Tea Leoni and Nicolas Cage in "The Family Man."

MOVIE INFORMATION

With 10 as a must-see, Jack gives this film a: Stars: Nicolas Cage Director: Brett Ratner Rated: PG-13, with profanity Length: 125 minutes

ROCHESTERCRITIQUE

Having seen this film, how would you rate it? 10 5 9 4 8 3 7 2 6 1

By Jack Garner
Democrat and Chronicle

(December 22, 2000) -- More than a half-century later, it's still A Wonderful Life.

The echoes of the Jimmy Stewart holiday classic reverberate through The Family Man, lending the life-affirming Nicolas Cage film an unfortunate aura of been there, done that.

The evils of corporate greed, the essential goodness of man, the importance of family -- nearly all the elements of Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life are in place -- just about everything but the earlier film's basketball court that turns into a swimming pool.

Thus, originality is not on the program. Nonetheless, the film modestly entertains and uplifts us, telling of a man who realizes the road not taken was the road to take.

Cage is Jack Campbell. We first see him in 1987, just out of college and ready to board a plane for a year abroad as a corporate intern. His girlfriend Kate (Tea Leoni) begs him not to go. Despite his protestations, she's convinced the move will spell the end of their relationship.

Thirteen years later, we see she was right. He's a wealthy, hot-shot Wall Street tycoon with a state-of-the-art bachelor lifestyle.

But on Christmas Eve, he encounters a street-wise hustler (Don Cheadle) who turns out to be this film's Clarence the Angel. He casts a spell over the unsuspecting Jack, who wakes up on Christmas morning in bed with the wife he should have had, living with the children and dog that are also part of the package.

Suddenly, Jack discovers that he's got married suburban friends, a job selling tires and that he's in a bowling league, for Pete's sake. Incredulous and dismayed, Jack tries to return to his Manhattan job and Architectural Digest digs, but is turned away by doormen who don't recognize him.

Though there's no problem with this narrative set-up, the story becomes less convincing as it attempts to resolve itself.

Jack actually stumbles into an opportunity to get another great job on Wall Street, but the film implies only evil lies in that direction; he should remain a tire salesman. (In other words, the corporate world is depicted as unredeemably bad, a simplistic, narrow point of view.)

As you might expect from the title, The Family Man succeeds far more admirably in family matters. Jack comes to see great value in the comfort and warmth of a loving, understanding spouse and affectionate children. (His daughter Annie is the first to win his heart -- and ours -- thanks to the charming performance by 6-year-old Makenzie Vega.)

Leoni plays Kate as smart and caring; she's obviously the life partner Jack was meant to have, and Cage delivers an appealing performance, blending amusing, befuddled reactions to his lifestyle turn-about, with the affecting emotions of a man given a shot at an alternate path.

The Family Man reiterates familiar themes of the holiday season in entertaining fashion, but isn't quite the equal of the classics it too plainly tries to emulate.