videorama-759-859391 This is one of those movie surprises, that should of warranted much more interest when released, theatrically. The story deals with three generations of criminals, all family. Uncle Jessie (Connery) is the no holds barred crim you can't reform. His son (Hoffman) is been lured back into another heist, as his son Adam (Broderick) throws a idea at Jessie, to rob these diamonds. Hoffman, totally against it, soon of course, is in. And what ensues is of course, is what you can pretty well imagine, which carries the rest of the movie off. It's sad to see Broderick's character wreck his golden future, which was ironically law as I remember, as Adam is so grounded, where you can't stand seeing this nice boy throw his life away. I don't why, but I fell in love with this film, the first time I saw it. It's story is unhurried which suits this story, and we actually wanna be part of this gang. We have long, but potent scenes which work nicely, which just as I said, the movie's unhurried. The botched robbery is worth waiting for, while being involving too. Connery's character is a legend.

Davalon-Davalon The first problem with this "movie" is the endless opening long shot that takes us over a NY street and buildings and traffic. We keep waiting for something to happen. While this shot is going on endlessly, we are forced to listen to a bizarre Cy Coleman score which sounds like it was salvaged from an off-Broadway show based on the "That Girl" TV series. It's ghastly. When the shot finally ends, it ends on the top of a building and it looks like it is focusing on either pigeon sh*t or cocaine -- it's hard to tell.The second problem with the movie is the casting. We are asked to believe that Dustin Hoffman shows up with his wife at a Seder--and yet, he's not the Jewish one! Oh, come on. So, they named him Vito so he'd be Sicilian? And then his father is supposed to be Sean Connery? And Dusty's son is supposed to be Matthew Broderick? What a joke! Maybe that was the joke.Matthew Broderick is a rude, obnoxious, ungrateful brat and there is one fabulous scene in where he keeps telling Dusty, after he's made his grand plan to rob someone, "There's nothing you can do about it." Dusty says, "There's nothing I can do?" And then he SLAPS him as hard as he can. It was gratifying, it really was.But then, later on in the movie, Dusty is seen brutalizing some poor Hispanic man who's been caught stealing meat while on the job at Dusty's meat factory. You have to see it to believe it. Is that Dusty's "Mafia" blood coming out? In the midst of this "film" there is this ENDLESS funeral scene with all these people we don't give two flying f's about because we don't know who they are. We watched this film and kept staring at each other: What's it about? When does it start? Has it started? Why is Sean Connery Dustin Hoffman's father when it's obvious that there's no way in hell that he could be? We nodded off half way through to the "delightful strains" of Mr. Coleman's "they should have used this score the first time I wrote it!" score -- which only made me think of a 60s TV show... oh, right, "That Girl." Except -- that isn't what this movie was supposed to be about - - unless it was. Don't waste your time--unless that's what you like doing.

ananumb I found this movie a touching treatment of a grandson's love for his grandfather and the bonding experience they have together before life takes its toll. Although it is a relatively light movie, with a simple straight-forward plot that is easy to follow, I found many unspoken emotional cues. The importance of family and not betraying their trust is addressed, as well as family over-protection and over-care which doesn't always work or enhance the family relationship. The grandson's love and admiration of his grandfather's simple realistic 'fun' approach to life is interesting, although the subject the brings the family together might be immoral. The grandson's belief of not ratting out family and his grandfather's eventual taking of the hit show the importance of family, and the consequences of having them.I enjoyed it thoroughly and would recommend it as a soft gentle treatment

bkoganbing Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman, and Matthew Broderick have talent to spare and they manage to make an impossible story jell on the screen in Family Business.The three men play grandfather, father, and son of the McMullen clan. Connery is an unregenerate criminal who offers to apologies for the life he's led. Hoffman is someone who went into that life during his youth due to Dad's influence, but he leaves that life and now works in the wholesale meat business which he hates, but more than pays the rent.Matthew Broderick is his son who absolutely idolizes his grandfather. He's middle class and a Westinghouse scholar to boot, but lives for his time with his grandfather and the criminal tales he tells of his past.Broderick's life as a Westinghouse scholar is about to intersect with Connery's habitual criminal background when Broderick's professor, B.D. Wong offers him a scam. He's to break in to a laboratory in Nassau County and steal the results of his research for a million dollars. Hoffman also goes along for the ride, mainly he says to watch out for his son.These three have tremendous chemistry together and it is what makes this story float. Especially Connery because you have to believe in his character in order to enjoy the film.Family Business is one of those movies that after I come away from it I say this is completely ridiculous. Yet when you watch you feel guilty enjoying it so much.Sidney Lumet did a wonderful job showing the background of the Hell's Kitchen area where Connery resides. I recognize a whole lot of the neighborhood. Interesting that this area a decade later served as the background for the much more serious film Sleepers.Look also for a good performance by Rosanna DeSoto as wife and mother to Hoffman and Broderick. What she puts up with in that family.