Synopsis
Jessie is an aging career criminal who has been in more jails, fights, schemes, and lineups than just about anyone else. His son Vito, while currently on the straight and narrow, has had a fairly shady past and is indeed no stranger to illegal activity. They both have great hope for Adam, Vito's son and Jessie's grandson, who is bright, good-looking, and without a criminal past.
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Cast
- Sean ConneryJessie McMullen
- Dustin HoffmanVito McMullen
- Matthew BroderickAdam McMullen
- Rosanna DeSotoElaine
- Janet CarrollMargie
- Victoria JacksonChristine
- Bill McCutcheonDoheny
- Deborah RushMichele Dempsey
- Marilyn CooperRose
- Salem LudwigNat
Recommendations
- 75
Chicago Sun-Times
Family Business tries to play it down the middle, when it probably should have jumped in one direction or the other, toward a pure caper or toward a family drama. - 75
Entertainment Weekly
Family Business is one of Lumet’s very worst movies, but the actors are stellar. - 63
Portland Oregonian
Family Business isn't really bad. It is thought-provoking throughout and has many fine moments. Unfortunately, most of those moments are in the first third. [18 Dec 1989, p.C05] - 60
Empire
The three lead characters end the film as isolated as they began it. As with the plot, there isn't quite enough in the throwaway humour to hold them together. - 50
Rolling Stone
Hoff-man and Broderick manage an affecting reconciliation, and Connery remains a peerless charmer. Still, there’s no telling what drew these three to such trite material. It’s like hiring the Rolling Stones and forcing them to sing Barry Manilow. - 50
Chicago Tribune
The film doesn't move to a satisfactory conclusion as much as it fizzles out in a series of protracted anti-climaxes. [15 Dec 1989, p.A] - 50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Done up strictly for laughs, this might have been fine. But the picture actually starts taking itself seriously, and that spells instant yawns. [16 Dec 1989] - 50
Los Angeles Times
A frail little caper movie that’s overawed by its cast.
