The Family Man (2000) User Reviews

Beautiful

[jrkdany · 8/10 · 2 January 2022]

Wow ! What a movie. Very rarely I come across movie which keeps me absorbed till the end. This was one such movie. The knot was beautifully tied and untied. It tries to answer most of the questions we might tend to ask. The ending was more practical and was not forced just for the sake of an happy ending.

A great movie, I don't know how I didn't come across it so long. Along the lines of It's a wonderful life.

Touching Romantic comedy

[mjw2305 · 7/10 · 2 January 2007]

Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni steal the show in this very pleasant movie. Jack Campbell (Cage) is a Wall Street investment banker at the top of his profession, that is until one Christmas eve, when he stumbles into the middle of a grocery store hold up. The next day he wakes up married to his college sweetheart Kate Reynolds (Leoni) and he has children. When he finds his old life no longer exists he has to adjust his lifestyle to fit in with his family.

With slight comparisons to Sliding Doors in the way the story works and the concept of life altering decisions 'Family Man' is very entertaining, charming and heart warming, not to mention subtly amusing throughout. Cage and Leoni are a great on-screen couple and the story is definitely intriguing enough to make for compulsive viewing.

7/10 Not as good as Sliding Doors, but its definitely worthy of your attention.

Great film but kinda sad

[zakkattackkkk · 7/10 · 16 December 2020]

Really enjoyed this movie, I felt like the chemistry between Tea and Nic was excellent. Not usually my type of film but I was engrossed. The ending felt like it was kind of sad, no? It caught me off guard, I was expecting a "feel good" ending. It seems most people have this emotional response to the ending but for me it just was a little depressing. The Kate he sits down with at the end is not the same Kate he was married to in his other life. ALSO, his adorable children they had he will never see again. Idk maybe it's just me, I definitely enjoy this movie. But the ending is much more sad than most people seem to admit

It's a Wonderful Life redux

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 2 December 2013]

Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) is a big investment broker who leads a shallow personal life. One night, he tries to help out Cash (Don Cheadle) in a confrontation with a convenience store clerk. Cash is so impressed that he gives Jack a glimpse into the road not traveled. 13 years ago, he could have married Kate (Téa Leoni) and become a family man. Now he gets to see what could have been.

It's got all the awkward father scenes like changing diapers. Nicolas Cage gets the reluctant father fairly well. The scenes with the kid (Makenzie Vega) is especially funny.

Cage could do a better job being less angry. It's really off putting in a romantic movie. Luckily most of that can be ameliorated with Téa Leoni. Then it goes off into some uncomfortable territory. I've got to say that 'It's a Wonderful Life' never went down that road. It goes into more serious matter than a simple fable. It could have gone onto the wrong road many times, but eventually it gets on track. Although I would try a slightly different track for the ending. There's a really big piece missing from the way it ends here.

*** out of ****

[Okonh0wp · 13 April 2004]

"Family Man" had enough humor, drama, sediment, and chemistry between it's stars, to make for a good movie. Nicholas Cage stars as a rich business exec and womanizing bachelor who is forced to relive a decision he made to leave his college girlfriend, Tea Leoni, for a banking internship in London. In the alternate reality Cage is transported to, he finds himself significantly less wealthy in terms of money, but the upside, he discovers over time, is a loving family to come home too. Watching Cage's character evolve into the role is one of the most heartfelt parts of the movie. Tea Leoni, underrated and underused, is always a pleasure to watch, as well. The movie, overall, is pretty familiar but will still make you laugh and smile.

A worthy imperfect but charming version of a Scrooge dream...

[secondtake · 7/10 · 26 December 2016]

The Family Man (2000)

Because this is a Christmas movie, I've now seen it twice, and it's really not bad at all. The best aspects, like Don Cheadle, are too brief, and the plot is sometimes rammed into position by sentiment and a need to be popular. But it eventually makes sense and you come around to see the ordinary charm that pervades.

Not that Nicolas Cage is exactly charming. He's painted as a spoiled stockbroker jerk, both in life and in his dream. But like a Scrooge seen from within, and seeing an alternate life before his eyes, he has the revelation that changes his life. His arrogance slowly dissolves, and that's maybe what he learns most from the dream.

