The Weather Man (2005) User Reviews (341)

Nicolas Cage is Amazing in Verbinski's Flawed Masterpiece

[grouchomarxist · 8/10 · 30 October 2005]

I've thought long and hard before saying what I'm about to say. I've searched my memory for something to disprove it, but I can't think of anything. Here it is: The Weather Man, the new film directed by Gore Verbinski and written by Steve Conrad, is the most relentlessly pessimistic mainstream American film that I have ever seen. It seems to be telling us that over time you become a shell of the person you once were and a pathetic, ever decreasing fraction of the person you one day hoped to be. You will squander potential and become incapable of giving meaningful love to anyone that you care about. This doesn't happen as a result of some huge disaster or tragic mistake, no, this happens as a result of hundreds of minuscule failures every day. As you might imagine, this is excruciating to watch. But in creating one of bleakest portraits of contemporary American life you will ever see, Gore Verbinski also creates a film that is shockingly humane, funny, and beautiful.

Nicolas Cage, who I don't always like, gives a fantastic performance as David Spritz, a Chicago TV weather man with no degree in meteorology. The thing that makes him great in The Weather Man is that he consistently plays the part in earnest. There's plenty of opportunities to ham it up or play it for laughs, especially because David acts like such an asshole so much of the time, but Cage never falls into those traps. One feels at every turn, no matter how disgraceful his behavior, that he's just a guy trying to do what seems right to him in that moment. At one point he drops his daughter off at his ex-wife's house. When his ex-wife, played with terrific subtly by Hope Davis, remains outside for a moment he suddenly decides to throw a snowball at her, which hits her in the face and cracks the lens of her glasses. Rather than playing it like it's funny, which it is, Cage seems like he's making a sincere attempt to connect with his former wife in any way he can.

I wish with great passion that this film was truly great, but unfortunately it's just inches short. Nine out of ten times Verbinski hits the mark. From the very first shot he creates a perfectly executed world of an ice bound Chicago during the winter months. His most impressive feat though is managing to craft a film that is in some ways highly stylized, yet instinctually feels like the human experience. He has a wonderful and surprising sense of composition. One finds the characters in disconcertingly angular frames with vast expanses of empty space above their heads. In tandem with this he uses a fantastically chilly color scheme throughout. He also triumphs in his insistently measured pacing. In contrast with such a harsh statement about life, the pacing serves to lend the film a strange gentleness that allows for us to feel the characters are truly human. The pacing is absolutely vital and absolutely brave in a Hollywood film. Along with the performances, it makes one feel that the characters are being not being tortured out of gleeful spite on the part of the filmmakers, but out of profound empathy and understanding of our shared human weaknesses.

Verbinski's trouble comes in just a few isolated areas; nevertheless they are important and significantly damage the film as a whole. The ugliest problem is a woefully ill-advised quasi dream sequence in which Nicholas Cage sees himself happy and well adjusted as the grand marshal of a parade. The whole thing is presented as if his hotel room window is like a TV on which he is seeing himself. It introduces us to no useful ideas and is an immensely distracting stylistic departure. I'm really puzzled by its inclusion in a movie that on the whole demonstrates a lot of restraint. Another issue is the handling of Cage's son, who gets himself involved in a weird molestation situation with his drug counselor. This subplot is painted in the broadest of strokes, rather than with the painstaking specificity one finds elsewhere. Every time we return to the plot with the son the film begins to feel bogged down and uncharacteristically unsure of itself. Some of the blame for this surely must be shared with Steve Conrad, the mostly solid writer of the film. One wonders why Conrad and Verbinski shy away from the unbending frankness they are generally so willing to dole out. There are a few other troubling mistakes, the blame for which I have to rest on both of their shoulders. Most notably the film relies too heavily on voice-over. While some of it works very well and all of it is delivered with sincerity from Cage, there is at least twice as much as is necessary. Similarly, there are a couple flashbacks that work, but just as many that are unneeded. Also, the handling of Cage's father, who is played with solemn dignity by Michael Cane, rings a little false. He is written as a noble and stalwart man devoid of any flaws not only in Cage's mind, but apparently in real life as well. On the whole this actually works much better than it should, but I can't help but feel that there's a note missing.

