User reviews

Wow ! What a movie. Very rarely I come across movie which keeps me absorbed till the end. This was one such movie. The knot was beautifully tied and untied. It tries to answer most of the questions we might tend to ask. The ending was more practical and was not forced just for the sake of an happy ending.

A great movie, I don't know how I didn't come across it so long. Along the lines of It's a wonderful life.

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.......

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.

It's good I don't know why people don't like it it's a great Nicolas cage film I just wanted more cage freak outs

I never thought that a movie would change my life. I never dreamed that a message could come through so loud and clear, as this movie's message. On the corporate treadmill, I was running faster and faster and creating a really chaotic life for my family. I nearly lost them, the family; to a corporation that did not love me, care for me, or nurture me. I got off of the treadmill, and took a less demanding job. I sleep in my own bed at nights with the woman I love. The frequent flier miles and first class upgrades, and huge bonuses are all gone but not missed. I named the llc company that holds our real estate investments ICHUZUS (I Choose Us) from the movie quote. I can't help but think that this flick has positively affected many people's lives. Many thanks to the writers and those that brought it to life. Take care, I chose us.

Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) is a big investment broker who leads a shallow personal life. One night, he tries to help out Cash (Don Cheadle) in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk. Cash is so impressed that he gives Jack a glimpse into the road not traveled. 13 years ago, he could have married Kate (Téa Leoni) and become a family man. Now he gets to see what could have been.

It's got all the awkward father scenes like changing diapers. Nicolas Cage gets the reluctant father fairly well. The scenes with the kid (Makenzie Vega) is especially funny.

Cage could do a better job being less angry. It's really off putting in a romantic movie. Luckily most of that can be ameliorated with Téa Leoni. Then it goes off into some uncomfortable territory. I've got to say that 'It's a Wonderful Life' never went down that road. It goes into more serious matter than a simple fable. It could have gone onto the wrong road many times, but eventually it gets on track. Although I would try a slightly different track for the ending. There's a really big piece missing from the way it ends here.

One of my guilty favourite movies that always sucks me right in. Cage plays a rich, ruthless business man who is shown the life he might have led (by guardian angel Don Cheadle )if he'd made a different choice. In A Wonderful Life kind of way he wakes up in suburbia with a mini van, bad suits and a couple of kids, but he also has true love with ex-girlfriend (Tea Leoni).

I love the relationship here between Jack and his daughter -its so sweet, she sees through him and thinks he's an alien that's replaced her father.

Cage is, Cage but this was made back before he stopped caring so he has some great moments. Leoni makes me smile in every one of her scenes, she's so genuine and happy and goofy amidst the chaos of their life. One of those warm-fuzzy movies.

It's a complete family movie.

It was good, I enjoyed it.

This ultimately cheesy and clichéd movie has the (very preachy) concept that getting married and having kids young is better than first actualizing yourself and your career and getting your life "into shape" before running off into a marriage and child-rearing. What a really bad idea. It's all dressed up in low-brow sentimentalism to make it seem like the right choice.

Seems to me to be the comfort food of people who made bad choices and want to feel better about staying in that situation rather than doing something about it.

What really worries me is that many people are really influenced by movies, and this may lead to people making similar bad choices, which certainly won't end up as phonily rosy as the one depicted here.

This is a heart-warming, if somewhat sentimental film at times, but with a superb cast, and very well written. The chemistry between Cage and Leoni is something quite rare - in fact, I can't think of a film with such amazing chemistry between the two leads.

As far as the storyline is concerned, I don't have too much to add to the comments that are already posted. Whatever limitations the film's storyline or premise has, the individual performances rise above it.

In the DVD extras there is an interesting comment by the producer where he says he challenges any man to watch the film and not want to live with Tea Leoni and I must say I wholeheartedly agree with him. To be fair her character is completely idealised (naturally beautiful but unaffected by it, intelligent, insightful, sexy, gracious, humble, caring, unstoppably positive and non-demanding). Have you ever met anyone like this in real life?

I enjoyed this film so much that it just about creeps into my all time top ten. The only reason a romantic comedy made it in there is because the performances and the chemistry elevate the film above any other romantic comedy I have seen, both before and since.

Greeting again from the darkness. While it is tempting to dismiss this film as just another from the Hollywood machine, I would ask you to view it as a romantic fantasy more than a romantic comedy. What if ... you had chosen the "other fork"? Nicholas Cage is fine in his role, actually more believable as the suburban tire salesman than the Wall Street tycoon. But the real star is Tea Leoni. She illuminates the screen. She even proves to have some acting ability! I was mesmerised with her scene on the bed waiting for her anniversary gift. Sure it is predictable, but tell me you don't catch yourself thinking "What if...?" at least a couple of times during the movie. Check out Robert Downey, SR. as the elderly gentleman who answers the door late in the film.

