"All In the 'Family'"
by Scott Mantz

"The Family Man"
Nicolas Cage, Tea Leoni
Directed by Brett Ratner

Tea Leoni and Nicolas Cage are married...with children in "The Family Man"

If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would still be single by the time I was 30, I never would have believed it. Back then, I was in the middle of the best relationship I ever had, and I thought I would spend the rest of my life with her. We were best friends, we were lovers, and we were soul mates.

Unfortunately, she was the only part of my life that I was happy with. Other than the bliss of our relationship, I was pretty miserable living in Philadelphia, working a job that I hated, and living with my parents. I could have done what the rest of my friends did--got engaged, got a house, and started having kids--but instead, I took the road less traveled, moved out to LA, and saw my relationship crumble (don't worry--we're still friends). Since then, I've dated quite a bit, but I never again felt the level of intimacy that I had with the love of my life.

In "The Family Man," Nicolas Cage goes down the same road, and despite being an enormously successful and incredibly good-looking ladies man, something is missing from his life. When he gets a chance to see what that is, the result is a funny, heartwarming, and thought-provoking film that answers the question "is the grass really greener on the other side?"

Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) is a powerful Wall Street broker who's wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. That success comes at a price, since he's practically married to his job, even going so far as to make his subordinates work on Christmas Eve. When he gets a phone message from Kate (Tea Leoni), his college sweetheart who he left behind 13 years ago, he dreams about what his life would have been like if they had stayed together.

That dream becomes a nightmare when, after an encounter with a mysterious stranger (Don Cheadle), Jack suddenly finds himself married to Kate for 13 years. What the heck just happened? His top-dollar suits have been replaced by flannel. His Jaguar has been replaced by a Minivan. His sprawling New York apartment has been replaced by a crowded New Jersey house. Instead of selling major organizations, he's stuck selling tires for his father-in-law's company. Jack is flabbergasted, but he quickly realizes that it's all worth it because of the life he's built with his wife and kids.

The concept of taking a look at the road not traveled has been done to death in Hollywood, going back so far as the James Stewart Christmas masterpiece "It's a Wonderful Life" to the more recent James Belushi turkey "Mr. Destiny." But "The Family Man" hits its mark as a great holiday movie because it's funny, it's moving, and it makes you appreciate what you do have, rather than looking at what you don't have.

The film hits the nail on the head with hoards of marital issues (like I would know!). By the time you meet the right person, settle down, and raise a family, so much time has passed that there isn't any time to reflect on what's happened. When the dust finally clears, you're so overburdened with responsibilities that you feel trapped. Whose got time to follow your dreams when you have to work all day, take care of the kids, walk the dog, pay the bills, take care of the kids, mow the lawn, go grocery shopping, go to family affairs, take out the trash--and did I mention take care of the kids?

"The Family Man" points out the occupational hazards of domestic bliss, but it also points out all the wonderful things that come along with the package. Well, for the most part it does, and therein lies the problem with the film. Jack seems just fine with his old life, thank-you-very-much, and when he wakes up in suburbia hell, even after adjusting to his new situation, there really isn't a defining moment where he realizes that less (money-wise) is more (family-wise). Still, considering the message the film is trying to make, it's easy to overlook this flaw.

Nicolas Cage has long been an accomplished actor (thanks to films like "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Wild At Heart"), but he's also proven to be quite adept at comedy ("Honeymoon in Vegas" and "It Could Happen to You") and romance ("City of Angels"). With "The Family Man," he's able to blend all of these qualities into one likable, real, and sympathetic character. The movie may go on longer than expected, but that's OK because Cage is such a treat to watch.

In her first movie since having a family of her own (with actor David Duchovny), Tea Leoni finds herself in top form. She's perfect as the frazzled wife who finds herself longing for those few moments where she can let her hair down and be a woman again, and she handles her delicate moments with Cage like a real pro.

Over the years, while I've stayed single and followed my own journey, many of my now-domesticated friends have told me how much they envy my independent and exciting lifestyle. No arguments there. I'll become a family man soon enough, but to those friends, I say this--I'm the one who envies you. You may go through some tough times, but at least you have your beautiful families to help you get through them. That's priceless. To anyone who thinks that the grass is greener on the other side, look again. Your lawn is looking pretty good.

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