Téa Leoni is chipper and realistic in her cute way and makes for a love interest that isn't an over-idealized cliché, thankfully. And so she draws him into her life with natural ease. It's too easy of course, and there are unanswered questions—even "It's a Wonderful Life" is more believable in that sense, the logic of an alternative life—but it's fine by the end. And in fact, dreams do whatever they want, so there it is.

Add this to the growing list of movies that play with this profound and fun idea of seeing what your life would be like if…if whatever, if things had been different, or if you had been better. It's worth seeing on a lazy evening.

A favourite

[juneebuggy · 9/10 · 22 November 2014]

One of my guilty favourite movies that always sucks me right in. Cage plays a rich, ruthless business man who is shown the life he might have led (by guardian angel Don Cheadle )if he'd made a different choice. In A Wonderful Life kind of way he wakes up in suburbia with a mini van, bad suits and a couple of kids, but he also has true love with ex-girlfriend (Tea Leoni).

I love the relationship here between Jack and his daughter -its so sweet, she sees through him and thinks he's an alien that's replaced her father.

Cage is, Cage but this was made back before he stopped caring so he has some great moments. Leoni makes me smile in every one of her scenes, she's so genuine and happy and goofy amidst the chaos of their life. One of those warm-fuzzy movies.

Very Good

[jack_o_hasanov_imdb · 7/10 · 19 August 2021]

It's a complete family movie.

It was good, I enjoyed it.

My Go-To Christmas movie for 20 years

[heykateforever · 10/10 · 15 December 2021]

I don't know why exactly that this movie always makes me cry in the end, but it does. I have watched this movie many, many times over the years and I think, perhaps, the "I choose Us" line always suckers me in because, after being married myself for 43 years to the same wonderful man, I see this movie through the eyes of a person who fought together with her partner for 44 years altogether to keep "us" together. I won't even read the negative reviews in here about this movie. It's too special to me to ruin it by reading what sadder people who either they or their partners did not choose each other in the end and are jaded about relationships and/or marriage.

That is my connection to this well crafted do-over movie. But it's not the only reason I love this movie. The story is never rushed or taken lightly. It is a true love story between two soul mates who lost their way before their lives even started. And honestly? Nicholas Cage has never been better in any movie he made. I don't know what went on during the filming of this story, but I have seen Cage in many other movies and this is him at his very best. We get to live inside this story with them. I loved Tea Leone in Deep Impact. She is a rare actress who slips into her roles with elegance and humor unparalleled by any contemporary actress. Watching this movie, you see a rare connection between these two characters that Hallmark and Lifetime can never seem to reproduce in any of their movies (but I still watch them!). I fall in love with this couple every single time I watch this movie because these two great actors make love beautiful. They make giving up dreams and getting married and having a family in a suburban house look perfect. They pull off a romance in this movie that is sublime. And that is worth 10 stars under any circumstances!

Magical and sweet romantic movie after marriage with a sort of depressing end

[KineticSeoul · 7/10 · 2 March 2011]

I really liked this movie, it's basically about how there might be a chance you might miss the opportunity to be with the love that is just right for you or the one that got away. And what would happen if you got a second chance to be with that person again by going back in time or could be a alternate universe. So the whole movie is basically a what if scenario with romance in it. I admit the main reason I wanted to see this movie again after 10 yrs was because of one youtube video that makes a joke of one scene, the "Nicolas Cage Wants Cake" scene. But I am glad I managed to see it again, since it's a heartfelt and intriguing movie. I personally like Nicolas Cage as an actor, I find his performances to be very entertaining. Although his acting is a bit deteriorating now a days, but still entertaining never the less. His performance in this may seem a bit over exaggerated but believable. This movie question if you would pick money over true love or true love over money. It's not as magical as when I saw this movie 10 yrs ago and lack the closure in the end. But it's still a worthwhile movie to watch and enjoyable and I didn't mind watching it again at all.

7.5/10

A truckload of treacle

[dfranzen70 · 5/10 · 8 September 2001]

Hunker down, kiddies, it's time for a two-hour schmaltz-a-thon. This movie not only tugs at your heartstrings, it rips the strings out and whips you with them. Subtlety ain't this film's strong suit.

