a family man movie review

The Family Man

It’s a funny thing about supernatural movies. The black characters are always the ones with all the insights into the occult, but they never get to be the occulted. Consider Whoopi Goldberg in “ Ghost ,” Will Smith in “The Legend of Bagger Vance” and now Don Cheadle in “The Family Man.” They’re all on good terms with the paranormal, but act only as guides for Demi Moore , Matt Damon , Nicolas Cage , et al. They’re always the medium but never the message.

In “The Family Man,” Cage plays Jack Campbell, a businessman who is ruled by his career. He has no personal life to speak of, works on Christmas Eve and doesn’t even bother to return a phone message from Kate Reynolds ( Tea Leoni ), his girlfriend from college. In 1987, we learn, Jack flew off for a year in London, even though Kate tearfully begged him to stay. She feared if he left, they’d never get married, and she was right.

Now, through the paranormal intervention of a taxi driver (Cheadle) who acts as his guide, or portal, or something, Jack goes to sleep as a wealthy bachelor and awakens in a parallel time-track where apparently he did fly back from London, marry Kate and father two children. He also now has a dog, which is slobbering all over him.

The heart of the movie is his gradual realization that his other life has somehow disappeared, that he’s now a family man, that he has been granted the opportunity to experience all that he missed by putting his career ahead of personal goals. I always wonder, in movies like this, why the hero has been transferred into the alternate life but has retained the original memories–but of course if he had the alternate memories, he wouldn’t know anything had happened.

Tea Leoni (“ Deep Impact ,” “ Flirting With Disaster “) is lovable as the wife, and does a good job of covering the inevitable moments when she must (we think) realize that a stranger is inhabiting her husband’s body. The story takes a sitcom turn, as Jack finds out he works for his father-in-law as a tire salesman and tries to talk his way back into the big money in Manhattan.

I liked the movie, liked Cage, liked Leoni, smiled a lot, and yet somehow remained at arm’s length, because I was having a parallel-life experience of my own. I kept remembering a movie named “ Me Myself I ,” which came out last spring and did a more persuasive and thoughtful job of considering more or less the same plot. In that one, Rachel Griffiths is a workaholic writer who through supernatural intervention is transported into married life with the guy she loved 15 years ago. She suddenly has three children, etc. The two movies even share a plot point: One of the kids is observant, and knows this is not his real parent. “When’s Mommy gonna be home?” asks Griffiths’ character’s son; “You’re not really Daddy, are you?” asks Jack’s daughter.

Why similar movies get made at the same time is a good question. Demi Moore’s “ Passion of Mind ,” from last spring, was about a character shuttling nightly between two lives. And of course another wellspring of “The Family Man” is “ It's a Wonderful Life ,” except that this time the dark version is reality and the warm family world is the fantasy–or whatever it is.

One problem with the underlying plot is, how do you dispose of the family in the alternative world after the supernatural visitor learns his lesson? “Me Myself I” handled that neatly with actual contact between the two versions of the heroine. “The Family Man” doesn’t find a satisfactory resolution: Not that it’s crucial, but it would have been nice. The movie is sweet, light entertainment, but could have been more.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Jeremy Piven as Arnie
• Josef Sommer as Lassiter
• Nicolas Cage as Jack Campbell
• Tea Leoni as Kate Reynolds
• Don Cheadle as Cash
• Makenzie Vega as Annie

Directed by

• Brett Ratner
• David Diamond
• David Weissman

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• DVD & Streaming

The Family Man

• Comedy , Drama

Content Caution

In Theaters

• Nicolas Cage, Téa Leoni, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Piven, Amber Valletta

Home Release Date

• Brett Ratner

Distributor

• Universal Pictures

Positive Elements   |   Spiritual Elements   |   Sexual & Romantic Content   |   Violent Content   |   Crude or Profane Language   |   Drug & Alcohol Content   |   Other Noteworthy Elements   | Conclusion

Movie Review

Jack Campbell is a successful Wall Street trader accustomed to life’s “finer” things. Designer clothes. Gourmet dining. Willing women. Prestige. Power. Jack has it all … or does he?

After calmly thwarting a robbery on Christmas eve, Jack gets a surreal reward—the chance to see what life would’ve been like had he married his college sweetheart and become The Family Man . Jack wakes up Christmas morning in suburban New Jersey beside his wife, Kate, and is playfully assaulted by a rambunctious 3-year-old who calls him “Daddy.” He panics. It seems none of his city friends recognize him, yet strangers in Teaneck treat him as one of their own.

