The Family Man: Will he get his family? (The Family Man (DVD))

Member Name: susancarter

Product:	The Family Man (DVD)
Date:	27/02/06 (104 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well done and emotionally engaging.

Disadvantages: Sentimental and unoriginal (and to some extent predictable).

The Plot
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Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) has it all. He is a Wall Street shark, with everything that money can buy. He thinks he has everything until he is given a “glimpse” which shows him what life would have been like if he had married his college sweetheart (Téa Leoni). When Jack wakes up one day, he finds himself lying next to the girl he would have married if he hadn’t cared more about his career than her.

At first Jack hankers after the rich fast-living lifestyle he had in New York and tries to regain it whilst also struggling to deal with a completely new life which he knows nothing about. He bumbles through trying to work out who he is supposed to be in a world where no one knows he is not the “real” Jack resulting in numerous comical situations. Eventually, he realises that his family mean more to him than the luxurious lifestyle he used to have. Unfortunately for him, once he realises this, he is sent back to his old life which now seems incredibly hollow. Having learnt his lesson he then sets out to track down his wife of the alternative life in the hopes regaining the family life he missed out on...

Blurb on back cover of video
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“High powered Wall Street investment banker, Jack Campbell (Nicholas Cage) is at the top of his profession, and he has the luxurious lifestyle to prove it. Life is just about perfect; that is until one snowy Christmas Eve night when Jack unwittingly stumbles into the middle of a grocery store hold-up and in a bold display of self-preservation disarms the gunman. The next morning is Christmas but instead of calmly waking up in his beautiful penthouse apartment, Jack wakes up because a couple of kids are bouncing on his bed. He is in suburban New Jersey, lying next to his college sweetheart, Kate Reynolds."

The Cast
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Main characters:
Nicolas Cage: Jack Campbell
Téa Leoni: Kate Reynolds
Others:
Don Cheadle: Cash
Jeremy Piven: Arnie
Saul Rubinek: Alan Mintz
Josef Sommer: Peter Lassiter
Makenzie Vega: Annie Campbell
Jake Milkovich: Josh Campbell
Ryan Milkovich: Josh Campbell

Other Information
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Director: Brett Ratner
Theme: A “what if” film
Classification: “12”
Length: 120 minutes

My thoughts
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Whilst not the most original basis for a story line, I think this film has done has done a very good job. Although there are various obvious messages in the film, such as that money isn’t everything, it does not feel like this is the main thrust of the film. You can really empathise with Jack and the difficulties he has adjusting to his new life with a family and no money. Nicholas Cage and Téa Leoni act the whole thing brilliantly.

There is a beautiful Romance between him and his wife and a whole series of comedy moments. Near the end of the film when Jack was returned to his original life, I felt really sorry for him as the film really sucked you in so that you could almost believe it was real. Whereas before, you could almost envy his rich lifestyle, at the end, you could feel the hollowness of it.

Conclusion
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Although a little sentimental at times, I would recommend this film. Although personally, I would watch this more than once, I think most people would not so I would recommend it for rental rather than buying.

Summary: Great "feel-good" film.