Nicolas Cage plays a slick Wall Street powerbroker (the only kind in Hollywood, and probably real life as well) who has it all: money, money, money, and power. Jack Campbell's lacking a family, but he doesn't see that as a bad thing. He's also driven, obsessed with improving the company he works for - he even schedules a "crisis meeting" on Christmas Day. This guy's got balls, all right. He's making loot hand over fist, and he's probably on his way to an ulcer or a heart attack before he hits fifty.

On Christmas Eve, he gets a phone message from an ex-girlfriend (Tea Leoni). Years earlier, the two of them had made a decision crucial to their lives - he went to England to intern with a prestigious bank, and she went to one of the finest law schools in the country. This facilitated their breakup, but since Jack's made out rather well in the interim, he pays the call little mind. Then that night, he stops by a convenience store to pick up some egg nog. An irate lottery player (the always reliable and watchable Don Cheadle) pulls a gun on the clerk behind the counter. Jack offers to buy the man's lottery ticket in an effort to calm the situation, and even attempts to rehabilitate the hoodlum. "Cmon," Jack tells him, "everyone needs something." "What do you need?" Cash asks him. Jack considers the point, then replies there's nothing he needs. "Ok," says Cash, "but just remember, you got yourself into this." Hmm.

The next morning, Jack wakes up in bed with the lovely, the delicious, the married-in-real-life-to-David Duchovny Tea Leoni. And he has two kids. And a dog. And whoa! This isn't Jack's life, is it? He doesn't like kids! And here they come, bouncing on the bed he shares with Kate. It's Christmas Day, after all. But Jack's in shock. He panics, grabs the keys to their minivan (Hey! Where's his Porsche?) and dashes off to the city. What's going on?

Seems Cash is some kinda sorta angel or something (it's never really explained), and he's offering Jack a "glimpse" of what his life would have

been like if he had stuck with Kate back in the day. Now, those of us who are of a certain age do wonder from time to time what life would have been like if different decisions had been made. Jack's problem is that his wonderment is now his reality. And it's most certainly not the reality he's looking for! The Single Jack is a hedonist who recognizes only responsibilities to his job. The Married Jack pays more attention to his familial responsibilities.

So we have a general fish-out-of-water scenario. Jack knows he's Single Jack, and naturally he has neither knowledge nor memory of life as Married Jack. He doesn't know his friends, his in-laws, his co-workers (he works as a tire salesman!), nothing. He doesn't even know where he lives! Ah yes, mad hijinks ensue. It's like in that Jim Carrey movie The Truman Show - the audience is in on the joke, but the lead character has no idea. See Jack stumble over gettin' jiggy with his wife! See him mumble greetings to friends he doesn't know! See him stand with his mouth agape most of the time, trying in vain to absorb everything.

And, of course, see Jack wrap things up neatly. Too bad it's a two-hour sojourn into schmaltz, though. The problem with the movie isn't that it's sentimental, it's that it's a preachy film, desperate to teach us that Marriage Is Good. And think about it - how many guys do you know are married to someone who looks like Tea Leoni (and is a nice person, too), who goes to work at a tire place with a song in their hearts, who has a loving family with two perfect kids? This life doesn't exist, and damn this movie for making the married versus single issue seem so black and white. Single >bad, marriage = good.

The best sentimental films teach lessons with such subtlety that you don't realize you've learned anything until well after the closing credits have rolled. The worst of these films takes a lesson that most people know anyway and proceeds to whack the living crap out of you with it. Ok, ok! I get it! Married life = good things. Got it, ok. And thankfully, Jack got it, too, or we'd still be watching this drivel.

Constant entertainment generated by amazing chemistry among actors and heart warming insight to what devoting yourself to family really brings

[DVR_Brale · 9/10 · 28 July 2016]

I love this move so much that it's not easy for me write an objective review. So I'll write a subjective one. A sort of a panegyric.

I've seen this movie a couple of times. The last time I watched it was with a soon-to-get-married friend. I insisted on watching it. He was later thankful for it. I really believe this movie can improve your relationship with a romantic partner.

I don't think anyone could've played Jack Campbell better than Nicolas Cage. He appeared funny to me even when that clearly wasn't his aim. The chemistry between Lea Leoni and Nicolas is amazing. It's as if this movie was based on their actual relationship. Jeremy Piven has done a great job playing Arnie - the buddy guy! The Family man is one of the rare movies which highlight the not-so-nice side of success and being on top in contrast to happiness and fulfillment family brings.

