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45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Romantic Fantasy That Works, August 2, 2001
In the tradition of the best films that Hollywood ever had to offer comes this refreshingly honest movie that isn't afraid to say that you don't have to be rich, hip and cynical to be successful and happy with your life. "The Family Man," directed by Brett Ratner, stars Nicolas Cage as Jack Campbell, a man who took the "road less traveled," and turned his back on love for a career on Wall Street, and thirteen years later still doesn't realize how empty and shallow his life has become. Then something happens; on Christmas Eve, Jack does a good turn to the right person at the right time. His name is Cash (Don Cheadle), and he just happens to be a guy with, well, connections. And the next thing Jack knows, he's getting a "glimpse" of what his life would have been had he made a different choice all those many years ago. When he wakes up on Christmas morning, he's not in his bed in his penthouse apartment, but in a house in the suburbs, sleeping next to Kate Reynolds (Tea Leoni), the woman he once loved, but abandoned. Wall Street is history; he's now a crackerjack tire salesman at "Big Ed's," and he and Kate have two kids, Annie (Makenzie Vega) and Josh (Jake and Ryan Milkovich). Needless to say, Jack is confused; and the enigmatic Cash isn't about to let him in on what's going on-- that's for Jack to figure out on his own. So Jack has no choice but to go on living his life-- even if it's not really "his" life. And it becomes a journey of discovery; not only for Jack, but for the audience, as well. And what follows may be fantasy, but it's fantasy with a message, from some filmmakers who aren't afraid to tell it like it is, and they do it well. What director Roth presents you with is an examination of what life is really all about, and what-- in the final analysis-- is really important. And make no mistake, this isn't a film that aims for the head, it aims for the heart, scores a bullseye and doesn't apologize for it. Is it pure, true, realistic, riveting drama? Of course not, and it never pretends to be. What it is, is a film that stays true to what it's all about and says some things that need to be said in this fast-food, cybersaturated world of the here and now. It's a poignant, well made and well acted film that appeals to the universal sensibilities that in one way or another reside within even the most jaded, modernized and "New Aged" individuals. Because it's an entreaty to the most basic of human needs and concerns. Cage was the perfect choice to play Jack; he's got a natural, sympathetic look that makes him easy to like, and combined with the emotional aspect he brings to the character it makes Jack someone to whom it is so easy to relate. it's a performance that allows you to feel something; and that's really what this movie is all about, capturing that sense of humanity that is so often lacking in people's lives today. Cage makes it work, and he makes it work beautifully, because he lets you share Jack's frustration, his loss, his fears and, most importantly, the hope and the love he ultimately realizes has been missing in his life. It's a challenging role that Cage not only met, but surpassed with just the kind of exacting performance that was needed to put this story across. Tea Leoni gives an excellent performance, as well, as Kate. It's a sensitive, sympathetic portrayal that serves the character and the story with great effectiveness. Leoni makes something special out of a character that could've been just the "female lead," with the purpose of being nothing more than the means of moving the story of Jack's self-discovery along. Instead, she makes it her story as much as his by making Kate an endearing, truly integral part of the film, and she fairly sparkles on the screen. The supporting cast includes Jeremy Piven (Arnie), Saul Rubinek (Alan), Josef Sommer (Peter), Lisa Thornhill (Evelyn), Harve Presnell (Big Ed), Mary Beth Hurt (Adelle) and Francine York (Lorraine). There's no doubt that personal experience and frame of reference is going to play a big part in the way "The Family Man" is received by the audience. But Ratner, Cage, Leoni and everyone else connected with this project are to be commended for making an honest, heart-felt film with an important message about life in today's world. It's a film that says success isn't just being the guy at the top of the heap, that it's okay to just "be" whomever or whatever you are, as long as it's what makes you happy and content. It's a bold statement for a filmmaker to make today, and we can only hope that more artists will have the guts to make more movies like this in the future.
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