Review of The Family Man (2000) by Raji K — 16 Dec 2016

Brett Ratner directs Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni star in The Family Man. Cage is a Jack Campbell that gave up on a promising relationship to pursue his career. He is now a wealthy wall street person that runs a major company on the verge of a huge merger. On Christmas Eve, comes across a mysterious who is holding up a convenience store for some money claiming he has a winning lottery ticket. Campbell talks him into a business deal and buys the ticket of him, and the next morning he finds himself in the arms of the Kate Reynolds (Tea Leoni), the woman who he left 13 years ago.

Naturally this is quite confusing to him as he now how two kids and is married to her. He desperately tries to find his old life, only to find that it does not exist. He then decides he must adjust to his new life. This includes him being a man in middle suburbia, as a tire salesman which is far different. In an It's a Wonderful life fashion he is experiencing an alternate reality on what life would have been had he never pursued his career. Moments with his new life, and his kids, have him eventually coming to realize the life he could have had is a lot more fulfilling and "richer" than his actual one.

The Family Man has an interesting concept, but is mostly weakly executed. Cheadle's character is this angel that is able to make things happen, but does not come across as clear to any of his intentions. There is never a moment that really strikes Cage into realizing the life he missed was indeed great. The film is hoaky in assuming that the decision he did make was indeed not a good one, and he misses out on the values of life. The film seems to also assume that focusing on a career, and being a hardworking individual who was happy with his life does not have a sense of purpose without a family. Cage's character was not a saint by any means who means that if family is indeed the ultimate goal and element of his life he is missing, then the idea of him giving the opportunity seems odd as well. Even when in his new reality, he again pursues career ambitions and is again somewhat chastised for it. The Family Man has too many concepts that like this that made me not particularly enjoy it.

-12.16.2016.