MovieChat Forums > The Family Man (2000) Discussion > Movie didn't quite work for me.

Movie didn't quite work for me.


The Jack Campbell character had two issues at the beginning of the film that needed to be resolved. The first is he was the stereotypical Wall St. banker who only worshiped money and power. The second is he was a single man who didn't see the value in having a family. By the end of the movie, only his views about family was changed. He still worshiped the lavish lifestyle from his job as a Wall St. executive. They needed to show a change in perspective in him on that first point, but they didn't.

Towards the 2/3rd mark, he needed to stop looking at that lifestyle as something he desired so much. At the same time, he needed to stop looking at the lives of the working class with so much contempt. It didn't seem like either of those happened. As a result, it felt like the message of the movie was, you need to make sacrifices for love and family, and that includes voluntarily working with stinky, poverty-stricken slobs, and living in a hovel, so you can be with them. It's not so bad if you hold your breath. Is that really a message worthy of praise? It's like, gee you writers, tell us what you really think about most of the American population.


reply

Doesn't sound right. He didn't go to Aspen, implying he gave up on that career.

reply