Every part of the trailer for A Family Man looks conventional and familiar, but what's surprising is that it combines two stories that don't necessarily go together. Gerard Butler plays Dane, a busy, work-first corporate headhunter who neglects his family, including his wife played by Gretchen Mol. His boss (Willem Dafoe) puts him and a rival (Alison Brie) as the frontrunners for a big promotion. Dane seems to have the edge, but then there's a twist.
That twist involves a major crisis within Dane's family. His son is stricken with a terminal disease and Dane must take stock of what's truly important. I would have thought for a second this was a movie in which Dane tries to eliminate his office competition while pulling wild white-collar stunts The Wolf of Wall Street-style, but instead it looks like a serious drama. Who would've guessed? I think they give away pretty much every story development from start to finish, but it does look like a solid dramatic role for Butler and a departure from his usual action flicks. It certainly ain't Geostorm.
Directed by producer Mark Williams with Alfred Molina and Dustin Milligan co-starring, A Family Man hits DirecTV in May.