Writers David Weissman and David Diamond didn't leave anything out when it comes to portraying the world in which parents live. How do you raise your kids, do a full time job, maintain relationship with friends, do household business, every night take your dog for walk, and, most importantly, build a great relationship with your spouse? Wouldn't all that business take away the time necessary to build THE career and life's comfort? We might think we don't need all of the above.

And that's exactly what Jack Campbell had thought as well.

Heart warming Christmas film

[stretchfoofight · 7/10 · 22 December 2019]

A man who seemingly has everything, intervenes and tempts fate by insisting he has it all. In a Dickensian style of Christmas film, a man is given insights into how his life could be.

Better than most films, a great score by Danny elfman and a festive treat.

This movie offended me

[gdump · 4/10 · 12 December 2010]

I was offended by the premise of this movie. Other movies have suggested that life is better with a family but this one as much as said that you're a total loser and a waste of skin if you don't have the wife and 2.4 kids. It was neither sweet nor funny -- it was just drivel.

If you're the type who believes that you can't be a person without buying into the "suburban dream", then you might like this. It will reinforce your beliefs and may make you feel good about yourself.

However, if you're a successful single person, this movie will probably offend you as much as it did me. I am truly sick of these movies that try to tell me that I'm only fooling myself that I am satisfied with my life.

Worth A Look!

[firehawk-ws6 · 10 November 2004]

Without going into too much of the main storyline (you can read the reviews for that) I'll say that this movie is a very touching look at "what might have been." While I'm not a Cage fan, I'll give kudos to him, in that he portrayed his confused character masterfully. His struggles from realizing that he has left his high-octane business/playboy life for a simple family life are fun to watch.

And Tea Leoni....woohoo!

Nice holiday movie. Probably not one for the younger kids, due to some content (Tea's shower scene is STUNNING!) and innuendo, but definitely one you can be entertained by. 7 out of 10 stars.

Locations and good performances pull through strong

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 8 December 2000]

(Possible spoilers and a rant on Teaneck ahead)

Brett Ratner's The Family Man has things going for it that many people wont know (or maybe just not care to know). I remember about a year ago, right near my house, this film was being made. True, it isn't much of importance, but knowing this, it made watching this film even more enjoyable. And while other people probably won't give a hoot when I say that, hey, I know where that Bloomingdales is or, hey I've seen that house without the fake snow or even, hey that's not the Teaneck public library. I just want to say that in case people wonder why this film gets such a grade it gets, and how that location setting can be a big boost instead of in a studio.

Because, as a film, The Family Man bears striking resemblances to It's a Wonderful Life, except when you substitute Jimmy Stewart for Nic Cage, there can be a drop off. Even so, Cage does do a good job in this film, and making it almost shine as a rich guy who finds everything he worked for in 13 years disappears into Jersian suburbia, thanks to Don Cheadle. Then, he discovers that his life could've been different if it had only been for one choice.

The conventiality and often corniness spoils the film like a under-roasted turkey, but it is saved (slightly) by the performances by Cage, Cheadle, and especially Tea Leoni as a loving yet often confused wife (that and the New Jersey locations). One of the better romantic dramedies of the year. B+

a good movie to see around the holidays

[triple8 · 7/10 · 6 December 2004]

Although this movie doesn't break any new ground, it's a fun couple of hours. I just saw this a day or two ago and moderately enjoyed it. The message of the movie was obviously that all the wealth in the world can't replace having someone to share your life with. While parts of family man were a bit sappy and not very original, there was enough sweetness and fun moments to make it a fun, if not exceptional viewing experience.

I think kudos go to the makers of Family Man for their casting of Cage and Leone in the lead roles, they were both perfect for the roles in question. I read some of the negative comments and can actually understand them. The movie does romantisize an awful lot. Still, I felt they were on target with much of it. Of coarse, not everyone who is rich and single is unhappy, not at all, but I think Cage's character was meant to be more of a caricature of one particular type of Person(The Eagles "desperado" comes to mind). I have seen this type of situation in real life amongst people I've known (the achievement of a certain lifestyle) and the "money don't buy happiness" theory happens to be in many cases true. Everyone makes choices in life but wouldn't it be fun to be able to get a peek into how one's life would have turned out if a different choice would have been made? This is a movie that's not heavy at all, to the contrary, it's very sweet and light and so mawkishly sappy at times. Still it makes you think. I'd give it a 7 of 10 and say it's worth a night's viewing.