The aforementioned issues aside, The Weather Man is a rare achievement and one of my favorite films of the year. It is so honest and so bleak that I can't believe that a major studio let it get made. In an industry where schlock and melodrama are passed off as great statements about us as humans The Weather Man is monumentally refreshing. I have nothing but respect for Verbinski and Conrad for having the nerve to make a film that on the one hand is crushingly negative, but on the other endlessly humane.

As Unpredictable as the Weather

[gradyharp · 8/10 · 25 February 2006]

Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean X3, The Ring, The Mexican) has an uncanny way of moving strange characters through bizarre plots while maintaining our interest and our empathy. THE WEATHER MAN was so poorly promoted when it hit the theaters that it seemed like it was going to be one of those asinine food throwing slapstick comedies instead of the very serious examination of contemporary life in the big cities, or even more about the struggle of a disillusioned man who cannot find a balance between business success and family/marital failure, it is. This viewer almost ignored it completely - until the DVD.

David Spritz (Nicholas Cage) is a TV pawn the station uses as a weatherman: he is untrained as a meteorologist, skilled only be his TV persona success dependent on a created gag/tag line - the Nipper (the peak worst day in the forecast). His personal life is a mess, separated from a disconsolate wife Noreen (Hope Davis), distanced from his successful writer father Robert (Michael Caine) and on shaky territory with his two children - fat and sad Sully (Gemmenne de la Peña) and sweet but troubled pothead Mike (Nicholas Hoult). To make life worse his TV persona follows him into the streets of blustery Chicago where his viewers either seek autographs invading his privacy or throw food at him as the progenitor of the lousy cold weather. This polarized existence is invaded by an offer to become weatherman on Bryan Gumbel's Hello America show in New York (a career jump for which he longs for many reasons), serial confrontations with his father whom he emulates but always feels a failure, the finding that his father has lymphoma, the ridicule of fat Shelly at school, Mike's edgy involvement with his drug counselor Don (Gil Bellows), and Noreen's new live-in Russ (Michael Rispoli). How David meanders through this quagmire of dilemmas is the story and while it is not pretty, it is pungent.

Cage inhabits the strange role of David finding a way to make this loser with a short temper someone about whom we care. It is a tough assignment but Cage meets it on every level. Michael Caine provides some of the more eloquent moments in the film: his words of wisdom and view of life are the only grounded elements of the story. Likewise Hope Davis is fine as are the cameo roles of the children as sensitively played by de la Peña and Hoult. The subject of the film is tough and the excessive use of potty mouth language is overbearing and at times one wishes Verbinski would have edited some of the gross food slinging scenes.

But as an overall message movie there is much here to admire. It simply is not the mindless slapstick the posters and trailers would indicate. The PR folks on this one blew it. Worth your time and attention. Grady Harp

Nick Cage at his best

[UrbanFilmCritic · 28 October 2005]

The cusp of the dreaded mid-life crisis. The realization that life sucks either because you've removed the rose colored glasses or because you've been hit by one of life's ice balls. While at the point where you still believe in happy endings and hold on to the possibility that if one good thing happens everything else will fall into place.

So the story begins...Dave Spritz is a Chicago weatherman. As the events of his life get worse he begins to put all his faith in a dream job in New York as a national weatherman. He believes this job will magically restore his failing marriage, his relationship with this kids and garner him the respect from his father (Michael Caine)he so desires.

The ability to find humor in life's tragedies is an accomplishment that director, writer and cast can all be proud of. The comedy in this movie came just often enough to hold back the tears. It was a real life character study and of course Nicholas Cage and Michael Caine were absolutely superb.

What makes the movie so wonderful is that it is based on premises we all know but often forget. 1)Money doesn't buy happiness. 2)The little things mean a lot. 3)To quote the film, "The hard thing to do and the right thing to do are usually the same thing."

