Film - Feature Article - "The Family Man" (2000) Director - Brett Ratner, Starring Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni

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It's A Wonderful Life

"A glimpse of the road less travelled - the essence of money, love and values of The Family Man. Which could be happier?"

Imagine waking up to the wail of a distressed baby, the call of a child jumping on your bed and the slobber of dog saliva over your face. Add the confusion of sleeping next to an unknown woman and the fact you were a wealthy corporate CEO a moment ago, you rush out of bed to ask yourself, "Where's my Ferrari?" along with a daughter asking "You're not my dad are you?" Wouldn't you be shocked? This is the journey of The Family Man starring Nicholas Cage as 'Jack Campbell' and Tea Leoni as 'Kate'. Directed by Brett Ratner, the film takes the audience through a physical glimpse of Jack's other life where he realises the importance of choice and family love.

As Ursula le Guin once said, "It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end." This film is no exception and demonstrates decisions made in life comes not without compromise and sacrifice, mistakes and regrets, but more importantly, the values and time spent in a warm loving family life, which wealth simply cannot buy.

The story begins in an airport with Jack choosing to leave his girlfriend, Kate, to study arbitrary in London, despite Kate's attempts to convince him to 'scrap the plan... what we have together is what makes us great. And I choose us.' On Christmas Eve 13 years later, Jack is in charge of a multi-billion dollar company merge and the film's steady camera rotations around his high-classed apartment, his wardrobes of $2000 suits and singing to soprano lyrics gives away Jack's beginning character. Later on,