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All-Reviews.com Movie/Video Review
The Family Man
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  out of 4
 Review by Susan Granger 3 stars out of 4
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In this romantic fantasy, Nicolas Cage plays a high-flyer on
Wall Street who has everything he wants: wealth, power, position,
disposable women and not a shred of regret. But through some
mysterious time-travel magic wielded by Don Cheadle, he wakes up on
Christmas morning in bed next to his college sweetheart, played by Tea
Leoni, and discovers they've been married for 13 years, have two
adorable children and a large dog, and live in suburban New Jersey,
where he sells tires for his father-in-law. There's abundant humor as
he fumbles finding his new identity and, gradually, comes to enjoy
this alternate universe, discovering the life he could have led if he
had made different choices. The funniest moment occurs when Cage's
daughter realizes the ruse and concludes that her real dad has been
abducted by aliens. "Welcome to Earth," she lisps. Writers David
Diamond & David Weissman and director Brett Ratner are obviously
trying for a spiritual, Capra-esque "It's A Wonderful Life" flavor -
with a hint of "Me, Myself and I," "Sliding Doors" even "Groundhog
Day" - but there are two flaws. First, Cage's character obviously
relishes his single, self-centered life with great gusto. Second, in
his new life, he still wants to go where the money is, conniving to
get not only himself but his new family back into the expensive
lifestyle of Manhattan. Plus, there are other plot loopholes, like
pivotal supporting characters disappearing, never to be seen
again. Nicolas Cage is at his best coping with crisis situations, even
dirty diapers, less comfortable with warm, cuddly moments, and Tea
Leoni is radiant and lovely, breathing life into a role that could
have been one-dimensional. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "The
Family Man" is a sweet, sentimental 8. A better title might be "It's A
Wonderful Wife."
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
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