Austin Movie Show review (dark, unconventional, but great)

[leilapostgrad · 7/10 · 30 October 2005]

I can already tell that people are going to have very strong reactions to The Weather Man. People are either going to love it or hate it. They're going to find it shockingly hilarious or just plain shocking. I loved it and found it hilarious, but I'm not easily offended (I do a show with Jegar, how can anything offend me?). There were many instances where I was the only person laughing in the theater. For instance, Michael Caine, who plays Robert Spritz, tells his son David Spritz (played by Nicolas Cage) that David's daughter is getting teased at school and called "Camel Toe". Just to hear Sir Michael Caine use the expression "camel toe" is pretty unexpected. But then various shots of camel toes pop up on the screen to illustrate this phenomenon to anyone in the audience who's unfamiliar with the concept. I found it all absurdly hilarious, but I don't think many of the grey-haired audience shared my sentiments.

This movie was not at all like I was expecting. The Weather Man is crass and silly, but it's also extremely dark and sad. David Spritz is a sad, lonely man who's trying to reconcile with this ex-wife and get his family back together, but despite his best intentions, things just never work out the way he wants. More than anything, he wants to prove to his dying father that he can be a great man too, but time is running out. This is not your typical comedy. It's not easy to watch sometimes, but according to Robert Spritz, "Easy doesn't enter into grown-up life."

Not a Hill of Beans

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 29 October 2005]

Greetings again from the darkness. So Close. This is painfully close to being a great film. Although still very good at presenting issues normally not seen on film, director Gore Verbinski ("Pirates of the Caribbean" "The Ring") falls just short of making a very powerful statement.

Please do not let the trailer fool you. This is not slapstick comedy like "Anchorman". This is deep, often dark subject matter addressing the emotional struggles men face when dealing with a bad divorce, trying to maintain a relationship with kids, and the pressures of trying to make one's own dad proud (or at least gain acceptance). So often Hollywood deals with the plight of the woman and her emotional turmoil. Instead we are "treated" with watching a man's attempt to live up to (what he thinks are) expectations of others and how somehow the right job will make everything OK ... his life will be whole.

Nicolas Cage gives another outstanding performance as "The Weather Man" on a Chicago TV station. To add to the complexity, he is not a meteorologist and he is being courted by a national morning talk show featuring Bryant Gumbel. Two areas with this character are poorly written in my opinion. First, Cage's hair weave is bloody awful. At least in Dallas, weather men all look like Televangelists with perfect hair. His is always askew ... don't they have hair/make-up staff in Chicago? Second, the character is written as too much of a loser in all aspects. He is not just struggling, he is not someone any guy or girl would want to hang with. The film tries, but fails, to show the "switch" come on when Cage steps in front of the camera. They tell us this happens, but it needed to be presented much clearer.

Playing Cage's father, Michael Caine is a pretty intimidating figure as he is confused about his son's direction in life while at the same time facing a very dark future of his own. Caine is wonderful in the role and when he tells his son "Sometimes in life, you just have to chuck it", we really get it and hope that Cage does as well.

On the other hand, Hope Davis is cast as yet another frigid "B" yuppie whom I don't understand how any man could be attracted to. Yet somehow this is the woman Cage wants back. Time to stretch your talent a bit Hope. You showed plenty of promise in "About Schmidt" and have been working steadily since. But to take the next step as an actress, you need to try a new character. Gil Bellows ("Aly McBeal") has a creepy role as Cage's teenage son's counselor. He is responsible for some of the most uncomfortable moments as well as a way for Cage to finally cut loose.

As I said, this is a very good movie that falls just short of greatness. While providing insight into the male psyche, it fails to deliver the message or solution it seemed to be leading up to. However, it is nice to see a man portrayed as something other than a superhero, adulterer, international spy or Olympic caliber lover.

A Weird and Pessimist View of the Contemporary American Way of Life

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 4 February 2008]

In Chicago, Dave Spritz (Nicolas Cage) is the weatherman of the local TV news loved and loathed by the audiences. He is successful in his career making US$ 240,000.00 per year in spite of not having degree in meteorology. However, his personal life is a complete mess: he is a frustrated writer divorced from his wife Noreen (Hope Davis) but he still likes her and wishes to have her back and their marriage work; his sixteen year-old son Mike (Nicholas Hoult) is in rehabilitation for using pot; his clumsy and fat daughter Shelly (Gemmenne de la Peña) is constantly humiliated at school by her mates and pejoratively called "camel-toe"; his father Robert Spritzel (Michael Caine) is a distant perfectionist writer and Dave tries to prove his own value to him. When Dave is invited for a test in a national network in New York, his father informs that he has cancer. While trying to resolve his problems and frustrations, Dave grows-up and reaches the necessary maturity to manage the complexities of life.

