Dallas Jenkins Christian drama is one of the more perfect movies for the religious target audience who appreciate films that revolve around re-claiming faith and getting back in touch with God, and deep down in to its core, "What If..." is a much more faith based remake of Brett Ratner's "The Family Man." Instead of Nicolas Cage as a sex crazed cocky corporate executive who comes across an angel who shows him what his life would be like if it were more fulfilled with family and friends while testing his morality, "What If..." stars Kevin Sorbo as a preacher who goes off on a religious retreat leaving the love of his life, loses touch with his religion and is shown how his life would be revolving around family and his beliefs by a kindly angel. Rather than being a family man, this angel shows him an alternate reality where he's a Holy Man. Instead of Tea Leoni, there's Kristy Swanson, and instead of Don Cheadle we have the eternally charming John Ratzenberger. "What If..." doesn't make its purpose hidden from the opening as its prologue involves Sorbo and Swanson fifteen years before at a bus station as Wendy anxiously wonders about Ben's proposed religious aspirations to where Ben claims he won't lose sight of his goals. He does. It's basically beat for beat with "The Family Man" in where Ben is a ruthless executive living in excess and glamour putting great value on material possessions instead of his own morals and beliefs who ponders on a life he could have had when sent a letter by long lost girlfriend Wendy, and is given that very wish by an individual claiming to be his guardian angel. After buying a brand new car, his new vehicle breaks down in the middle of the road mysteriously and he's rendered unconscious by an airbag.

When Ben refuses to comply with Mike's wishes, Mike literally punches Ben out. Ben awakes to his family life as a ahem--family man where Wendy is his wife, and he has two daughters, one is a rambunctious little scamp, and the other a rebellious teenager. Obviously one is presented as an optimistic young follower, while the other is clearly questioning her religion and has to be shown the error of her ways. And she will be shown the error of her ways, mark my words. I wouldn't mind sitting through "What If..." if it was at all subtle about its message, but it instead really makes no effort in acting the least bit logical or realistic; it's also so obsessed with touting its message it never really ventures to bring us in to the life of these characters and acts more on broad clichés and double takes from Sorbo who gasps at the sight of driving a mini-van (The horror!). Meanwhile Ben's sub-plots with his daughters are woefully under-developed and lacking in any emotional punch or depth. Ben's conflict with his youngest daughter involves a dead goldfish, and with his oldest he sets up a date with a guy he paid to stay away from her. There's never anything beyond and we never learn about these characters beyond these simple plot threads. Jenkins manages to direct this film with the correct tone that would indicate something of a subliminal message. Ben's life as a corporate executive living in wealth is very hollow and cold with hues of stark whites and blues, while Ben is shown his life in Clearville with warm colors and an often intimate series of set pieces. By the time Ben manages to grasp his faith and use it as an instrument to do some good, Mike appears to violently intervene and we're left wondering why God uses phones at all.