Review of The Family Man (2000) by Valerio R — 01 Dec 2011

25 Days till Christmas, Which means I'll be reviewing ONE Christmas/Holiday Film a day until Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney and the First film up for Review? "The Family Man".

I kinda liked "The Family Man" which I found to be a very nice remix of 2 Holiday Classics "It's a Wonderful Life" and A Christmas Carol.

In "The Family Man" Nicolas Cage plays sorta of a hybrid to Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey character in "It's a Wonderful Life" and Ebenezer Scrooge from a "Christmas Carol"....Nicolas Cage's character name is Jack Campbell and he's a greedy and self absorbed investment banker who's only goal and love in life is to make money. Well that all changes one night when he stops a Thug with a gun (Played by Don Cheadle) from shooting a clerk over a lotto ticket but little does Jack know that this man is not some ordinary street punk but is in reality an Angel sent to help Jack changes his greedy ways. When Jack is asked by Cheadle what he wants out of life? Jack replies, "I've already got everything I need." Cheadle vaguely implies that he brought what is about to happen onto himself. Jack goes home to bed and the next day wakes up, not as the playboy investment banker he is, but a married tire sales men of two with his college sweetheart he left behind 13 years earlier. Now the only way Jack is ever going to get his old life back is too first learn to live and appreciate life as, "The Family Man".

"The Family Man" is heartwarming, charming, sweet, touching film for the most part for anyone in the mood for a great Christmas fairytale. While the story may seem a little familiar it does have it's moments that just really grab you and pull you into the deep rooted story about love, family and making the right choices even if at the time they seem wrong. It's one of those films that you have to watch and see just for the story or not even that, see it for the great performances, the high spirited nature of the events unfolding on screen see it just because you've got the itching for a good Christmas story. Whatever the reason you see this film see it with an open mind and an open heart. All in all, Brett Ratner's "The Family Man" is nothing short of a nice touching entertainment that will entertain if not lift you up. The only real downside to this film is the way it started to wind down. Yes, it became a bit draggy and Yes, the ending is not exactly how I would have liked it to end by "Christmas Fairy tale standards" but that should discredit how good the whole Hour & 40 minutes up to that point was as a movie.

Nicolas Cage gives one of the best and brightest performances. first being the stuck up, self absorb Campbell and then slowly but surely changing into the man deep down inside he knows he is. It's something to watch, The changes in Cages performance as the film moves forward. it's something that has been missing from Cage for quite a while and it plays out very well for him on screen. Tea Leoni is wonderful in this as the under paid and over worked wife of Jack in the alternate reality, Leoni plays the part with wit, charm and style and really shows how life as a suburban housewife can be. Leoni fits the role perfectly with Cage. Don Cheadle doesn't have alot of screen time in this film but the parts he is in are good and well performed. Jeremy Piven is good but you wish he had a bigger role overall, But all in all the cast is phenomenal and really shines in this beautiful holiday love story...oh And a special mention for the wonderfully performance by Makenzie Vega who plays Jack's young daughter Annie. She's incredibly charming and too cute with her voice alone often threatening to steal the show.

The Family Man is a movie which has its flaws. It probably goes on for too long, starting to drag a bit as it heads towards its conclusion. And that conclusion is not particularly satisfying either. The ending isn't much of an ending at all. But it's a film which has its charms."The Family Man" is a really good addition to the already LARGE Christmas film library mainly because of the story and the message it plays out for you.