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.

Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman, and Matthew Broderick play an unlikely combination of grandfather, father and son in a family held together more by larceny than love. It might be little more than a miscast Hollywood star package gift-wrapped for the holidays, but the otherwise routine caper scenario is given added depth in the script by Vincent Patrick ('The Pope of Greenwich Village'), showing his affection for offbeat New York City characters and allowing a full hour of screen time before the big heist to establish each relationship. Young Broderick idolizes crooked granddad Connery, forcing a reformed Hoffman to reluctantly accompany them on one last job, to protect his overeager, amateur son. The fun and games end when the robbery begins, but under the typically efficient (if unstylish) direction of Sidney Lumet the film never quite sinks to the expected level of melodrama, despite going for the sentimental chokehold in the final scenes.

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.

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.