Some very funny scenes involve a jaded Jack reluctantly playing the part of a domesticated male. Walking dogs. Changing babies. Selling tires retail! But just as he begins to enjoy the routine and the people in it, he must return to the life he chose, which now feels empty by comparison. Imagine Capra with a twist: It Could’ve Been a Wonderful Life.

And this could’ve been a wonderful family film if not for profanity, sexual situations, alcohol use and fairly explicit nudity. That’s a shame because, like a holiday cordial, The Family Man has a sweet center. A balm for macho mid-life crisis, it makes strong statements in favor of personal integrity, the value of family and the foolishness of infidelity. It also romanticizes the idea of couples growing old together. If only the movie’s delightful themes weren’t unequally yoked with disappointing moments.

Positive Elements

Spiritual elements, sexual & romantic content, violent content, crude or profane language, drug & alcohol content, other noteworthy elements.

Bob Smithouser

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The Headhunter's Calling

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What to Know

A Family Man has some worthy ideas, but they're bungled in a middle-of-the-road melodrama populated by thinly sketched -- and occasionally downright unlikeable -- characters.

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Mark Williams

Gerard Butler

Dane Jensen

Gretchen Mol

Elise Jensen

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Anupam Kher

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Alfred Molina

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The family man.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 5 Reviews
• Kids Say 3 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Nell Minow , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Warmhearted tale about second chances; some sex, profanity.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Family Man is a 2000 movie starring Nicolas Cage as a wealthy investment banker who is given the opportunity to experience what his life would have been like had he decided to stay with his college girlfriend instead of going off to London to study economics. The movie has some…

Why Age 13+?

Occasional profanity includes one use of "f--k" as well as "s--t,

Sexual references and situations, including adultery and a one-night stand. A wo

Drinking at parties and at a bowling alley. Lead character drinks booze quickly

In a corner grocery store, a character pulls a gun on the clerks, then points it

Any Positive Content?

A wealthy Wall Street executive learns that love is more important than the acqu

Though he does act self-centered and materialistic throughout the movie, Jack le

Occasional profanity includes one use of "f--k" as well as "s--t," "prick," "hell," "damn," and "crap." Talk of one-night stands, affairs, and how a woman's husband "satisfies" her.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Sexual references and situations, including adultery and a one-night stand. A woman is naked in a shower; the glass and steam mostly cover up her nudity but there's a glimpse of buttocks and breast. A married couple tries to have sex, remains clothed. Open talk between two married characters about having an affair with each other. Lead character shown in his underwear.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Drinking at parties and at a bowling alley. Lead character drinks booze quickly to try to process what has happened to him. He compares it to an "acid trip." Characters turn to liquor to relieve stress, and a character makes a joke about his wife's drinking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

In a corner grocery store, a character pulls a gun on the clerks, then points it at the lead character, threatening to kill him.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

A wealthy Wall Street executive learns that love is more important than the acquisition of material goods.

Positive Role Models

Though he does act self-centered and materialistic throughout the movie, Jack learns to value love, friendship, and the bonds of family over greed and financial success.

Parents need to know that The Family Man is a 2000 movie starring Nicolas Cage as a wealthy investment banker who is given the opportunity to experience what his life would have been like had he decided to stay with his college girlfriend instead of going off to London to study economics. The movie has some mature themes, including adultery and one-night stands. A woman is naked in a shower; the glass and steam mostly cover up her nudity, but there's a glimpse of buttocks and breast. Jack and his wife start to have sex, but when he says something she finds inappropriate, she stops him. A woman suggests an affair, and Jack's friend tells him that it would be disastrous: "Don't screw up your whole life just because you're a little unsure about who you are." The movie does make it clear that loving, married sex is the ideal. Characters turn to liquor to relieve stress, and a character makes a joke about his wife's drinking. There is some strong language, including "s--t" and one use of "f--k." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (5)
• Kids say (3)

Based on 5 parent reviews

CommonSense neglected to mention a nude scene and an f***...

Looks can be deceiving, what's the story.

Nicolas Cage plays Jack Campbell, a man who is perfectly delighted with his life the way it is. He loves money, making it on Wall Street, and spending it on expensive suits, gourmet meals, and a snazzy sports car. He doesn't mind Scrooge-ily calling a meeting at the office on Christmas, telling himself it's for the employees' own good, since they'll be making so much money. But then he stops to buy eggnog and sees a man ( Don Cheadle ) pull out a gun when a store clerk refuses to pay off his lottery ticket. His offer to buy the ticket mysteriously catapults him into the life he chose not to have -- a life in the New Jersey suburbs, with him married to his college sweetheart ( Tea Leoni ), with two small children and a job selling tires. His old life has disappeared. It's his worst nightmare, and he gets many opportunities to be horrified by diapers and outlet-store merchandise and to completely deconstruct his old life before he begins to realize what he's missed.

