A Family Man (2017)

This film tells the story of a successful headhunter, who puts his career first and family second. The unexpected illness of his son makes him re-evaluate his priorities and decisions in his life.I find this film unexpectedly good. Both Gerard Butler and Gretchen Mol are very good in their roles as heartbroken parents. In addition, Gerard Butler delivers the intensity of a ruthless career man who is charismatic on the outside, but not as beautiful in the inside. The plot is captivating and touching. I really enjoyed watching it.

"A Family Man" juggles two realities of the hard-driving headhunter Dane Jensen at work in a cutthroat business world in contrast to his struggles in maintaining the semblance of family life as a devoted husband and dad. When his son develops cancer, Dane's life changes as he learns lessons about his workaholic lifestyle.Much of the action is predictable, and much of the dialogue sounds scripted, as opposed organically deriving from character and situation. When an angry Dane berates his wife Elise in front a large family gathering at Thanksgiving, he broadcasts to the entire group that he "plays Santa Claus 365 days a year" and that Elise takes for granted his hard work and income derived from his grueling telemarketing exploits. Some of the dialogue even seems difficult to take seriously by the characters themselves, as serious conversations typically end on a comic note.The roles of the husband and wife are well-performed by Gerard Butler and Gretchen Mol. There is also a sensitive performance the actor playing in the kind doctor. Alfred Molina is outstanding as the unemployed engineer Louis William Wheeler. Lou's reaction in the bathroom to the news of his new job is priceless.An interesting part of the film was the little boy's fascination with the architecture of Chicago and his bonding with his dad when they visit five of the famous buildings. Those sites included The Rookery, The Tribune Tower, The Jay Pritzker Pavilion, The Wrigley Building, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Thomas Gale House. But once again, the dialogue sounded artificial as the father and son rattle off history lessons during their visits to the various buildings."A Family Man" is a workmanlike film that cobbles together traditional elements of the film melodrama. But it does not transcend the limitations of that genre in shedding significant light on the pressures of succeeding in business and family simultaneously.

Dane Jensen (Gerald Butler) is a predatory head hunter. He makes time for his family, but seemingly not enough as a phone stays glued to his ear. He has no trouble in taking advantage of people. He has no regrets and seeks no redemption. When a family issue demands his attention, Dane re-examines what is important in life as he learns, "cancer is not a negotiation." The film was well acted. You liked Dane even though he was a bit of a scoundrel. The film has a feel good, eye watering ending.Guide: No nudity. No F-words. Sex scene and sex talk.

Without going into specific details, there are quite a few disturbing pieces of rationale flung around in this movie.There is a religious belief that childhood illnesses can be attributed to the sins of the parents. That belief is core to this movie. This movie claims you can cure a sick child by simply not being a scumbag for about 10 seconds. Not only that, your entire life will be redeemed, and yet essentially unchanged.There are other disturbing claims. Like if you hire an aging Boomer your business will grow exponentially. Also, that being a scumbag from a mansion does not count as official scumbaggery. Even drunken whore-mongering can be redeemed, and yet continue unabated. Apparently this is the new American Dream - a feel good movie for the unrepentant.