  |
||||||
|
|
Téa Leoni, Nicolas Cage
Universal Pictures 2000 Rated: PG-13 Now on video and DVD
What do you get when you cross It’s a Wonderful Life with Scrooge? The Family Man. This new release begins in 1987. Jack Campbell (Cage) is about to fly to London for an internship when his girlfriend, Kate (Leoni), begs him not to leave. She’s afraid if he goes they won’t stay together. She’s right. Thirteen years later Jack is a rich, single, workaholic who doesn’t think twice about making his employees work on Christmas. (Bah Humbug!) He enjoys being President of the company. Loves his Jaguar and revels in his luxurious, unattached lifestyle. When he intervenes during a mini-mart hold-up, he gets more than he bargained for. The hoodlum pointing the gun is actually, Cash (Cheadle), an angel who intends to prove Jack doesn’t have everything he needs despite his claim otherwise. To Jack’s utter dismay he wakes the following morning to find he’s married to his old girlfriend and has two children, a slobbering dog and “sub-par” wardrobe. He also has a miniscule income and sells tires in his father-in-law’s store. Cash informs him he’s getting a “glimpse” into what could’ve been. Dirty diapers, bowling, screaming kids and shopping malls convince Jack it’s a nightmare, one he wants to wake up from until he begins to see the beauty and magic of a loving family. Only then does he realize a glimpse is not enough. Cage shines in this comedic, fish-out-of-water role. The look of sheer terror and panic on his face the morning he gets his first glimpse is priceless. Téa sparkles as the effervescent and adorable Kate. Her giddy joie de vivre is contagious. You find yourself caught up in her enthusiasm more than once and can’t help but smile. Perhaps the greatest screen stealer though is little Makenzie Vega who plays their daughter, Annie. From the start she’s aware that Jack isn’t her real dad and quickly comes to the conclusion he’s an alien. It’s a cute and captivating moment that’s only one of several she helps to create. It’s those moments that give Family Man its strength and charm. At times it takes itself too seriously when it would have done better to avoid the dramatic moments in favor of the light, heart-warming feeling it captures so well. I give The Family Man three-and-a-half hearts. The comedy and romance could’ve been played up more, but I recommend seeing it when you’re in the mood for a feel-good movie with genuine heart.
Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article The Family Man in Romantic Comedies is owned by Terri Clark. Permission to republish The Family Man in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|||||
|
|
||||||