Is It Any Good?

There's some predictability and awkward construction in this movie; it feels as if it were edited heavily after focus-group testing, leaving some characters and plot lines unresolved. Nonetheless, this is a holiday pleasure. Cage and Leoni are enormously appealing in their various incarnations. There are some funny lines and warm moments, especially when the one person Jack can't fool is his daughter, who knows this is not the daddy she loves and decides he must be an alien. And there is a satisfying resolution that incorporates the best of both options.

The grand tradition of "what if?" movies from A Christmas Carol to It's a Wonderful Life and the more recent Passion of Mind and Me Myself I show us an unhappy hero or heroine who finds out what life would have been like if he or she had made a different choice. Though in this version, Jack loved his life to begin with.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about some of the "roads not taken" and what they think their lives might be like now if they had made other choices.

Comparisons have been made of this movie to the 1940s Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life . How is this movie similar to and different from that classic film and other holiday-themed movies and stories in which selfish characters learn the importance of love and the bonds of family, friendship, and community?

How is marriage represented in this movie? What are the highs and lows, as well as the joys and difficulties, conveyed through action and dialogue? Do you think it's realistic? Why, or why not?

What do you think the angel will do for the young woman who accepted too much change?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 22, 2000
• On DVD or streaming : July 2, 2001
• Cast : Don Cheadle , Nicolas Cage , Tea Leoni
• Director : Brett Ratner
• Inclusion Information : Black actors, Female actors
• Studio : Universal Pictures
• Genre : Comedy
• Run time : 125 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : sexual references and situations and language
• Last updated : May 30, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

It's a Wonderful Life

Me Myself I

Drama Movies That Tug at the Heartstrings

Drama tv for teens.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Film Review: ‘A Family Man’

A family crisis provides a wake-up call for a corporate workaholic.

By Dennis Harvey

Dennis Harvey

Film Critic

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Sometimes it’s clear that the qualities in a role that should’ve set off warning alarms among a performer’s better instincts instead seduced their actorly vanity. In “A Family Man,” Gerard Butler (who also produced) plays the classic type-A corporate arsehole who gets an ultimately redemptive wake-up call when a crisis forcibly reminds him that The Really Important Thing Is Family. It’s a showboating part he attacks with a forced gusto that only underlines the string of manipulative clichés that Bill Dubuque has provided as a screenplay here. Sparing no maudlin contrivance in a quest to jerk tears that remain stubbornly dry, this hokum is slickly executed by producer Mark Williams in his feature directorial debut. But the result never rises above polished plastic, formulaic, and pedestrian.

When the film starts with one of those “Yes I am a cocky SOB!” workplace monologues that always seem poorly Xeroxed from “Glengarry Glen Ross,” we immediately get the picture: Dane Jensen (Butler) is a Chicago corporate headhunter who’s got a gonzo, take-no-prisoners, ruthless, cutthroat, etc. way of doing business. He clearly thrives on high-octane workaholism, though that is a source of less satisfaction to the wife (Gretchen Mol as Elyse) he’s begun treating as an under-performing employee, let alone the three young children who are lucky if they catch a glimpse of daddy before bedtime.

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That compulsive drive only shifts into higher gear when his ruthless, cutthroat etc. longtime boss (Willem Dafoe) improbably announces he’ll be addressing his “inner Kerouac” by traveling the globe and surrendering Blackridge Recruitment for keeps to a successor. Just who the latter will be, however, is left to be duked out between rival office team supervisors Dane and Lynn (Alison Brie). Whoever scores the highest commission total during the next month will inherit the company kingdom. As we’ve already sussed, Dane is not above fibbing a little — or a lot, as when he impersonates an FBI agent to scotch a client’s hire through another agency — to come out on top, so the competition will be … well, ruthless and cutthroat.

Popular on Variety

Unfortunately, his bullying bluster cannot win the day (though he does give it an initial try, on Anupam Kher’s specialist Dr. Singh) when eldest child Ryan (Maxwell Jenkins) is diagnosed with life-threatening leukemia. Instead, it will take re-commitment to his neglected family, just at a point when he’s itching to win the grand prize of his career to date.

There are no prizes awarded for guessing where all this is headed, and “The Headhunter’s Calling” hits every obvious anticipated note head-on. That encompasses everything from the overwritten hard-boiled corporate-jungle dialogue for office scenes to the familiar, phony over-precociousness levied on the child roles and performances.

