All holiday season, it's been Grinch this, and Grinch that. That's funny to me considering that Grinch doesn't seem to fill you with that holiday spirit--at all. The Family Man, however, really seems to embody what Christmas is supposed to be about--love, family, gratitude for our blessings...all that stuff we learned growing up. Truth be told, this new film from Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) is very reminiscent of It's A Wonderful Life, but before too long, it takes on a life of it's own.

Nicolas Cage is an ambitious executive who gets the job done, even if it means working through the holidays. This isn't to say that the man doesn't have fun. It seems he has a knack for the ladies, and has no interest in settling down. Of course it wasn't always this way. Ten years earlier, this shrewd business man had a chance for a different life, with a warm and wonderful college sweetheart played by Tea Leoni. Cage chooses a different path in life, but on Christmas Eve, he's given a glimpse of what could have been--with the help of a whimsical being played by Don Cheadle (Boogie Nights).

Now it could be argued that The Family Man is nothing more than fluff. An obvious romantic comedy with gratuitous sentimentality. For whatever the reason may be, this isn't really the case. I got sucked into this picture, and really bought into the magic of it. And although the film loses it's way a bit in the final act, I admired it's performances and it's unpredictability.

Cage is fantastic. He doesn't play this character as the standard "Ba Humbug" type. He plays him as a real man capable of not only cold heartedness, but love and compassion as well. It's also a hoot watching him in manic mode, as he desperately tries to figure out what the hell has happened when he wakes up Christmas morning, with a new life. Leoni (whom I'm usually annoyed by) is also terrific as Cage's could-have-been wife. She's lively and very likable, and she and Cage really have chemistry. The Family Man also benefits from a great supporting cast--including Jeremy Piven as Cage's best friend.

Ratner really avoids many of the clich s that are associated with films like this. Although he does tug at the heartstrings, I never found The Family Man to be a sappy experience. I was also taken by surprise, by a bittersweet but honest ending. Many will find it abrupt, but in the big picture, it is the right ending for the film.

Although The Family Man doesn't take place entirely around Christmas, I can't think of a better Christmas picture this holiday season. With great performances, terrific direction, and a stirring score by Danny Elfman, The Family Man gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling I was hoping for.