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The Family Man

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The Family Man (2000)

52%
43%
68%
N/A
N/A
N/A
52 %
Reviews Counted: 113 Fresh: 59  Rotten:54 Average Rating: 5.5/10
 
Consensus: Despite good performances by Cage and especially by Leoni, The Family Man is too predictable and derivative to add anything new to the Christmas genre. Also, it sinks under its sentimentality.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins

Synopsis: Nicolas Cage stars as Jack Campbell, a career-driven workaholic who has everything: an exciting job, a Ferarri, a closetful of Zegna suits, and the attention of any woman he wants. His life changes when, after working a full day on Christmas Eve, he intervenes in a convenience store holdup.... Nicolas Cage stars as Jack Campbell, a career-driven workaholic who has everything: an exciting job, a Ferarri, a closetful of Zegna suits, and the attention of any woman he wants. His life changes when, after working a full day on Christmas Eve, he intervenes in a convenience store holdup. The apparent criminal, Cash (Cheadle), speaks to Jack in epigrams about his satisfaction with life. When Jack wakes up the next day, he's suddenly living in a New Jersey suburb, where he's married to his college sweetheart (Leoni) and is the father of two children. At first he is aghast, but Jack soon warms to his new life even though he knows that it cannot last. Unabashedly sentimental, the film is also a great comedy, as Cage gives a superb performance that makes the most of his character's obvious disgust with his suburban surroundings and even allows for a few moments of hysterics reminiscent of VAMPIRE'S KISS. Filled with great performances (notably Ms. Leoni's role as Jack's wife), inspired comedy, and a premise that suggests a slightly darker version of classics like A CHRISTMAS CAROL and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, THE FAMILY MAN is an affecting and entertaining holiday film. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Téa Leoni, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Piven, Amber Valletta

Director: Brett Ratner
Screenwriter: David Diamond, David Weissman
Producer: Marc Abraham, Tony Ludwig, Alan Riche, Howard Rosenman

DVD Info

Release:

Jan 2, 2005

[DVD Details]

D-VHS Features:

  • Note: D-VHS VCR hardware required.
  • Bullet Case
  • Widescreen Anamorphic - 2.35

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

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01/26/06
Time Out
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4/5

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10/30/02
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
12/10/01
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
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3/5

A pleasant change of pace for both Cage and director Ratner.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/16/01
Ben Falk
BBC
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2/4

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02/07/01
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic
N/R

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02/07/01
Empire Magazine
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N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
12/30/06
Jam! Movies
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N/R

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12/30/06
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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6/10

I voted for the happy ending, thusly, my enjoyment was diminished.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/31/05
John Venable
Supercala.com
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4/5

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12/06/05
Film Threat
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3.5/5

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12/06/05
Film Threat
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2.5/4

The makers of The Family Man were trying to do a kind of reverse It's a Wonderful Life without ever realizing that it doesn't work on paper, much less on the screen.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/05/03
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
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3.5/4

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05/14/03
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly
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2/5

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03/10/03
Marrit Ingman
Austin Chronicle
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3.5/5

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Full Review | comment Comment
02/08/03
John R. McEwen
Film Quips Online
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4/5

Succeeds because of a combination of great performances (Tea Leoni is a real standout), a solid script and an ending that is not exactly what you would expect.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/08/02
Chris Gore
Film Threat
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3.5/5

Not much more than a contemporary remix of Scrooged, but it's different enough to keep you awake and hipped-up enough to make you like it.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/08/02
Susannah Breslin
Film Threat
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N/A

Cage and Leoni are cute together and struggle mightily, but they can't overcome this sinking ship of a script by David Diamond and David Weissman that telegraphs the ending in the first 20 minutes.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/21/02
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan
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2/4

There is not a lot wrong with The Family Man, except for an almost total lack of surprise and a nasty attitude toward exactly the people who are supposed to pay money to watch it.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/15/02
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer
N/R

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09/10/02
Kevin N. Laforest
Montreal Film Journal
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