I was not impressed. Nicholas Cage irks me because he spoils interesting movies with the damn 'boy-band' sincerity look he pulls and calls it acting. However, this was not an interesting movie. I didn't object to anyone else's performance in this (I positively enjoyed the young girl's performance, I hope to see her doing well) but the script was incredibly cliché. Where should the super-shallow hero work? Tricky...oh I know! Wall Street! Genius. I could honestly not think of one imaginative element in this, from the 'parallel universe' concept shamelessly nicked from any number of movies to the banal and boringly conspicuous moral - family is more important than money. Even Danny Elfman's score sounds like it was dumbed-down. His music is usually incredibly emotional but in this film it was all middle ground. I understand there is a market they cater to with this stuff, but really,do they have to make the formula so obvious? Hollywood - must do better. Stop copying each other's work and use your imagination!

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.

I really liked this movie, it's basically about how there might be a chance you might miss the opportunity to be with the love that is just right for you or the one that got away. And what would happen if you got a second chance to be with that person again by going back in time or could be a alternate universe. So the whole movie is basically a what if scenario with romance in it. I admit the main reason I wanted to see this movie again after 10 yrs was because of one youtube video that makes a joke of one scene, the "Nicolas Cage Wants Cake" scene. But I am glad I managed to see it again, since it's a heartfelt and intriguing movie. I personally like Nicolas Cage as an actor, I find his performances to be very entertaining. Although his acting is a bit deteriorating now a days, but still entertaining never the less. His performance in this may seem a bit over exaggerated but believable. This movie question if you would pick money over true love or true love over money. It's not as magical as when I saw this movie 10 yrs ago and lack the closure in the end. But it's still a worthwhile movie to watch and enjoyable and I didn't mind watching it again at all.

7.5/10

"The unexamined life is not worth living." Plato put these words in the mouth of Socrates. Brett Ratner puts this theme into `The Family Man.' This is not "It's a Wonderful Life." While it is a "feel good movie," it is an intelligent, reflective one. Neither of the parallel lives led by the main character is shown to be flawless. Both have their attractions. Jack, the lead character, is forced from his comfort zone by a "glimpse" of a life connected by commitment and love to friends and family. This movie does something for me few "feel good" movies ever come close to causing. This movie makes me think about what I really value in life. Both pro-capitalist and pro-family, "The Family Man" either leaves you pondering whether your life is consistent with your values or goes over your head and leaves you with the impression that your emotions have been manipulated by another crass commercial Christmas movie. It depends on what the viewer brings to the table.

P.S. Tea Leoni's shower scene has got to be the sexiest portrayal of a movie mom I ever saw.

The very feel this movie gives you is just something I think is a matter of past sadly, newer movies just seem to trivialize important topics as one presented in the movie, and aren't quite capable of treating them with so much beauty. I really miss movies like this, I cant actually define what it is they have, but I think it has something to do with times they were made in, 1990s and early 2000s had so much more optimism and happiness in them, and I think movies from that era absorbed spirit of those times. Eventually The Family man will leave you wondering what is it you value the most in your life. Also, its not the kind of movie that you will forget completely after some time. Honestly, it deserves an 8 (better than average), but I give it a 10, its current rating does it no justice.

This is just a really good Christmas movie with a simple script and a great moral. There's nothing exceptional about the script or the dialogue, but every part of this movie just works really well. At no part of it was I bored and its just one of those movies that teaches you great things. Not much else to say.

Back in 2007, I was on scholarship in college in Seattle, dreaming big and plotting my next career move. Family was not really the most urgent priority as you would expect. Mind you, as with many people that age, there is a lot of uncertainty going on in our heads. I bumped into this movie as I kind of had a soft spot for Nicolas Cage who had been doing great for more than 1 decade, even though romantic comedy is not exactly my biggest cup of tea. The movie completely blew me away. I watched it so much that year that I could remember the majority of dialogues. However, I never thought about it as something that could guide my way to the next decade. ...Fast forward to 13 years later (see the parallel with the movie?), I am now settled, in France, and been living here for nearly 10 years. Guess what, I have a lovely wife, who doesn't earn much professionally, and I have 2 adorable kids (one little girl and one baby boy) that I wouldn't trade with any other life scenario. No, I stopped short of calling them Annie and Josh, that would be too much. I'm living the dream, and let's be honest, this dream involves lots of coupon cutting and hard working because you generally don't get high salary in France (but you have lots of holidays and social security though). I watched it back for the first time since 13 years with my wife yesterday night after the kids were asleep, and she was blew away just like I did. Great great christmas movie that lift your mood up like nothing else. Remember, don't put on your art-critic glasses while watching this, it is really not appropriate. Cheers and Happy Christmas everyone.

