This movie leaves one with a feeling of melancholy, however, in the best possible way.
Not only does it help one to realize the essence of life i.e. that family is much more important than your aspirations and work, but it also helps one to realize the brevity of this life.
If one takes the message in this movie to heart one can go a far way in this life. A person may succumb to death at any moment and the question is did you really love your wife or children as you should have? Although based on the life of Thomas Wolfe and his story of success and failure, I feel this movie achieved something much greater and that is the above.
Don't judge the movie based on what critics say. Taste the food for yourself and then judge...