Heartwarming

[Calicodreamin · 10/10 · 8 August 2020]

Arguably Nicholas Cages best movie, the family man is purely heartwarming fluff. The characters are well cast and well acted, Leoni and Cage have great chemistry, and the kids are so cute. The storyline is well developed and the ending is perfect. Love!

Its not hot, but still sticky sweet, from it's head to it's feet

[movieman_kev · 6/10 · 28 June 2005]

Jack Campbell (Nick Cage) is a successful, talented, happy businessman on the top of the world. On Christmas Eve, while at a convenience store, he runs into a semi-helpful guy who offers him a glimpse of what life would be like if he had stayed with a previous girlfriend. Before you can utter "Holy Clichéd movie, Batman!", Jack is transported to a life of changing snotty nosed babies diapers and other pitfalls of married life. The topper being that he now lives in New Jersey (the horror, the horror).

Don't get me wrong I DO like this film, despite the ultra-simplistic moral that if you don't have someone to love you, you can never be truly happy no matter how much you think you are. If you don't have someone in your life, then you're just deluded in your happiness. That type of BS will NEVER sail with me. I like it, despite the amount of syrupy sweetness is enough to put Mother Theresa into a diabetic induced coma. It is well-acted and I was hardly ever bored, so that should count for something.

My Grade: C+

DVD Extras:Commantary with Director Brett Radner and Writers David Diamond & David Weissman; Second Commentary with Producer Marc Abraham; Music Score Commentary with Danny Elfman; A 20 minute Spotlight on Location featurette; 9 Deleted Footage; 6 Outtakes; Montage of people saying Jack; Seal 'This could be Heaven' Music Video; a lame Choose your Fate game; Opening scene with Alternative Music; Production Info; Cast & Crew Biographies; and Theatrical Trailer

DVD-ROM: Script to Screen Comparison; Screensaver; Wallpaper

Perfect

[aidanratesmovies · 10/10 · 9 December 2020]

Part of what makes the holiday season so compelling is the magic in the air of it all, like air you can't quite see it, but when you least expect it, magic can be all around you. This movie reminded me just how special that magic can be, and is easily one of the best holiday films I have ever seen. I've watched my fair share of romantic movies, dramas, even just Nicolas Cage films (they are basically in their own category at this point). I've seen films like this before, it's similar to It's a Wonderful Life and other themed holiday films, but what is so incredibly unique and poignant about this film, is that it isn't afraid to get personal, it isn't afraid to dig deep, and most of all, it isn't afraid of what will become of it. It's a special movie for me, a film experience which I will never forget, making me cry, making me laugh, and making me swoon. It's unlike anything i've seen before, and just because it's similar, doesn't make it unoriginal. Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni are fantastic throughout the film, and the screenplay is even better. Some parts of the film honestly feel like poetry to me, and it's quite a shame that the film was panned as it was upon release. Luckily, it found its followers in the eyes of the audiences around the world, and for this Christmas fan, it certainly found him too. I love this film, it's hard to watch, its sad, but it's lovely. And I would be lying if I said it wasn't one of the most honest and moving flicks I've ever seen. My Rating: 10/10

someone is always watching

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 8 December 2000]

Greeting again from the darkness. While it is tempting to dismiss this film as just another from the Hollywood machine, I would ask you to view it as a romantic fantasy more than a romantic comedy. What if ... you had chosen the "other fork"? Nicholas Cage is fine in his role, actually more believable as the suburban tire salesman than the Wall Street tycoon. But the real star is Tea Leoni. She illuminates the screen. She even proves to have some acting ability! I was mesmerised with her scene on the bed waiting for her anniversary gift. Sure it is predictable, but tell me you don't catch yourself thinking "What if...?" at least a couple of times during the movie. Check out Robert Downey, SR. as the elderly gentleman who answers the door late in the film.

Life becomes thought provoking.

[michaelRokeefe · 5/10 · 2 October 2001]

Not exactly the knee slapping comedy you think, but a 'feel good' life altering decision maker. One of Manhattan's richest and ruthless businessmen(Nicolas Cage) is transformed into a suburban working stiff with wife and children.