The grownups fare better, though no one (excepting perhaps pleasingly low-key Alfred Molina as an “unemployable” 59-year-old engineer) transcends the hackneyed script. Mol brings some warmth and dimension to what’s still ultimately just another rote nagging “But you’re never here !” wife role. Given some particularly clunky, crass lines, Dafoe just survives a role he’s played before and better. As for Butler, this Canadian production does rep an attempt to break out of the hunk straitjacket Hollywood has wrapped him in. But however well-intentioned its choice might be (his own company produced it), “Calling” is the wrong vehicle to change that image and up his game.

Though partly shot in Toronto, the film does make strong use of Chicago locations, with a diverting if heavy-handed subsidiary thread involving father and son visits to local architectural landmarks. Shelly Johnson’s handsome widescreen photography highlights a glossy overall assembly.

Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival (Gala Presentations), Sept. 13, 2016. Running time: 110 MIN. (Original title: “The Headhunter’s Calling”)

• Production: (Canada) A Voltage Pictures presentation of a Voltage Films and Zero Gravity Management production, in association with G-Base Productions. (International sales: Voltage, Los Angeles.) Producers: Nicolas Chartier, Mark Williams, Craig J. Flores, Alan Siegel, Gerard Butler, Patrick Newall. Executive producers: Bill Dubuque, Jonathan Deckter, Dan Beckerman, Danielle Robinson.
• Crew: Director: Mark Williams. Screenplay: Bill Dubuque. Camera (color, widescreen, HD): Shelly Johnson. Editor: Thom Noble.
• With: Gerard Butler, Gretchen Mol, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Alison Brie, Maxwell Jenkins, Julia Butters, Anupam Kher, Dwain Murphy, Mimi Kuzyk, Dustin Milligan.

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A Family Man 3 stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

19th June 2017 by Sarah 6 Comments

A Family Man was originally called The Headhunter’s Calling which I prefer as I love a good pun. Dane Jensen (Gerard Butler, not sounding remotely Scottish) is a headhunter at Blackridge Recruitment who is indeed always calling – sweet-talking and lying to get past secretaries so he can access the highly-qualified people he wants to place in other firms, whether they want to move jobs or not. But he’s in the office most of the time, and when he’s at home his phone is constantly glued to his ear, and family life is on the point of collapse.

Click here for A Family Man video review

Away from work every aspect of life still reminds him and his long-suffering wife of business – every discussion is a negotiation, and even when he wants to spice up their sex life and springs his ideas on her he admits he should have “preclosed” on it first.

Until young Ryan (Maxwell Jenkins) falls dangerously ill, and this, combined with the stress from a competition in the office between Dane and Lynn (Alison Brie), his arch rival for the boss’s chair, forces him to finally, finally re-evaluate his priorities. It takes bloody ages though – with Dane still brokering deals when he should be building bridges.

If all this sounds familiar, then yes it is cliched, very much so in parts – though there’s a discussion to be had about that line between sincerity and sentimentality.

But A Family Man is also surprisingly moving in places, because of two things – the uniformly excellent cast, and a script which, when it isn’t stickily cloying is both moving and funny, with occasional big set piece speeches that come across as genuine.

The humour between Dane and Elise often realistically descends into bickering, which shows just how close he and his wife are to relationship breakdown – one minute they’re laughing over his negotiated monthly blowjob and the next she’s being told she’s not adventurous enough in the bedroom (way to alienate every woman exhausted from looking after children ever, Dane). We never get to hear what they’ve negotiated for her sex-wise each month, though she probably looks at his constantly buzzing phone with something like longing.

Jensen may always say the right thing on the phone to his clients but to his family it’s almost always the wrong thing. When he and Ryan are being shown Ryan’s room at the hospital it’s got a cool TV and a room service button and Dane says with fake cheeriness “You know, I’m going to have to catch a little leukaemia myself!” which doesn’t really do much to lighten the atmosphere. (Ryan is a sweetheart, desperate to talk up his dad despite his father’s failings, telling people he is someone who helps other dads get jobs to provide for their families; which though rather old-fashioned does show the boy has the makings of a great spin doctor.)

Dane and Lynn’s boss Ed (Willem Dafoe) set up Blackridge and now wants to take more of a back seat. Ed is awful to start with and gets worse, though Dafoe manages to bring some depth to one of those men who is remarkable at one thing and assumes they are therefore remarkable at everything.

The competition between Dane and Lynn takes an age to get going (she barely appears for the first hour) and then fizzles out, when it could and should have been a necessary counterweight to the emotional journey in his family life. He and Lynn have a sneaking admiration for each other and a sparky relationship – one minute she’s asking after Ryan’s wellbeing and the next she’s giving Dane a huge jar of petroleum jelly as an early Christmas present because “I’m about to shove November right up your ass”, as her team is leading on sales for the month. “I wish I’d thought of that” he says, looking at his gift, ever the competitor.

