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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Family Man, The
Universal Pictures


6.1

based on 28 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 16 votes
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FILM:

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for sensuality and some language

Starring Nicolas Cage, Téa Leoni, Jeremy Piven, Don Cheadle, Saul Rubinek, Mary Beth Hurt, and Amber Valletta

In this romantic comedy drama about life's possibilities, Jack Campbell (Cage) must choose between a his glamorous, fast-paced career or life as a suburban husband and father. (Universal Pictures)

GENRE(S):	Romance
WRITTEN BY:	David Diamond David Weissman
DIRECTED BY:	Brett Ratner
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: July 17, 2001 Video: July 17, 2001 Theatrical: December 22, 2000
RUNNING TIME:	125 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

Cage and Leoni make it offbeat.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

Cage is a wonderful light comedian; were someone to remake "It's a Wonderful Life," he'd be on the short list for the role of George Bailey. And Leoni is Donna Reed, reborn.

San Francisco Chronicle Bob Graham

Cage gives a performance that invites audiences to lay cynicism aside in a romantic fable.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

A surprisingly charming fable.

Mr. Showbiz Cody Clark

A warm, glossy holiday fable that hits some surprisingly sweet notes.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Sweet, light entertainment, but could have been more.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

A holiday fable that's not destined for immortality but goes down more easily than most of the pap Hollywood tries to feed us every Christmas.

USA Today Susan Wloszczyna

Despite solid acting, it's a fantasy for those who don't know jack about what really makes for a wonderful life.

Newsweek David Ansen

What charm, quirkiness and warmth the movie possesses is due largely to them (Cage and Leoni).

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Schlock weeper.

Chicago Tribune Mark Caro

I didn't believe it, and I don't think the people who made The Family Man did either.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Beyond the cliched diaper-changing scenes and the oh-so-predictable romantic complications, the film inadvertently insults its presumed target audience.

Portland Oregonian Kim Morgan

You can't just rework a beloved Christmas classic, set it in reverse and expect it to run smoothly.

Time Richard Corliss

A film that's fun to argue with.

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

Has the airiness of a well-made souffle, springing delicate small surprises at calibrated intervals.

Miami Herald Sara Wildberger

Sidesteps from the premise of "It's a Wonderful Life" far enough to avoid copyright charges, but not far enough to avoid unfavorable comparisons

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

A holiday film Joe Lieberman could love, unembarrassed by its wholesome, sugary pro-family message.

Village Voice Michael Atkinson

It's an easier movie to tolerate than it should be if, like me, you're in love with Téa Leoni, who, as a lithe, lusty, strangely patient firecracker Superwife in a shag, rescues the movie from the tar pit of irrelevance. With some decent lines, she could be the new Myrna Loy.

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

But in the end conventional sentiment, rather than any actual morality, is all that the script for The Family Man (by David Diamond and David Weissman) has to offer.

Dallas Observer Robert Wilonsky

It's a plot more worn out than the tinsel boxed up in the attic. In the end, they've given us a Christmas gift barely worth returning.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Starting to feel sick? Just you wait.

Variety Joe Leydon

A slickly produced slice of sentimental hokum that borrows freely from a half-dozen or so other, better feel-good fantasies.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

Not even a sincere and heroic effort by Nicolas Cage can redeem the film's essential phoniness.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

Sitting through it is like waking up on Christmas morning to find a stockingful of styrofoam.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

A piece of moldy wax fruit if ever there was one.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

Nothing more, or less, than a cheap, dirty grab at our Christmas spirit.

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

At first I thought I was watching yet another version of "A Christmas Carol"; then I wondered if it was a remake of "It's a Wonderful Life"; finally I gave up trying to find anything at all in it that was unfamiliar.

Film.com David D'Arcy

What were they thinking?

The average user rating for this movie is 6.1 (out of 10) based on 16 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Economist BR gave it a9:
Very interesting movie. It presents the "what if"s of life in a great way and it also shows the strugle in dealing with dreams that didn't become reality.

Tyler C. gave it a 3:
The worst part of this movie was the ending. I would have given anything to have millions of dollars and be single. Also, I don't know any woman who would have been mad at him for getting a huge apartment building in New York City that he could get rent free while getting an executive job without even asking her. What a surprise honey! You don't have to work a day in your life anymore! Why would she want him to be a tire salesman in the burbs when he could have so much more? She held him back so much. The character deserved better!

Pat C. gave it a 2:
Instantly forgettable.

Romanski gave it a 10:
Everyone who does not like this movie has forgotten what dreams are all about. Most of us would like to have that kind of family.To those who do not like that movie: I think your are only alone and crumpy!

Mary Z. gave it a 6:
Entertaining enough, Cage is charming.

Ryan M. gave it a 1:
Director Ratner makes this film so tedious and full of itself that it's almost unwatchable.

Jamie K. gave it an 8:
Nicolas Cage sure is a great actor! His expressions on his face were great to make audience feel what he really feels. If you are big Nic Fan, dont miss this one.

Family Man, The Universal Pictures

Family Man, The
Universal Pictures