Family Business

source: Family Business

Trailer—Family Business

Family Business

In this disappointingly recycled, dry and surprisingly unfunny comedy, a tri-generation family of males (Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman, Matthew Broderick) with problems of their own mix paths in crime. Broderick is the grandson who wants to help his granddad pull off the heist. Hoffman works in-between as the worrier who knows exactly what's going to happen to his son. And it does. Too bad Lumet never stopped to insert any laughs in this dry comedy with a top-notch cast that just barely manages to make it worth watching on television. Just barely. Don't go out of your way for this one. 2.5/5 stars John Ulmer

Good acting. I was quite surprised with the end result. Three blockbusters with an excellent supporting cast. Seeing that this was Connery and Hoffman, billed together with Broderick, I was expecting a real thriller. Ouch! Sitting way out in the audience, even I had to think. This film is a brain-teaser from start to finish, and gently plucks at the emotions. When you rent it, or go to see it, pay attention. A criminal family, torn between right and wrong? How could this be? Cute, innocent Victoria Jackson, as Christine, plays Matthew Broderick's, Adam's, fiancée, and is revealed to be someone even lower than this three-generation family of thieves. Fascinating, ironic, clever, well done . . .

Since this movie has been commented upon dozens of times there is no need to repeat the plot. I am a fan of Connery and Hoffman and usually enjoy their acting. They did OK in this one. I did not like the attitude expressed by the Broderick character. It is really not the most wonderful thing in the world to be a petty criminal. Connery seems to think it is, and Hoffman thinks it is not. We, the audience are meant to believe that criminality=freedom in this case. What I hated about the ending was that Connery, a Scot is given a traditional Irish wake, complete with Danny Boy. Would a good Scot put up with that, even while dead?!

A well done film about a family of theives. The grandfather (Connery) is a successful semi-retired theif whos son (Hoffman) is trying to stay on the straight & narrow in order to give his son (Broderick) a chance at a life free of crime. The trouble starts when the son goes to Granddad with a plan for a major job, Who is interested in it, and rather than discouraging his grandson takes it to his son for refinement and additional manpower. It is a good film for many reasons, not the least of which is the by play between a good cast that are believable in their roles. It has a few interesting twists and demonstrates what honour among theives is really all about, "A family thing".

A really dull film with the bizarre casting of 59 year-old Sean Connery as 52 year-old Dustin Hoffman's father. The plot involves degenerate crook Connery trying to rope his trying-to-go-straight son into helping him with a robbery. It's unclear if this is a comedy as there's nary a laugh, but the light as air aura the film exudes combined with Cy Coleman's peppy score lead you to believe it's a farce. Hoffman's character is named Vito! Matthew Broderick plays Hoffman's criminally eager son and the woefully underutilized Rosanna DeSoto is Hoffman's wife (and Broderick's mother, though she's only 12 years older). None of these actor seem even remotely linked to one another much less family. A real misstep from the great Sidney Lumet. The script is by Vincent Patrick, whose also wrote the earlier (and much better) POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE.

Connery, Hoffman, Broderick, oh my! OK, it should have been an Oscar contender, but it wasn't. Vince Patrick's work will never rival Tolstoy, but it isn't intended to. This is classic Connery chewing scenery with acid tongue dialogue and more than a few memorable moments. Hardly a talent waster, lets call it an under achiever, just like the main characters here.

I've got to learn to stop believing the studio-generated hype on movie jackets. To look at the summary, Family Business would appear to be a comedy...."laughs and larceny!" Whoever thought this movie is funny has a weird sense of humor. For me, it did not achieve even black comedy status. A couple of gaping holes in the plot almost made me eject it from the player. Were it not for the star power and consummate acting of Hoffman and Connery, I wouldn't have made it through to the end. And it may have been the first time for both of them to play characters we never really get to know. Broderick is wasted on a character that whines throughout the story. Glad I didn't pay full-tilt admission at a theater when this was first released.