"The Family Man": This Generation's "Wonderful Life"

Stardate: 0308.17

[The Wizard]

With my wife away this weekend I found myself watching some films I hadn't seen in awhile, and this brought me to "The Family Man" with Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni.....

Keeping in mind that the Christmas Classic "It's A Wonderful Life" did about the same in the original box office, I thought I would take the opportunity to point out that, like Frank Capra's "perfect" film, "The Family Man" is going to become a perennial Christmas favorite as the years go by....

This is another "perfect" little film that captures everything the Christmas season offers, and delivers it straight to the heart.....

Like "Life" this gem is still underrated in it's current time, but as the years roll by Nick Cage will be seen in the James Stewart mold, and Tea Leoni is as Donna a Reed a you could hope for in the 21st century.....

If your heart needs a little warming, don't wait for Christmas.......

Turn up the AC, put a log in the fireplace, and watch "The Family Man"

You'll be gald you did....

[The Wizard]

This is especially true if you're married to a wonderful spouse......

[The Wizard]

This one's for you Cary

[B-Chan]

I liked it, too.

[buffyt]

That was an excellent movie. Thre was another one like it. Maybe Michael Caine and Jim Belushi were in it. I will look it up. If I were not already married (30 years) to my husband, I would be looking for someone just like him!

[Husker24]

Its funny you mentioned this, i just watched this dvd yesterday, i find this movie a little depressing.......although very good at the same time if that makes sence.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

It was an OK movie, most ways. But wasn't it cited some weeks ago as being the canonical example of the Magic Negro, who brings wisdom to a clueless rich white guy? (A Hollywood cliche, for sure--examples are Whoopie Goldberg to Demi Moore in "Ghost," Princess Latifah to Steve Martin last year in a flick the name of which I don't remember, or Morgan Freeman as God to Jim Carey more recently in "Bruce Almighty".)

I would like to imagine a Magic Honkey giving the truth to a clueless street dude, but I don't know of any examples....

[The Wizard]

off the point, but I was amazed to see it was a dark haired Tea Leoni as a hooker in "Wyatt Earp"....

her acting in "FM" is as perfect as is possible....I now a real life "Kate" and Tea has her down to the tee

[The Wizard]

sure it makes sense, but us half full guys know it's all gonna work out fine......

[Alouette]

I was amazed to see it was a dark haired Tea Leoni as a hooker in "Wyatt Earp"....

She also played a call girl in "Bad Boys"

[The Wizard]

only in todays F**ked up PC world could such a comment be made....The black guy is only an Angel doing a job and he doesn't provide anything to the "white guy"...he finds it all out for himself.....which, I might add, is the whole point:

Jack Campbell tells the Angel that "I have everything"....and he tells him to remember "he brought this all on himself"

[HitmanLV]

I can't agree - this movie layed it on too thick. Cage mugging for the camera and Tea Leoni is box office poison. A bore from start to finish - watch 'It's a Wonderful Life' instead. Heck, watch 'Castaway!'

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

Not at all. You encounter it over and over again. There IS a pattern here.

I hate PC. But even a stopped clock... you know.

[buffyt]

Plot Summary for
Mr. Destiny (1990)

Larry Burrows is unhappy and feels powerless over his life. He believes his entire life could have turned out differently had he not missed that shot in a baseball game when was a kid. One night he meets this mysterious man, who could change his fate by offering him that alternative life he always dreamed of. But as Burrows embarks on this journey of self discovery he realises that even this new life has its problems and drawbacks..

Another It's a Wonderful Life Remake That Rises Above.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

'Box office poison'? I don't THINK so. Not a 10.0 on the babeability scale, but definitely in the high 9's.

[buffyt]

Michael Caine in Mr. Destiny is the angel who saves the day and he is a white guy.

[buffyt]

Funny thing is, I didn't even notice that he was a black guy in The Family Man. I wasn't paying attention to skin color. (I have ancestors who are black, white, Cherokee, English, Scottish, Irish, German, French, etc.)

[The Wizard]

I'm with you...how could such a good actress with such beauty be anything but box office candy....sounds to me like she doesn't want to "sleep" for a role.......

[buffyt]

Or watch BOTH! Castaway was very good too!

My fav. movie is GONE WITH THE WIND.

[The Wizard]

You show a lot of class......the color was unimportant, as usual, only the pc nuts even see color any more

[new cruelty]

Scrooged had a magic white fairy giving truth to the clueless media mogul.