Director Mark Williams
Genre Drama
Cast Alison Brie, Gerard Butler, Willem Dafoe, Gretchen Mol
Rating R
Release Date July 28th, 2017 (Limited & On-Demand)
“A Chicago personnel recruiter is hungry to stay on top of his competitive profession, but when his son is diagnosed with cancer, his priorities are called into question.”
A Family Man is a drama based on the incessant need for work-life balance in today's society, but more importantly, how we react when those close to us fall victim to a terrible illness. The film is directed by Mark Williams, his directorial debut, and is written by Bill Dubuque. The cast includes Allison Brie, Gerard Butler, Willem Dafoe, and Gretchen Mol. An interesting side note, writer Bill Dubuque went on to write and co-create the recently released Netflix series Ozark starring Jason Bateman, and he also penned the script for the Ben Affleck thriller The Accountant. He is a very talented guy.
A Family Man suffers from the usual impact of a limited budget, but overall this is a film with plenty of heart, and a cast that takes pride in their work. I read numerous critic reviews shredding this film, which had me hesitant to say the least. Officially releasing in 2016, A Family Man was eventually given a direct to On-Demand release as well as a very limited theatrical release. Without the option of a theatrical screening in my area I decided to make the On-Demand purchase, and let's just say I didn't regret my decision whatsoever. As a guy, I rarely admit this fact but I am a sucker for films that tug at the heart strings, with 50/50 and A Fault in Our Stars ranking relatively high on the list, and although A Family Man isn't on the same level, it isn't all that far behind. This is a film about a very serious issue that continues to plague our society and the world over for that matter, and it is NOT taken lightly. From the directing, the writing, right down to the acting, everything felt genuine and heartfelt, and to me that was probably the most important thing. I was reminded of what it means to put the needs of others before your own, as well as how important it is to spend your time on this earth doing something good, rather than simply spending your days self-serving and trying to simply get ahead. Now sure this movie has its fair share of average acting at times and perhaps a hole or two in the plot, but the final product still succeeds in simultaneously generating tears and smiles from viewers. As I stated previously this isn't a great film, but it is a quality film with a powerful message, and to me that is more than enough.
The cast for A Family Man includes plenty of well-known names, most notable veteran actor Willem Dafoe, Gerard Butler, and Allison Brie. Dafoe plays a relatively small supporting role yet adds quite a lot to the story. I felt that his performance was pretty good overall. Gerard Butler's performance felt a bit off to me early on, which may have been due to the fact that this is a very different role compared to what I'm used to seeing him in. I've seen Law Abiding Citizen at least 10 times, so safe to say that has had an impact. Butler grows on me throughout the film, and by the end I felt that he delivered a convincing and inspiring performance all things considered. Actress Allison Brie is great, and I'm really enjoying her role in the Netflix exclusive series GLOW. In A Family Man she gets very limited screen time which was a bit unexpected, but she took full advantage of the small role she was given. Gretchen Mol receives a great deal of screen time and does well overall, but I just can't help but wonder how Brie would have been in her role. India born actor Anupam Kher was amazing in his role, and truly exemplified the kindness and sincerity his character required. Dwain Murphy also deserves recognition as a nurse’s aide, contributing to some of the more heartfelt moments of the film. All in all the cast was solid and as good as I could have hoped for considering the low-budget limited release nature of this film. I do feel like I need to give kudos to Alfred Molina for a quality performance, Max Jenkins for a pivotal role as the oldest of the three children, and Julia Butters as the little sister who was simply as cute as can be.
A Family Man is a solid debut for director Mark Williams, and more than anything else it is an impactful story. For one reason or another, critics in general felt the need to tear the film apart citing a melodrama with downright unlikable characters, neither of which I can agree with. To me this is actually pretty simple, A Family Man is a film with limited resources yet it has the best of intentions. Is that enough to rave about it as an absolute must-see? Of course not, but for those of you willing to ignore a few shortcomings, this is a film well worth your time.
