas Cage is exactly charming. He's painted as a spoiled stockbroker jerk, both in life and in his dream. But like a Scrooge seen from within, and seeing an alternate life before his eyes, he has the revelation that changes his life. His arrogance slowly dissolves, and that's maybe what he learns most from the dream.

Téa Leoni is chipper and realistic in her cute way and makes for a love interest that isn't an over-idealized cliché, thankfully. And so she draws him into her life with natural ease. It's too easy of course, and there are unanswered questions—even "It's a Wonderful Life" is more believable in that sense, the logic of an alternative life—but it's fine by the end. And in fact, dreams do whatever they want, so there it is.

Add this to the growing list of movies that play with this profound and fun idea of seeing what your life would be like if…if whatever, if things had been different, or if you had been better. It's worth seeing on a lazy evening.

I have to say that I was shocked when I read other user comments regarding this film. Seeing "The Family Man" on opening night, I didn't read user's comments before watching it for myself (I usually try not to). I am thoroughly relieved I didn't, seeing as the general opinion is not very favorable.

I walked out of the theater stunned. It takes a lot to truly touch me. I am unmarried, young, a self-confimred horror buff...I don't usually dig the sappy film type. But from the first time I saw the preview, I wanted to see "The Family Man." Not only do I adore Nicolas Cage, but this movie deals with the age-old question, "What if???" Who hasn't wondered where life's road would have taken them had they made one different choice? I know I have.

It is a movie about evaluation. I read many comments that said things like "he has tons of money, doesn't seem to be unhappy, blah blah blah". True. Jack is a nice guy, has the ability to buy anything he so desires...But money cannot buy happiness. On some levels, maybe, but deep down, you cannot buy your emotions. That's what this film tries getting across. While living the rich lifestyle, he was happy. Then a reminder about his one true love makes him think, and he is given "a glimpse" as to what could have been. After all that the film allows him to experience, he evaluates his rich, powerful life and discovers that a void had existed all along. While he seemed to have everything, he didn't have the love of others. He had their respect, but not their love.

This is not your typical sappy love story. And if you chose to see it with that in mind, you probably will be disappointed because there are so many more deep things about this film. While the love between the couple is told to us, it is undeniable... After all, Jack manages to fall in love with his wife all over again during his glimpse. What is so magnificent about this movie is the way that it makes you turn to your friends and family and lovers and thank yourself for all the choices you've made in your life to bring you where you are at that point. And if you are unhappy at that stage in your life, it makes you feel like you can change it.

I totally recommend seeing this movie and reading much deeper into it than you feel you have to. You can watch it for entertainment, or you can let it move you.

Remember, money doesn't buy happiness.......

I found this movie to be a very nice remix of "It's a Wonderful Life", much like "You've got Mail" is a remix of "Pride and Prejudice" (and totally hints at this within the film). A classic film to make you reexamine your own life, and think about what is really important and meaningful for you, what is success and happiness? Young dreamers in love with their successful careers instead of each other, find out that maybe their love really was meant to be. This is what Nicholas Cage finds out, and when he wakes up from the dream of what 'could have been', he rushes to stop 'loosing her' again, and hopefully still live the happily ever after dream. Nicholas Cage provides a stunning and comical performance in character, from the aggressive businessman - big business and small business - to a loving father and husband with his charming sense of humor. Quite a romantic film to watch with that 'someone special' during the holidays.

Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni steal the show in this very pleasant movie. Jack Campbell (Cage) is a Wall Street investment banker at the top of his profession, that is until one Christmas eve, when he stumbles into the middle of a grocery store hold up. The next day he wakes up married to his college sweetheart Kate Reynolds (Leoni) and he has children. When he finds his old life no longer exists he has to adjust his lifestyle to fit in with his family.

With slight comparisons to Sliding Doors in the way the story works and the concept of life altering decisions 'Family Man' is very entertaining, charming and heart warming, not to mention subtly amusing throughout. Cage and Leoni are a great on-screen couple and the story is definitely intriguing enough to make for compulsive viewing.

7/10 Not as good as Sliding Doors, but its definitely worthy of your attention.