Unfortunately there are constant, rather obvious parallels between plot and subplot and rather too many meaningful statements about other situations which always serve to highlight Dane’s behaviour. ( Lou, a dignified Alfred Molina, is a too-old 59 year old engineer desperate to get back to work after a year of unemployment – Dane initially uses him appallingly, and his relationship with the older man follows the same trajectory as with his family, tritely at times.)

Elise spots flashes of the man she married, but often Dane is downright awful – at home he prefers his cute daughter Lauren to Ryan, and at work he continues to treat other people as simply pawns in his game, using their lives to win the numbers and also to make his own more interesting. Though usually it’s all about the money, even if this means not bothering to try and place a man with a middle-eastern name because of racist employers.

And the sheer amount of time Dane holds out is extraordinary. It takes knife-edge treatments, arguments with his wife and pep talks from Anupam Kher’s exasperated Dr Singh (“Cancer is not a negotiation, Mr Jensen”) before he changes.

Gretchen Mol is wonderful as Elise, who has given up everything to stay at home for 10 years only for him to throw it back in her face along with her supposed unemployability. But Butler is also very good as the man who loves his job but is under constant pressure to be in the office in order to provide for his family, who then complain he is never there. None of this is new, but for many families this is their reality and the performances make the story very relatable.

I’m not going to spoiler the ending for you. I will say though that it finishes with a sweet and realistically inelegant fumble on the sofa between Dane and his lovely wife, and me red-faced with panda eyes snuffling into a soggy tissue.

21st August 2018 at 9:15 AM

What did the ripped up document in the manila envelope mean that Dane got? Thanks

22nd August 2018 at 12:11 AM

A long time since I saw it but I think it’s the non-compete agreement/clause which means Dane can set up on his own straight away.

10th April 2020 at 2:48 AM

Ed, his boss, said that he has never had an employee of his ever take one of his clients after he fired/or left his company. The Non-Cimpete agreement kept him on top because of it.

After he ripped Dane’s contract, he finally openned the special Cobra wine to celebrate, something he said he thinks he’ll never do. He believed he would never “feel” a feeling to ever celebrate. …well, “what goes around, comes around” as “a man feels his blood boil” again.

3rd May 2020 at 7:54 AM

Does that mean he runs the company now or he took over Ed’s spot????

28th June 2020 at 5:17 AM

He could compete and take his clients with him. At the end, he was working from home.

16th May 2024 at 4:14 AM

I really liked this movie. Gerard Butler’s acting made his character’s development totally believable. At first, he was funny in a cynical manner but then I disliked him for treating his son as fat. And that is how one shows a real person developing. An actor displays unlikeable qualities without any apparent self-consciousness if he is interested in showing a real person. No one ever grows emotionally in a straight line and Butler’s Dane did just that.

Gretchen Moll was very good as his wife Elise. Her character doesn’t really have the development that Butler’s Dane does but then it is called The Family MAN. The two actors do have good chemistry. Her Elise isn’t a doormat; she has real intensity.

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Gerard Butler Shows Sensitive Side in ‘A Family Man’

Usually tapped for action roles, the actor flexes his emotional acting chops.

Gerard Butler has played so many rugged brutes in formulaic action epics that most people forget he was the phantom of the opera (yes, he also sings!). So it’s a pleasure to see him for a change in the sensitive role of a conflicted husband and father facing the turbulent emotional challenge of trying to save a dying child. The Canadian film A Family Man premiered last year at the Toronto International Film Festival to a tepid reception, under the title The Headhunter’s Calling.  The title was changed for obvious reasons and the film has taken a year to find its way into American cinemas, opening first in test markets elsewhere. (It is already playing in Hong Kong.)

Mr. Butler plays Dane Jensen, a ruthless corporate headhunter in Chicago on the threshold of promotion who has always placed his job first. After years of using and discarding people while climbing the ladder to success, he now has the biggest, juiciest job of his career at his fingertips when his boss ( Willem Dafoe ) announces his retirement and it’s Dane’s turn to devote 24/7 attention to taking command. Then the unthinkable happens. His ten-year-old son is diagnosed with leukemia and falls seriously ill, forcing the man who is all business and no heart to choose between the Wall Street mechanics of his career and the needs of his distraught wife ( Gretchen Mol ) and terminally ill son (Max Jenkins). The result suffers from sentimental overload and a tidal wave of conscience-searching clichés. This is the feature-film directorial debut from veteran producer Mark Williams, the man responsible for Ben Affleck’s dismal and quickly forgotten flop The Accountant.  The screenplay, by Accountant’s writer, Bill Dubuque, is an improvement over that fiasco, and the film picks up whenever Alfred Molina enters, playing one of Jensen’s desperate, neglected clients. But it is still Gerard Butler who keeps it all afloat, negotiating rough waters with superior skill. Balancing duplicitous career maneuvering with heartbreaking personal impact, this underrated actor shows the toil of domestic stability in crisis with a valor uncommon to both the material and the career of Gerard Butler himself.