"The Weather Man" is a weird and pessimist view of the contemporary American Way of Life. The complex and contradictory lead character is capable of making lots of money just because he can perfectly sell his image to the public without having knowledge about what he is talking; inclusive he is frustrated, feels shallow and compares himself to a fast-food. But he is unsuccessful to have the right attitudes with his family in spite of his best efforts and needy to prove his father his own merits. However, the story is pointless and boring in some moments and in the end I found this movie only reasonable, but with a great potential not well explored by the director. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Sol de Cada Manhã" ("The Sun of Each Morning")

Metaphorical Dark Comedy of a Family in Crisis

[DaveDiggler · 7/10 · 16 August 2008]

"The Whether Man" is a personal favorite much in the mold of "American Beauty." Where the similarities lie are within the story as both Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) and Dave Spritz (Nicholas Cage) are both witnessing their lives meeting a cross roads during a midlife crisis. We watch both men deal with their own ways of handling their troublesome lives that are very ordinary and very relatable as they tackle typical family situations. "American Beauty" comes off more unrealistic. That film puts Burnham in weird situations that are funny and quirky as he tries to get the most out of life. He reverts back to his teenage days. He fights his midlife crisis with the simple solution of turning into a child. Dave Spritz has a dying father, an overweight daughter, a son that is getting into drugs and finding himself in adult situations and an ex-wife that he wants to get back together with. His ex-wife finds a new boyfriend that is starting to take over the father role that Spritz has title to. Spritz is a man that ignored his family for years and is now paying the consequences. There is a growing distance between he and his family. He finds himself in a depressing state as he starts to hate his job.

His father, Robert (Michael Cain), is dying of cancer. Dave does everything he can to fix things. He wants to fix things before his father dies, but nothing goes right for him. He is up for a weatherman job that pays well at "Hello America". That will give him enough money to make things right with his family and his wife, and more importantly, receiving the recognition from his father. He wants to fix everything, but cant find the right solution. He assumes a higher paying job would do the trick.

The film has very good acting performances ranging from Nicholas Cage in the lead to Michael Cain supporting, as well Hope Davis (Spritz' ex-wife, Noreen). The style of the film is perfect and often a mirror image of Cage and his personality. The direction by Gore Verbinski is what sets the film apart from most. He flawlessly moves from scene to scene; developing all of the characters of the film, and really bringing out numerous metaphors for Dave Spritz. Spritz is well developed and well thought out. Cage has great moments of humor and self examination. Ultimately, "The Whether Man," is a film about the boundaries one person has and his recognition of who he is and his acceptance of of his past mistakes. Spritz has to look in the mirror and realize his limits. He has to accept his capabilities and realize that he can't change everyone. He can't make everyone happy and everyone like him. He can only be the whether man.

Alternately hilarious and dark, with misleading marketing

[maxwellsmart · 9/10 · 31 October 2005]

When I first saw the advertisements for "The Weather Man", it seemed like the movie was going to be another formulaic, feel good Hollywood redemption tale. In reality, it is a dark, scathing satire of American values. The marketing likely scared away a lot of people who would enjoy the film, while attracting an audience who was presented with something unexpected and perhaps uncomfortable. The comedy is quite raunchy, the tone is bleak, and the story is anything but formulaic, throwing industry conventions right out the window, which leads to a film that's more believable than most.

David Spritz is a man whose life has become the ultimate exercise in futility. Each day, he wakes up and goes to a job that, despite paying a handsome salary, is entirely unfulfilling. His relationship with his ex-wife is strained, his relationship with his children distant. To make things worse, his Pulitzer Prize winning father seems to be disappointed in what David has done with his life.

In real life, progress in one's personal life is generally made in baby steps. Usually, people don't undergo a drastic transformation over the course of several months. David attempts to improve his standing in life, at times failing entirely, at times succeeding in small doses. The results of these attempts range from very funny to downright saddening, and this helps lend the film an air of realism. This is a complicated character study about a man coming to grips with the fact that he's failed to meet any of the goals he set for himself in life, despite attaining a social standing that many people are envious of. There aren't any easy answers or life altering epiphanies; self-improvement is a long, gradual task that will probably never be completely fulfilled, and "The Weather Man" reflects this reality. While not for all tastes, this movie deserves credit for tackling a relatively conventional subject in a very unconventional, at least for a mainstream Hollywood movie, manner. I imagine that this film will be a bigger success overseas and on DVD than it will be in its US theatrical run.

