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THE FAMILY MAN (PG-13)

Plot Summary: A greedy corporate executive is taken out of the selfish, empty life he knows and given a chance to see what it would be like if he had married his college love.

Reason for the Rating: Sensuality and some language.

I was seriously excited to see THE FAMILY MAN. I kid you not, every time I saw the commercials advertising the movie I loudly exclaimed, "I can’t WAIT to see that! It looks SO good!!" Obviously I had some high expectations. Unfortunately, I’ve found that when you have really high expectations, most movies aren’t as good as you thought they’d be. THE FAMILY MAN is no exception.

Don’t get me wrong; it’s a good movie. Nicolas Cage is very convincing as Jack Campbell—a greedy, conniving, filthy-rich executive in need of a lesson about what is truly valuable in life. Téa Leone does a great job portraying Kate Reynolds, the wife he could have had if he hadn’t chosen the empty life of wealth. The kids are cute, the message is excellent, and the movie even managed to convey enough emotion to bring tears to my eyes. It’s reminiscent of both IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE and MR. DESTINY, and yes, it’s definitely a good movie.

But it isn’t all that it seems like it should be, or all that the previews promised. It was advertised as a great new movie for the whole family to enjoy (hence the name...), but it’s NOT a family movie.

Before he’s transported to the family life, Jack is basically a slime ball, and the movie makes this clear. There is a lot of sexual innuendo and content that is inappropriate for preteens. Also, this movie is not quite the enchanting story that it’s made out to be. Occasionally the plot drags, and slow and Jack’s miraculous transformation into a redemptive character is a bit unconvincing at times.

Still, THE FAMILY MAN does have a happy ending, and it does put true-life values in proper perspective, especially for the start of a new year. It’s better than your run-of-the-mill flick, but with all the new movies out right now, it just doesn’t rate "must see" status.

FamilyFans.com Recommends: It’s good—but not destined to be a family classic. Parents would be advised to save THE FAMILY MAN for a video rental, and then preview it for appropriateness before showing it to the rest of the family.

After the Show…If members of your family choose to view this movie, use these questions to spark discussion about it afterward:

-- Why wasn’t Jack’s life as a rich and successful person worthy of admiration?

-- What stories from the Bible can you think of that illustrate the message of of this movie? 

--Did this movie challenge you to change your attitudes about life, or reaffirm the choices you’ve made in life so far? Explain your answer.

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MovieFact #2: Actress Téa Leoni once auditioned for a movie role just because a friend dared her to do it. She got the part.

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