• SEE ALSO : What Not to Miss at the Biennale Danza 2024

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Review: Gerard Butler is a big miss in overbearing and treacly drama ‘A Family Man’

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In the wrong-headed drama “A Family Man,” Gerard Butler plays Dane Jensen, a slimy, hard-charging team leader at a Chicago corporate placement firm who’s competing with his female counterpart (Alison Brie) to replace their semiretiring boss (Willem Dafoe, in a rare bad performance). But Dane must reconsider the selfish, workaholic ways that infuriate his long-suffering wife, Elise (Gretchen Mol), when their 10-year-old son, Ryan (Maxwell Jenkins), is diagnosed with leukemia.

As drawn, Dane, a guy so amped he mixes Red Bull with his morning coffee, has no real capacity for change, despite a newfound “commitment” to family. Dane may ditch work to tour landmark buildings with budding architect Ryan, but later, in a truly tone-deaf scene, he’s loudly wheeling and dealing on his cellphone from his near-death son’s hospital room.

Dane’s stabs at redemption, which include a climactic grand gesture on behalf of a hard-to-place client (Alfred Molina), feel as fake and forced as Ryan’s illness, Dane and Elise’s marital woes, Dane and Ryan’s bonding bits and the recruitment agency’s “Boiler Room”-type machinations.

Alternately crass and treacly, overbearing and under-finessed, the film, penned by headhunter-turned-screenwriter Bill Dubuque and directed by Mark Williams, is on life support from the get-go.

-------------

‘A Family Man’

Rating: R, for language and some sexual content

Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Playing: AMC Town Center 8, Burbank; also on VOD.

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• What is the release date of 'A Family Man'? Release date of Gerard Butler and Anupam Kher starrer 'A Family Man' is 2017-07-28.
• Who are the actors in 'A Family Man'? 'A Family Man' star cast includes Gerard Butler, Anupam Kher, Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina.
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6 Things You Need To Know About Sebastian Stan's Trippy New A24 Movie

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Sebastian Stan 's life changes forever in the all-new dark comedy, A Different Man , but not in the way the actor's title character initially thinks. The latest audacious film from A24 and director Aaron Schimberg , A Different Man follows one man's quest to be accepted by the rest of the world, even though the only thing he should be accepting is himself. The main character Edward (Sebastian Stan) resents his current life due to his facial deformities, so he enrolls in a potentially life-changing procedure to change his appearance. The procedure is a success, but when a fellow actor named Oswald ( Adam Pearson ) begins stealing Edward's spotlight, he soon starts to think he made the wrong decision about getting that facial reconstruction surgery.

Since debuting at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, A Different Man has already garnered a very positive response from critics and audiences alike. Many have praised the performances of both Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson, with their chemistry being considered one of the film's strongest elements. Collider's own Ross Bonaime had praise for the film as well in his review of A Different Man , describing the movie as an "audacious A24 thriller". To learn more about the acclaimed A24 film, as well as its cast, trailer, release date, and more, here is everything we know so far about A Different Man .

7 Does 'A Different Man' Have a Release Date?

A Different Man is officially slated to debut on Friday, October 4, 2024 . This follows the film's official premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2024, and a limited theatrical release on September 20, 2024 .

6 Where Can You Watch 'A Different Man'?

A Different Man will be released exclusively in theaters starting October 4th, which shouldn't come as a surprise to A24 fans. That said, A Different Man will be going up against some stiff competition with Joker: Folie à Deux - the sequel to one of the highest-grossing R-rated movies of all-time. Also releasing that weekend is Saorise Ronan 's new drama The Outrun . A Different Man will also be opening one week after Francis Ford Coppola 's passion project Megalopolis , the Kate Winslet -led biopic Lee , and DreamWorks Animation's The Wild Robot .

Those hoping that A Different Man will get an eventual streaming release needn't worry. In December 2023, A24 and Max agreed to a multi-year deal to bring A24's vast array of award-winning films to the Max streaming platform. With that in mind, A Different Man should be making its way to Max some time after the film's theatrical run starts to wind down.

