maraki-lost
I rated this film 6/10 because I agree with some of its messages. It's about a man who seems pretty happy with what he has, thinking he has all he needs. But the film sets out to prove him wrong by showing him exactly what he's been missing out on since he got on that plane and dumped his girlfriend 13 years ago.It's all about compromise, and choosing the best option for your life. He learns he should choose love over personal needs because you can't have it both ways and life isn't perfect. He understands having a messy home and two screaming kids and a job he doesn't like isn't the end of the world as long as you love the person you're with. I understand where this was going because in reality, you also can't have everything and you need to make changes when life gives you lemons and everything sure doesn't turn out exactly like you planned.On the other side, the film is telling you you should be happy being poor as long as you've got the love. You should be happy settling for less than you want because it's okay, that's life and you're an empty person if you're rich, single and happy with it. It's being judgemental towards Jack's life in the first minutes of the movie, which is how a lot of people actually live and like it..
DVR_Brale
I love this move so much that it's not easy for me write an objective review. So I'll write a subjective one. A sort of a panegyric.I've seen this movie a couple of times. The last time I watched it was with a soon-to-get-married friend. I insisted on watching it. He was later thankful for it. I really believe this movie can improve your relationship with a romantic partner.I don't think anyone could've played Jack Campbell better than Nicolas Cage. He appeared funny to me even when that clearly wasn't his aim. The chemistry between Lea Leoni and Nicolas is amazing. It's as if this movie was based on their actual relationship. Jeremy Piven has done a great job playing Arnie - the buddy guy! The Family man is one of the rare movies which highlight the not-so-nice side of success and being on top in contrast to happiness and fulfillment family brings.Writers David Weissman and David Diamond didn't leave anything out when it comes to portraying the world in which parents live. How do you raise your kids, do a full time job, maintain relationship with friends, do household business, every night take your dog for walk, and, most importantly, build a great relationship with your spouse? Wouldn't all that business take away the time necessary to build THE career and life's comfort? We might think we don't need all of the above.And that's exactly what Jack Campbell had thought as well.
Python Hyena
Family Man (2000): Dir: Brett Ratner / Cast: Nicolas Cage, Tea Leoni, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Piven, Makenzie Vega: Depressing version of It's a Wonderful Life where an individual who is not family becomes family. It stars Nicolas Cage as a financial executive who is given a glimpse of his life had he married his college girlfriend. He encounters an angel who just happens to be pulling a gun at the corner store. Could this really be one of God's angels? Holding up convenient stores just doesn't seem ideal. Anyway, Cage claims that he is satisfied with his current life but the angel sends him into the life he never had, which included marriage, children and suburban life. It's a Wonderful Life gains its points by being pleasant, while this modern day version is watered down with its pushy theme and an ending that doesn't work because Cage is expressing experiences that Leoni never lived. Interesting choice by director Brett Ratner who previously had success with Rush Hour. Fine chemistry between Cage and Tea Leoni that works better than anything else in the film. Don Cheadle's angel is a distraction as this warped angel that is perhaps the single worst element of the film. Message stresses the importance of family but it only feels like a modern remake of a film that is far more wonderful. Watch the far superior It's a Wonderful Life and see the difference. Score: 4 / 10
armsidechannel
I always tell myself that the final goal of my life is to have a happy family. The way achieve that is to work hard, giving my wife and my children great living environment, which including a nice house, good food, great education chance and so on. these all stuffs are required money. Therefore, in my opinion, working hard and making more money is important.However, after viewing this movie-the family man, I start thinking that am I missing the right track? Do I really know what is the most essential part? Sometimes I am so confuse.The Jack, the main character in this movie, the main reason for him to go abroad is to have a better career, which means a better salary to have a better life with Kate. But the funny thing is that this is exactly the reason they broke up.Maybe, I think, is that having a happy family is not the ultimate goal for Jack, and maybe that is a nice sugar coat for Jack to chase his real goal, like making more money, meeting better world. Because normally, the ultimate goal means the NO.1 thing, the most priority thing that nothing could compare with, if there is a alternative question, you should go with this goal without any doubt.Apparently, staying with Kate is not for Jack, or they won't broke up. So, that will make me think what is the best for my future family? Is going abroad to make more money the best for my future family? Or staying with my girlfriend by missing the excellent career chance? I found the answer in this movie. The answer is love. Love is an amazing thing, it is not about creating something for each other, it is about scarifying for each other for staying with each other. just like the movie said, "I choose us", not a personal purpose, not a personal thought like "oh I think this is the best for us." something like that. It is always about "us", living together, solving problems together, facing difficulty together, raising kids together and so on. If there is a moment that will possibly separate "us", we should reject this moment, we should stick around with each other.Of course, it is not only required love, but also a rational mind, you could not purely choose "us" because you are afraid of lonely, because you just thinking yourself. There could not be a little selfish mind. The choice have to be made rationally by love.I am a person who also choose to abroad for better education, and that would maybe spent 2 years without seeing my girlfriend. But, After viewing this movie, I will still stick with my choice, because I really start understanding what is real means of my ultimate goal. I know maybe sometimes I will miss the right track, fortunately, there is a movie that could always remind me, that could always make me thinking, that could always teach me, this movie is named The family man.