The Weather Man — An inept man tries to do good for his family

[AvidClimber · 7/10 · 25 February 2013]

The Weather Man is a low key movie about a boring person who is deluded about life in a clueless manner. He had a great award winning dad, he became a fairly inept dad, and he's trying to change that.

The film is pretty monotone in term of story and visual to underline exactly how bland the guy and his job are. Nicolas Cage doesn't have a great acting range, but this role fits him pretty well, and he did a great job. Michael Cain plays a good counter point, and makes Cage's character more bearable.

The piece is funny, in a chuckle kind of way, with lots of sad undertone. It's quietly entertaining, but won't really make you notice.

If you want to see something different, you might want to try this.

"you have to chuck some things"

[ebonius · 1/10 · 18 March 2006]

Yeah yeah, I get it, film snobs. This is high art. It's an homage to melancholic French film noir, with lots of drab snow and blue filtered lenses. "You just don't understand tragic comedy," some of you may suggest. Oh, I understand it all right. Only "The Weather Man" makes a dog's dinner of that particular genre, if that's indeed what they were going for. I'm not sure.

If awards are given for such things, Nick Cage might get an award for maintaining the same long monotonous hang-dog facial expression in nearly every scene for two hours of screen time. Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton perfected this bit. The sad, luckless clown, wondering through life getting beat down, but winning our hearts because they persevere. Cage can't bring it on like Keaton. About half way through this mess, I was hoping he'd get hit with a brick, not a sandwich.

But I have to hand it to Paramount Pictures for the most shameless product placement I've ever seen in a film: They literally throw their products, logos and all, right at Cage, making the image stick in your mind while it sticks to Cage's suits and overcoats.

Splat! McDonalds. Splat! Big Gulp, 7-Eleven. Splat! Splat! Taco Bell. And it case you were too dense to pick up on that, you could see the McDonalds golden arches reflected in window glass and slightly out of focus in the background of a half dozen shots. I mean, come on! If this was supposed to be Haute Ciné, it must be some kind of cynical inside joke to have the lead character covered in advertising like a NASCAR hot rod.

I won't spoil it for those of you who like to wallow in excruciating maudlin muck. I know some people are uplifted watching other people morbidly depressed. But for the rest of us who may be less enlightened to the entertainment or artistic value of watching some unloved schmendrick stumbling along in misery, this film will make you want to have a drink, or several. Or worse, jump off a tall building or stick your head in a gas oven.

In short, this film doesn't deliver any truth you didn't have already. It's just a depressing mess.

It was only when Michael Cane's character delivered the line: "In this sh*t life, you have to chuck some things" pretty far into the picture when I suddenly realized I should have chucked this thing after the first twenty minutes. Take his advice, and mine, and leave this one on the video rental shelf.

Excellent Social Commentary

[taramascara2 · 9/10 · 5 November 2005]

This movie was a great piece of social commentary on the emptiness of our current American culture. Being the weatherman appears to be a great job. It pays almost $300 Grand a year, and you can afford a nice apartment and a mansion for your beautiful blonde ex-wife and your two estranged children.

A job as a weatherman, without a meteorological degree entails absolutely no challenges. You become lazy and bored, because you think you have everything. After all, isn't the entire purpose of life to make money, drive nice cars, and wear nice clothes, and eat out every night of the week? You are able to spoil your children, hence never teaching them the value of challenging themselves and depriving them of ever working toward a goal and feeling satisfied.

This is what we think living is today in this country! We have no depth! We have toxic vocabulary, eat useless toxic food, we watch useless toxic entertainment, and we have completely useless jobs that create nothing. We wonder why our children have no idea what to do with themselves? Wealthy Americans, which most of us are by the standards of the world, have no skills, no integrity, and no character. The only things our children grow up knowing for sure, are what a Frosty is, and a Big Gulp. The gap between this generation and their grandparents is vast. Our elders worked hard at jobs which created the foundation of wealth and substance that we erode every day with our irresponsible selfish consumerist conduct. Mr. Spritz has no idea what a Big Gulp is, but he's dying of the cancer that eats this country.