5 Does 'A Different Man' Have a Trailer?

The first trailer for A Different Man introduces audiences to the unique situation of Edward. For his entire life, Edward has held nothing but resentment towards the way that he looks, thinking that he'll never be able to fulfill his dream as an actor with his condition. After an accident, Edward is told that a new medical procedure can completely change his face to look like a stereotypical movie star. Edward thinks this is a miracle and things are going well at first, until he meets Oswald. Oswald has a similar condition to Edward, but unlike Edward, he embraces his appearance and his charisma and personality is enjoyed by all. This not only puts Edward at odds with Oswald, but it also makes Edward think that getting that medical procedure done might have been a mistake.

4 Who Stars in 'A Different Man'?

The cast of A Different Man is led by Sebastian Stan in the lead role. Stan is certainly best known for bringing to life Bucky Barnes, AKA The Winter Soldier, in numerous Marvel movies and shows, including but not limited to Captain America: The Winter Soldier , Avengers: Infinity War , and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier . Stan is also set to reprise the iconic character in the upcoming anti-hero team-up film, Thunderbolts* . Sebastian Stan's prestigious career outside the MCU also includes The Martian and I, Tonya .

Sebastian Stan will be acting opposite Adam Pearson, who has worked with director Aaron Schimberg before with 2018's Chained for Life . Unlike the prosthetics that Sebastian Stan wears earlier in the film, Adam Pearson's facial features are entirely natural. Pearson has a condition called neurofibromatosis, which causes tumor growths on his body. Despite his condition, Pearson has continued to be an activist for those who are unfairly treated for their physical appearance.

Also in the cast is Renate Reinsve as Ingrid. Reinsve is best known for her performances in The Worst Person in the World and Presumed Innocent . Reinsve is also set to co-star with Elle Fanning and Stellan Skarsgård in the upcoming drama Sentimental Value .

3 What Is 'A Different Man' About?

The official plot synopsis of A Different Man reads as follows:

Aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare, as he loses out on the role he was born to play and becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.

2 Who is Making 'A Different Man'?

A Different Man is directed, written, and executive produced by Aaron Schimberg. The upcoming A24 feature will be his third feature film, with Schimberg's previous work including Chained For Life and Go Down Death . In addition to starring in the film, Sebastian Stan will also be executive producing the film alongside Aaron Schimberg.

The rest of the crew for A Different Man also consists of:

• Framed composer Umberto Smerilli
• The Kitchen cinematographer Wyatt Garfield
• Bodies Bodies Bodies editor Taylor Levy
• Resurrection production designer Anna Kathleen
• Mother Couch art director Emilia Spirito

1 What Other Films is A24 Releasing in 2024?

Even after releasing hits like Civil War and I Saw The TV Glow , A24 still has plenty of other exciting projects set for release by the end of 2024. You can find the full list of A24's remaining 2024 slate below:

A Different Man debuts in theaters on Friday, October 4, 2024.

A Different Man

A man undergoes reconstructive surgery to escape his troubled past and takes on a new identity. As he becomes involved in a stage production inspired by his own life, he confronts his former self and grapples with the blurred lines between reality and performance.

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• Sebastian Stan

A Different Man Review: Ready the Trophies for Sebastian Stan & Adam Pearson

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That old notion of the grass always being greener gets taken into a darkly funny and provocative direction in A24's latest film, A Different Man . That's largely thanks to the never-better Sebastian Stan and his lead character's uproarious rise and fall in New York. Folks are rightfully calling A Different Man Stan's best performance to date. What's even more remarkable is how well it pairs with Stan's performance as Donald Trump in his next release, The Apprentice . The films make for a surreal diptych about power, presentation, and New York.

But in the meantime, feast on this deliciously absurd satire of a man's search for true identity and purpose. A Different Man comes from writer-director Aaron Schimberg and also stars Adam Pearson ( Under the Skin ), the two of whom last collaborated on the indie feature Chained for Life (2018). Clearly, their mojo together works, and Stan and Pearson's standout roles are bound to make the award-circuit round this upcoming season. For his part, Schimberg continues to build a fascinating cinematic oeuvre focused on the nature of performance and the perception of disability. This is a filmmaker who is doing something new, and he has the cinematic know-how to do so (he opened his last film with a Pauline Kael quote, after all).

Related: A24 Nabs Adrien Brody’s Historical Epic Following Venice Win

Sebastian Stan's Red-Hot Year in Cinema

A Different Man

An actor named Edward attempts to make himself a more marketable actor by having significant reconstructive surgery on his face, but the results leave much to be desired. Now, having lost the role of his dreams, Edward takes extreme measures to get it back as his obsession turns dark.

• Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson are incredible in a unique meta comedy thriller.
• This is a very funny film if you can laugh past the bleakness, and Stan gives a brilliantly physical performance.
• Aaron Schimberg continues to create provocative films with big (and often funny) questions about presentation, performance, and disability.

The internet was briefly set abuzz when folks began seeing Stan's transformation for A Different Man in images from the film. Then came the quirky trailer more recently, which was aptly cut to LCD Soundsystem's classic song, "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down," more than fitting for Schimberg's new stunner of a feature.

The film hardly begins with gut-busting laughter, and if you judge by the trailer, you can probably predict protagonist Edward's journey as an Aristotelian tragedy. But that doesn't mean commercial audiences will be bored until the more comedic edge kicks off in the second act. Until then, it's an intriguing peek into the life of a New York City resident whose facial disfigurement resembles neurofibromatosis. He gets all sorts of stares from people on the subway, and the aspiring actor is only able to land gigs that exploit his medical condition, aka cheesy workplace PSAs that promote camaraderie and empathy for one's co-workers.

It only gets bleaker when Edward returns home to an apartment with a ceiling on the verge of collapse. It's a meek existence in a rundown building with incomprehensibly noisy neighbors, but there is a bright spot in one of the neighbors. Ingrid is a compassionate woman and aspiring playwright, and she's played with a certain majestic quirkiness by Renate Reinsve, who previously played the phenomenal title character in The Worst Person in the World (2021). She can also be spotted in the recent Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent , but A Different Man is her real time to shine in the English language. She's fantastic opposite Stan, pushing his character to open up as they develop a neighborly friendship.

Sebastian Stan: The MCU's Most Versatile Actor

Though he's widely known as the MCU's Bucky Barnes, Sebastian Stan has proven himself to be the mega-franchise's most versatile actor.

Then comes a certain medical procedure opportunity that could very well change everything pertaining to his facial disfigurement — as long as he's not given the placebo pills in this clinical trial. And lo and behold, as the trailer promises, Edward may have been supplied the right stuff after he finally gives in to temptation and follows through with the daunting experiment.

Related: A24's Latest Horror Movie Might Have Just Ended the Studio's Winning Streak

Peeling Back the Surface? Or Peeling It On?

A Different Man succeeds on so many levels, particularly in the way Edward's personality changes once the tumors on his face start falling off. It's a symbolic moment watching him cry, almost as if in agony, as he peels away the disfigured layer to reveal Sebastian Stan as we've come to know him through acclaimed features like Interstellar, Fresh, Dumb Money, Pam & Tommy, and more. You'll see why Edward's tears here are a clever foreshadowing device for later in this harrowing journey through the NYC theater scene — but in the meantime, watch as he musters the confidence to waltz into dive bars, cozy up with pretty ladies, and even approach Ingrid with a newfound ambition.

Related: Best Dark Comedies Ever Made

The kicker? He takes on a new name, acting like Edward moved out of the apartment, with Ingrid buying into the con. But as stated earlier in this review, the grass is always greener. We soon realize that Ingrid has written a play about the earlier version of Edward she took a liking to, and since new-Edward is utterly dashing, she'll need to find someone else to play his role. Uh-oh!

Adam Pearson Playing Sebastian Stan Playing Adam Pearson

That's when a testosterone-fueled actor swoops in to save the day, strutting into the theater in the form of the ever-so-charming Oswald (Pearson) to play the part. Yes, he looks like pre-treatment Edward — and is played by an actor who actually lives with neurofibromatosis. He's funny, warmhearted... and he can sing! Plus, who can resist that velvety British accent of his? Newly "handsome" and renewed, Edward realizes that, in remaking himself, he has been replaced.

That's when Edward starts to brutally spiral. Stan puts on a clinic of physical comedy that might just be revisited in acting classes down the line for inspiration. A bitter jealousy of everything Oswald has drives Edward to drastic measures, leading to horrific injuries and worse. Watch out for a downright hysterical image of an utterly jaded Edward getting spoon-fed his meal because of how low he has stooped, on a physical, emotional and mental level. It's meme-worthy material that will leave the theater hollering around you (or wincing in discomfort if they can't handle the dark humor).

And there's plenty else to eat up in A Different Man , aptly titled for more reasons than one. This is not just a morbidly hilarious movie, but a bold, almost pioneering one in many ways, and one that never compromises. (However, some audiences may wish it compromised just a tad with the ending, which is abrupt). We predict it will be a busy year for Stan and Pearson, at the very least. From A24, A Different Man will be released in theaters on September 20.

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