The Family Man

The Family Man is a 2000 American romantic fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Brett Ratner, from a screenplay by David Diamond and David Weissman. The film stars Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni, with Don Cheadle, Saul Rubinek, and Jeremy Piven in supporting roles.

The Family Man was theatrically released in the United States on December 22, 2000, by Universal Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $124.7 million worldwide against its $60 million budget. At the 27th Saturn Awards, it was nominated for Best Fantasy Film and won Best Actress for Leoni.

Plot

Jack and Kate, who have been together since college, are at JFK Airport, where he is about to leave to take up a twelve-month internship with Barclays in London. She fears the separation will be detrimental to their relationship and asks him not to go, but he reassures her that their love is strong enough to last and that the internship will be beneficial to their future together.

Thirteen years later, Jack is a wealthy bachelor and Wall Street executive in New York City, with millions at his disposal. At work, he is putting together a multi-billion dollar merger and has ordered an emergency meeting on Christmas Day, disregarding his employees' desires to spend time with their families. In his office, on Christmas Eve, he gets a message to contact Kate. Jack ponders whether Kate is attempting to reconnect, but chooses not to return her call.

On his way home, Jack is in a convenience store when a young man, Cash, enters claiming to have a winning lottery ticket worth $238, but the store clerk refuses him, saying the ticket is a forgery. Cash pulls out a gun, and Jack, trying to defuse the situation, offers to buy the ticket, calling it a “business deal." Cash eventually agrees.