The Weatherman (Nicholas Cage) has a better time with himself, and everyone else as soon as he figures this out. Hilariously, he had to actually get hit in the head with a Big Gulp. We need to focus on the things that matter, take responsibility for our children, and ourselves. The one thing that I think was off in the movie was the line about how being an adult does not include the word easy. The big secret to life, is that when we do things the correct way, often the hard way, life actually gets easier, for everyone.

I went to the theater expecting the usual vacuous Hollywood bomb. I was blown away with the power of this movie. On the way out, we asked a young man that was working the theater what he thought. He said that he thought The Weatherman was incredibly dark and very far fetched. I agree, our culture is dark and far fetched. The movie, however, was dead on. Our current life is a bubble about to burst. This movie offered a solution - find some meaning in your life and get after it. Pretending this vacuum doesn't exist, and that Jessica and Ashley Simpson are talented individuals worth our time and interest, is incredibly bleak to me. On the other hand, I was pretty sure this young man had no idea the scale of these problems. How could he, when he has never experienced anything else.

""Easy" doesn't enter into grown-up life... to get anything of value, you have to sacrifice." - Robert Spritz

[MichaelMargetis · 7/10 · 30 October 2005]

In the new "indie-sort-of" comedy/drama, Nicholas Cage plays Dave Spritz, a seemingly happy and well-off Chicago weatherman, when off the camera that couldn't be farther from the truth. Dave is currently separated from his demanding wife Noreen (Hope Davis - American Splendor) and his two kids Shelly (Gemmenne de la Pena - Erin Brockovich), a nine-year old over-weight girl who doesn't fit in, smokes and is teased for her "revealing" clothing, and Mike (Nicholas Hoult - who you may remember opposite of Hugh Grant in 2002's 'About a Boy'), a struggling and confused 15 year old straight out of drug rehab. Dave is trying to be a good father, but it isn't easy, especially since his wife is getting awfully close to her new boyfriend Russ (Michael Rispoli - Jackie Aprile from 'The Sopranos). On top of everything else Dave's Pulitizer Prize winning novelist of a father Robert (the fabulous Michael Caine) who Dave has always lived int he shadow of, is going to die in the next three months of lymphoma. Dave seizes the opportunity not to win his wife back, but to do his best to make them happy. In this often darkly hilarious yet sort of depressing when you really think about it kind of motion picture, there are a lot of things I liked and enjoyed, that the average movie goer wouldn't. The Weather Man is a very off-beat movie that doesn't follow the regular formula for these kinds of movies at all. I found it refreshing, others will find it simply frustrating.

Nicolas Cage delivers another powerful and attention demanding performance as the down-on-his-luck self-described loser that is Dave Spritz. But even better than Cage is Michael Caine who in his limited screen time still managed to amaze and move me. Hope Davis and the rest of the cast is solid for the most part. I was impressed with Nicholas Hault, a British actor, who delivers not only an outstanding American accent but he nails the American gestures,etc. Steve Conrad provides a funny and delightfully dark screenplay that drags a bit but manages to maintain a healthy balance of dark humor and dramatic material. Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring) does a good but sort of unnoticeable job directing this little flick.

If you are a main-stream cinema kind of guy scratch The Weather Man off your list of movies to see. However, I recommend you go see it if you like good acting and are interested in a slightly different view on "family issues" that may be offensive to many people (there's a lot of strong language and sex-related dialogue lacing the film so don't say I didn't warn some of you more conservative types -- that's not an anti-Republican statement. I mean't conservative like more uptight, I didn't mean it to have anything to do with politics.) Anyway, I really enjoyed the film. I loved the writing and acting especially from Caine and Cage. It isn't perfect and it has it's many flaws (pacing problems, some of the ends don't get tied up or get tied of sloppy). 'The Weather Man' won't win any Oscars, but take it for what it is -- a very good movie, not a great or outstanding but, but just a very well done motion picture. I give it thumbs up. Grade: B (screened at AMC Deer Valley 30, Phoenix, Arizona, 10/28/05)

my ratings guide - A+ (absolutley flawless); A (a masterpiece, near-perfect); A- (excellent); B+ (great); B (very good); B- (good); C+ (a mixed bag); C (average); C- (disappointing); D+ (bad); D (very bad); D- (absolutley horrendous); F (not one redeeming quality in this hunk of Hollywood feces).