Tea Leoni leads the supporting cast that features Don Cheadle, Harve Presnell, Mary Beth Hurt and Saul Rubinek.

Excellent Christmas classic!

[davispittman · 10/10 · 5 April 2017]

The Family Man is a Brett Ratner Christmas time drama movie starring Nicholas Cage, Tea Leoni, and Don Cheadle. I've always adored this great movie for a number of reasons. First of all, the cast and their performances. Cage and Leoni will both really move you deeply with their performances. Cage can be both funny and very serious depending on what's going on at the time in this movie, and he's impressive at both kinds of acting. Tea Leoni is also pretty versatile in her performance, she has some funny lines and scenes, but overall the dramatic side of her acting is the main part of her performance. And Don Cheadle's job is to play a somewhat likable angel who sends Jack (Nicholas Cage) on this incredible journey. And his portrayal of the angel is pretty good, I mean it doesn't as much really serious scenes as Leoni and Cage's roles do, but even still he tackles what is necessary and does it well. I loved the script here, it's written with so much heart and real emotion. You can really feel the pain/love in these characters, and that's due to both the actors performances and the impeccably written script. The movie has scenes where you'll be laughing and scenes where you will almost cry and you'll pull so hard for these characters to end up happy and fulfilled in the end. I love the ending, it just sums the whole thing up so well. I suggest everyone experience this great film! You won't regret it :). 10/10.

Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni are great, but it follows the role of a conventional love story with plot holes. **1/2 (out of four)

[Movie-12 · 6/10 · 17 January 2001]

THE FAMILY MAN / (2000) **1/2 (out of four)

By Blake French:

The main character in Brett Ratner's fresh romantic drama, "The Family Man," is an enormously wealthy Wall Street businessman named Jack Campbell, played by Nicolas Cage. Jack has everything he could possibly want out of life: a gorgeous woman who provides him with lovemaking whenever needed, massive living space, and all the material possessions imaginable. On Christmas Eve, his corporation, PK Lassiter and Associates, Investment House, is about to close on a record setting merger involving many billions of dollars. What more could anyone want out of life?

Jack has an interesting past behind him. Thirteen years earlier he was college sweetheart to a beautiful young woman named Kate (Tea Leoni). When given the opportunity to spend a year in London or continue his relationship with Kate, Jack chooses the "road less traveled" and packs his luggage for England. Recently, Jack received a message from Kate, who wants a phone call or a visit since she is moving out of town. While Jack is reluctant to do so, as he walks home from work that night, he visits a small convenience market and finds himself in the middle of a heist. Jack eventually talks the gunman, named Cash (Don Cheadle), out of doing anything violent, but he also gets the surprise of his life.

The next morning Jack awakes in a middle-class suburban New Jersey home, along with Kate as his wife and their two young children. Naturally horrified at the confusion of the events, Jack rushes to his office only to realize nobody knows him as the head honcho anymore. Soon the mysterious Cash confronts and explains to Jack that he must figure out what all of this means for himself. At first the previous bachelor is not satisfied with being a modest tire sales representative, but after a while he begins to feel more comfortable with this alternate universe…and may hunger more for family passion rather than money after all. But will he be able to keep this life, or is it only a matter of time before Cash switches Jack back into his old setting?

The most obvious mistake "The Family Man" makes is showing us what a wonderful life Jack has at the beginning, and how it actually decreases in quality in his alternate lifestyle. Many audiences will surely disagree and find a loving family more valuable than a load of cash and luxuries, but after comparing both lives, I would be in a particularly unusual mood to pick the family life. The movie portrays Jack's family is a little too ordinary as well. What would you choose, a life of riches and abundance or changing dirty dippers and dealing with a family's hectic schedule? Kate is a very beautiful woman, and I am sure she would light a few fires for Jack, but his personality seems more convincing as the original corporate entrepreneur.

Another conflict I had with the movie is how it takes the role of a conventional love story shamelessly through a simple minded gimmick. Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni have ample chemistry, and the performances are tastefully elegant and illustriously charming. However, there is no explanation of how Cash has the power to alter Jack's livelihood. Is he an angel from God? If he was, I doubt he would hold up a convenient store. Or what happens to the family when Jack's new life is transformed into the old? It is plot holes like these that make "The Family Man" nothing more than a look at two lovebirds going through the motions.