The Family Man (2000)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bethany M

  
  Good storyline and a great film with Nicolas Cage making a great 'Family Man' character. A must see!

• xGary X

  
  Corporate raider and hedonist playboy Nicolas Cage wakes up one morning to find himself living the life he would have led if he'd not chosen his career over an old girlfriend. In other words: 1 Cage wakes up surrounded by kids and associated mess 2 Runs around shocked by the fact… More
  Corporate raider and hedonist playboy Nicolas Cage wakes up one morning to find himself living the life he would have led if he'd not chosen his career over an old girlfriend. In other words: 1 Cage wakes up surrounded by kids and associated mess 2 Runs around shocked by the fact that all his rich pals don't recognise him 3 Is horrified by nappies 4 Has a trademark Cage rant about how crappy his new life is 5 Finally learns "what's important" 6 Is dumped back in his old life, to his dismay 7 *Hallmark moment* CREDITS As you can see, The Family Man follows the formula of the feelgood holiday movie to the letter and will warm either your heart or your sick bucket depending on taste. As a film, I'd have to say it's too long and not particularly funny although Don Cheadle's all too brief appearance is reasonably enjoyable. I would have to point out that I doubt that anyone involved in producing this film has to clip coupons or shop at K Mart, so being told by a bunch of rich people that "money isn't everything" smacks of hypocrisy AT BEST. At least I got to see Tea Leoni dancing in the shower which almost makes up for the two hours I wasted watching this predictable pap.

• Jay H

  
  Seems to rarely look at the theme it claims to convey--that married life is preferable to being single. What it really does is contrast being wealthy to being middle-class, though the comparisons it makes mean little. While the final, quasi-climactic scene at last satisifies the wont… More
  Seems to rarely look at the theme it claims to convey--that married life is preferable to being single. What it really does is contrast being wealthy to being middle-class, though the comparisons it makes mean little. While the final, quasi-climactic scene at last satisifies the wont for a wholly title-appropriate theme the film so lacks, it does so far too late and with little meaning as the ending neither satisfies nor leaves the viewer happy or optimistic. A decent film, still; Cage's and Leoni's chemistry is great and the screenplay isn't terrible. It's just completely off-message for the majority of the film.

• Conner R

  
  Sort've an updated version of It's a Wondeful Life, so it's bound to make you get a little sentimental and vulnerable. The surprising thing about this is that it is really good. Nicolas Cage is very toned down to fit the bill of an average man. Don Cheadle and Tea Leoni… More
  Sort've an updated version of It's a Wondeful Life, so it's bound to make you get a little sentimental and vulnerable. The surprising thing about this is that it is really good. Nicolas Cage is very toned down to fit the bill of an average man. Don Cheadle and Tea Leoni also make for a great supporting cast. It's harmless and light-hearted, to make it out to be something more is just stupid. For what it is, The Family Man is great.

• KJ P

  
  I can't even begin to think about what this movie is about! After the first 20 minutes, I had no idea what was going on! The critics are mixed on this one, but they should hate it overall. I still have no idea what it means, even by watching it all the way through!

• Lenny M

  
  Nicholas Cage has the same delivery in every role which benefits this Wonderful Life-esque movie. Good for the holidays. Don Cheadle takes up about 3 minutes of screen time in totality as a magical negro, a role played also by Mykelti Williamson in Forrest Gump, Morgan Freeman in… More
  Nicholas Cage has the same delivery in every role which benefits this Wonderful Life-esque movie. Good for the holidays. Don Cheadle takes up about 3 minutes of screen time in totality as a magical negro, a role played also by Mykelti Williamson in Forrest Gump, Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty, Eddie Murphy in The Golden Child, and Michael Clarke Duncan in The Green Mile.

• Anthony L

  
  Not as schmaltzy as I thought it would be. It?s the only film I find Tea Leoni really attractive in.

• Red L

  
  This is a little bit like "It's a Wonderful Life" set in current time. Nicolas Cage - a high NYC roller with lots of money gets to test out a life as a poor middle-class father with a loving wife (Leoni) and two kids.

• Cassie H

  
  This movie was wonderfully made about a man who fantisizes about what life could be like after you had it all.

• Film C

  
  i loved it really good and really nteresting to watch its completely worth a watch

• Jason S

  
  I like the flow of this flick. It's easy to follow and we get to see the main character go through the changes in his heart. It doesn't just skip around and make you assume something happens to make this guy better, it shows you. I also like how he doesn't become the… More
  I like the flow of this flick. It's easy to follow and we get to see the main character go through the changes in his heart. It doesn't just skip around and make you assume something happens to make this guy better, it shows you. I also like how he doesn't become the perfect man. He has his faults and it shows. But he is better for it and he learns to love those around him. The rest of the cast is great and they all work together to form a solid story that does what it set out to do. It makes you think about your own life and the choices you have made. There are some great scenes in this flick an I like the interaction between Cage and the rest. He is a solid leading man in this movie. Don Cheadle pops up in a small but important role and I think he steals all the scenes he is in. I like it when the high profile guys pop up in the smaller roles. I also like the end of the movie. It leaves us with hope for this guy no matter what happens but also a little sad at the same time.

