The Family Man

One of my most favourite movie is 'The Family Man', starred by Nicolas Cage and Tea Leony. Surprisingly, it was not very successful, it was not even in the mind of many people when it was launched.

For many of the working class people, Wall Street is a dream. A beautiful dream. Penthouse in the centre of Manhattan, you can have all what you want - as Jack Campbell said it 'I've got everything I need'.

I like the appearance of the mysterious angel - and the film purposely left him as just unclear and to our own interpretation. I like the idea of the board and the upper esselon, and his face when he said to the failed store owner 'you blew it...'. And also when finally he reminded Jack of the glimpse.

The movie takes the approach like Victor Frankl's - a psychiatrist who survived the NAZI camp and author of 'In Seach of Meaning'. It asks the question, "What if....?" So the writer asked Jack Campbell: What if you were married? What if you lose all your Wall Street status? What if you could not afford a $2,400 suit? What if you gotta work as a tyre salesman, in contrast the high-flyer of Wall St? What if you gotta save cents by cents, clipping coupons, waiting for another 122 payment to own your house - just like many working class Americans?

But you got your family. You have 2 kids. You have a lovely wife instead of the different women you have every month.

The other way around approach is often used by pshyciatrist also, i.e for a stress mother who cannot take the noise, messy house caused by kids. Ask her a question, imagine that the house is quiet and clean. It is as perfect as you imagine. But you don't have the kids.

Often people start realizing that whatever they have is greater than whatever they don't have.

It is certainly one of the best movie I keep in my heart. The acting of Cage and Leony is excellent. Certain plots perhaps I would tweak were I the writer, but overall is genius! The idea of glimpse, the mysterious angel, and the presentation of Wall St - I like it. The snowy background is wonderful too.

It's just that after watching the movie, I still feel that how nice it is to fly around in Wall St :)