A sort of contempo redux of Dickens Christmas Carol, Cage plays a wealthy and very eligible bachelor on Wall Street who suddenly finds himself married with children. Yeah, this is another romantic comedy in a very tired genre. However, it is a cut above the average sap dripping chick flick as it doesn't wade in goo, has a crisp script, keeps moving, is genuinely funny, and tries hard not to be predictable. Fresh stuff with good chemistry between Cage and Leoni.

Hunker down, kiddies, it's time for a two-hour schmaltz-a-thon. This movie not only tugs at your heartstrings, it rips the strings out and whips you with them. Subtlety ain't this film's strong suit.

Nicolas Cage plays a slick Wall Street powerbroker (the only kind in Hollywood, and probably real life as well) who has it all: money, money, money, and power. Jack Campbell's lacking a family, but he doesn't see that as a bad thing. He's also driven, obsessed with improving the company he works for - he even schedules a "crisis meeting" on Christmas Day. This guy's got balls, all right. He's making loot hand over fist, and he's probably on his way to an ulcer or a heart attack before he hits fifty.

On Christmas Eve, he gets a phone message from an ex-girlfriend (Tea Leoni). Years earlier, the two of them had made a decision crucial to their lives - he went to England to intern with a prestigious bank, and she went to one of the finest law schools in the country. This facilitated their breakup, but since Jack's made out rather well in the interim, he pays the call little mind. Then that night, he stops by a convenience store to pick up some egg nog. An irate lottery player (the always reliable and watchable Don Cheadle) pulls a gun on the clerk behind the counter. Jack offers to buy the man's lottery ticket in an effort to calm the situation, and even attempts to rehabilitate the hoodlum. "Cmon," Jack tells him, "everyone needs something." "What do you need?" Cash asks him. Jack considers the point, then replies there's nothing he needs. "Ok," says Cash, "but just remember, you got yourself into this." Hmm.

The next morning, Jack wakes up in bed with the lovely, the delicious, the married-in-real-life-to-David Duchovny Tea Leoni. And he has two kids. And a dog. And whoa! This isn't Jack's life, is it? He doesn't like kids! And here they come, bouncing on the bed he shares with Kate. It's Christmas Day, after all. But Jack's in shock. He panics, grabs the keys to their minivan (Hey! Where's his Porsche?) and dashes off to the city. What's going on?

Seems Cash is some kinda sorta angel or something (it's never really explained), and he's offering Jack a "glimpse" of what his life would have

been like if he had stuck with Kate back in the day. Now, those of us who are of a certain age do wonder from time to time what life would have been like if different decisions had been made. Jack's problem is that his wonderment is now his reality. And it's most certainly not the reality he's looking for! The Single Jack is a hedonist who recognizes only responsibilities to his job. The Married Jack pays more attention to his familial responsibilities.

So we have a general fish-out-of-water scenario. Jack knows he's Single Jack, and naturally he has neither knowledge nor memory of life as Married Jack. He doesn't know his friends, his in-laws, his co-workers (he works as a tire salesman!), nothing. He doesn't even know where he lives! Ah yes, mad hijinks ensue. It's like in that Jim Carrey movie The Truman Show - the audience is in on the joke, but the lead character has no idea. See Jack stumble over gettin' jiggy with his wife! See him mumble greetings to friends he doesn't know! See him stand with his mouth agape most of the time, trying in vain to absorb everything.

And, of course, see Jack wrap things up neatly. Too bad it's a two-hour sojourn into schmaltz, though. The problem with the movie isn't that it's sentimental, it's that it's a preachy film, desperate to teach us that Marriage Is Good. And think about it - how many guys do you know are married to someone who looks like Tea Leoni (and is a nice person, too), who goes to work at a tire place with a song in their hearts, who has a loving family with two perfect kids? This life doesn't exist, and damn this movie for making the married versus single issue seem so black and white. Single >bad, marriage = good.

The best sentimental films teach lessons with such subtlety that you don't realize you've learned anything until well after the closing credits have rolled. The worst of these films takes a lesson that most people know anyway and proceeds to whack the living crap out of you with it. Ok, ok! I get it! Married life = good things. Got it, ok. And thankfully, Jack got it, too, or we'd still be watching this drivel.