A Family Man
A ruthless Chicago headhunter is forced to measure his corporate ambitions against the devastating demands of his young son's cancer treatment.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- earnest
- melodramatic
- tense
- reflective evening
- family drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film's worthy ideas undermined by middle-of-the-road melodrama and thin, sometimes unlikeable characters.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dane Jensen's pursuit of control over Blackridge Recruiting clashes with his son's cancer diagnosis and the demands of family care.
Ryan's cancer diagnosis transforms Dane's work-centered priorities and drives the film's domestic conflict.
Dane and Lynn Vogel compete for leadership at a Chicago headhunting agency that arranges jobs for engineers.
Dane must reassess his long-term ambition as his son's treatment makes his absence from home impossible to ignore.
Films like A Family Man, and why
The Pursuit of Happyness
shared workplace ambition, parental crisis, and emotionally earnest family drama
Up in the Air
shared high-pressure professional competition, marital strain, and moral reorientation
The Descendants
shared domestic illness, family responsibility, and poignant dramatic stakes
Movie Details
- Director
- Mark Williams
- Release Date
- 2016-09-13
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (555)
Cast
- Gerard Butler
- Gretchen Mol
- Maxwell Jenkins
- Alison Brie
- Anupam Kher
- Willem Dafoe
- Alfred Molina
- David Koechner
- Dustin Milligan
- Julia Butters
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Family Man about?
- A ruthless Chicago headhunter is forced to measure his corporate ambitions against the devastating demands of his young son's cancer treatment.
- What is A Family Man like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Family Man as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Family Man violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in A Family Man.
- What did critics think of A Family Man?
- Critics broadly found the film's worthy ideas undermined by middle-of-the-road melodrama and thin, sometimes unlikeable characters.
- Which films are like A Family Man?
- Films with a similar feel include The Pursuit of Happyness, Up in the Air, and The Descendants.
- How long is A Family Man?
- A Family Man runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Family Man?
- In United States, A Family Man streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