• danny d

  
  i just gave this a second viewing, the first being 7 years ago when this came out, and either i forgot how good it was or my taste has changed because it was much better than i remember. this scrooge style story was touching and funny. it made me want to be a better father and… More
  i just gave this a second viewing, the first being 7 years ago when this came out, and either i forgot how good it was or my taste has changed because it was much better than i remember. this scrooge style story was touching and funny. it made me want to be a better father and husband. good stuff.

• Tim S

  
  Bret Ratner + Nicholas Cage = huge pile of shit.

• Rachel F

  
  This was such a good movie. Definitely one of Nicholas Cage's best films. It's so sweet.

• Curtis L

  
  Eh.

• Candy R

  
  Story about a man who thinks he has everything he wants. He is given a chance to change his life. Is it for the better?

• Dean M

  
  Absolutely and emotional comedy-drama and this can be the Wall St. Scrooge story with shmaltz and cavier.

• Lanning :

  
  Hilarious . . . ??? <p> So many things I want to say about this movie. The first is that I am a serial victim of movie marketing. I had completely ignored <i>Family Man</i> when it first came out because all the ads made it seem like some kind of lame holiday… More
  Hilarious . . . ??? <p> So many things I want to say about this movie. The first is that I am a serial victim of movie marketing. I had completely ignored <i>Family Man</i> when it first came out because all the ads made it seem like some kind of lame holiday comedy money-grubber. Flixsters, this is in no way a comedy, certainly not in the popular sense. But it's no classical tragedy either. It's a good family film, I think, although with weak writing or directing, it could have shot itself in the foot at so many turns. It doesn't; it's refreshing all the way through in the way it avoids cliches. <p> Nicholas Cage: Ever since his early roles in projects like <i> Raising Arizona</i>, I've been on a roller-coaster ride with him in terms of the quality of his work. For me, Cage has been on a definite run of peaks and valleys, and in recent times, he's been down in the valley for extended periods of time. Still, I know he can act. I'm not into the idea that the Academy Awards are the greatest indicatior of highest quality, but Cage has been honored with an Oscar, rightfully so, for his capability. He is astonishing here. The depth he brings to his character makes me hurt. The scene where he tells his wife, Téa Leoni, how beautifully she's aged, and the face-offs over the purchase of the $2400 suit and the move to Manhattan are memorably authentic. <p> Téa Leoni: If you've read any of my previous comments about Leoni's acting, you know that, well, I've yet to pitch my tent in her camp. Damn. She is brilliant in this. <p> Enough. This is going to get boringly long. If you've read this far and you're a fan of this movie, please get in touch. I'd love to continue talking about it.

• Nate Z

  
  [font=Arial][color=darkred]Miss Congeniality - I'm finding the equation "Sandra Bullock = wait for video" truer every day. The flick takes on the already beaten to death and then some subject matter of beauty pageants. There are a couple of funny moments, mainly due to… More
  [font=Arial][color=darkred]Miss Congeniality - I'm finding the equation "Sandra Bullock = wait for video" truer every day. The flick takes on the already beaten to death and then some subject matter of beauty pageants. There are a couple of funny moments, mainly due to Michael Caine and his quest to be in EVERY movie ever, but the rest is horrible slapstick. This film has the WORST forced romance I've ever seen between Benjamin Bratt and Bullock, it's not just bad it's insultingly bad. The film also has this very unsettling misoginistic tone through out the duration, even more odd when you figure in Bullock as a producer.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: D+[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]The Family Man - If I poked this movie it would spray sap in my eye and blind me. It's essentially a Hollywood remake of Frank Capra's 'It's A Wonderful Life' with a bit more cynicsm and a bit less success. Cage is a heartless Wall Street whiz who catches a "glimspe" of an alternative life where he's married to Tea Leoni and has kids in the suburbs. 'The Family Man' wants to kill you with its message of "business is EVIL" and "suburbs and mini-vans and bowling leagues and family... good!" It's almost caveman like in its bludgeoning. Sap flows freely in this supposed feel-good flick, but stalls in a lackluster ending.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: C[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]The Gift - Sam Raimi is a slick director and is maturing smoothly. 'The Gift' is a nicely ensembled pot-boiler in the South. Cate Blanchet gives a remarkable performance that was, as most were that were nominated, better than Julia. Keanu Reeves finds a role he can actually excell with in that of a wife beating redneck - he's actually quite scary in it. Gio Ribisi gives the best performance of his career as a mentally retarded mechanic. The film coasts on some good atmosphere and direction by Raimi, but it is too easy to figure out the final turns in the end. And yes, Katie Holmes does get naked briefly in the movie.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: B[/color][/font]

• Bryan D

  
  The film is nothing new. This has all been done before. But what makes "THE FAMILY MAN" so enjoyable is the stellar cast. Don Cheadle. Saul Rubinek. Jeremy Piven. Tea Leoni. Josef Sommer. All of them give excellent performances that not only save the movie, but make… More
  The film is nothing new. This has all been done before. But what makes "THE FAMILY MAN" so enjoyable is the stellar cast. Don Cheadle. Saul Rubinek. Jeremy Piven. Tea Leoni. Josef Sommer. All of them give excellent performances that not only save the movie, but make it interesting to watch. Even compelling. But, even with the efforts of this cast, the inability to give the audience anything new, or fresh, everything just feels so familiar that this film ends up falling a bit on the mediocre side.

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