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The Family Man

(2000, Rated PG-13, Comedy, Starring Nicolas Cage, Don Cheadle, Tea Leoni)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 13; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Pleasant movie despite some predictability.

updated 11.09.09

Why We Rated This on for Ages 13 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    What could have been if we remained compassionate, thoughtful and kind, or something akin to that.

  • Role models:

    Jack is reminiscent of Scrooge.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Brief scene of peril, no injuries.

  • Sex:

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

  • Language:

    Brief mild language, mostly variations of "s--t."

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Characters reach for drinks to cope with stress.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Family Man

Parents need to know that the movie has some mature themes, including sexual references and situations. Jack is very nice to a woman he slept with, but it is clear that there is no intimacy between them. He 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 repeatedly turn to liquor to relieve stress, and a character makes a joke about his wife's drinking. There is some strong language.

Read our full review by Nell Minow

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about some of the "roads not taken" they still think about, and what they think their lives would be like now if they had made another choice.
  • How do we make choices?
  • What do we do when circumstances make choices for us?
  • What do you think the angel will do for the young woman who accepted too much change?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    RachaelEmanuelle
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

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