More to be admired than enjoyed

[MotoMike · 3/10 · 14 November 2005]

To start on a positive note, I have to admire the honesty of the writer and director in portraying the main character as unattractively as this. Nicholas Cage, who wants desperately to be liked, loved, and admired by his family members, gets - and deserves - none of the above. A lesser, more conventional movie would have gotten to the midpoint by showing that Dave Spritz - misunderstood but virtuous and likable - solving a problem by some ingenious means, with the rest of the movie devoted to showing his newly-acquired respect from Dad, ex-wife, and kids.

This isn't that movie. But neither is it very good at all - lots of things just don't make sense, are never really resolved (or they're just no exposition - they just hang there, like his daughter's smoking habit, or the existence of his mother - neither of these do anything for the film at all), or, worst, are internally contradictory without a hint of irony. During the movie, while coping with his father's sickness, the aftermath of divorce, and problems with the kids at home, it's shown how Dave is just barely able to cope. One would think that somebody this dysfunctional would be unable to find the studio for his New York audition, let alone do a creditable audition. Yet it appears to go well, and there's no concept that personal problems might create a problem performing up to standard.

Another contradictory element is his announcement in one of the nonsensical voice-overs how good his father (a Pulitzer-winning writer, played by Michael Caine by varying his face from "blank expression" to "Semi grin") was as a father. But - but - but - the whole movie is evidence to the contrary - are we seriously to believe that Robert Spritz couldn't do better than this? Or that his almost willful emotional disengagement from Dave is in any way admirable?

Dave Spritz plays a celebrity weather man who, evidently, fairly regularly gets hit with fast food and drinks from people in the street, for no reason whatsoever. I have never heard of this happening, I don't know why it would happen, and I don't know of how it even could happen in the manner in which it is depicted - picture this, you've just bought a Slurpee or a MacDonald's pie (presumably because you wanted to consume them) when you see a man that may or may not be somebody you see on TV occasionally for three minutes at a time. Do you

a. point out the person to whoever you're with b. ask the man for his autograph c. Immediately, without thinking about it for more than half a second, throw your consumable at him, accurately enough to hit him in the head?

I don't know anyone who would ever consider (c). As a follow-up, if you're a minor celebrity and people occasionally come up and ask for your autograph do you a. smile and give it to them b. give them some conversation, some banter, some interaction c. verbally pick a fight with them, ending with mutual acrimony

Again, I can't imagine a minor celebrity who would ever pick (c). Throughout the movie, in fact, it's astonishing that Dave Spritz stays in one piece; he picks verbal and physical fights with his daughter, his ex-wife, his ex-wife's boyfriend (who has committed no sin other than having played either stupid or mobster or both types in other movies), two semi-fans, the counselor who has come on to his son - I was waiting for him to get into it with Bryant Gumbel. One would think that the climax of the movie would reveal some deep-seated reason for all this anger (like, maybe, his dad treats him like dirt on a good day?) but it was not to be - it's just something to happen on screen

Overall, it's one of those movies that, in their insistence on not being conventional - the desire, perhaps, to have a whiff of "indie" sensibility - loses sight of any hope of being edifying, original, or, in the end, entertaining in more than the most superficial way. It's the sort of part that Jim Carrey has been taking too often these days, and it doesn't look any better on Cage than Carrey.

The final irritating event/theme of the movie (perhaps it's meant ironically, but I doubt it) is the flat contradiction of his father's advice about "'Easy' doesn't enter into grown-up life...." blah blah blah, contrasted with Dave's career accomplishments. If what Dave wants from his dad is just the right platitude, and this is it, Dave's life and career is a direct refutation of this one - he admits that his job doesn't take any knowledge whatsoever. And how hard does he have to work at even the things he works at? Archery isn't exactly the Green Berets, Dave, nor is it doing anybody in the world any good, unlike something like charity work, volunteering, or trying to be other than completely self-involved. All in all, I would not recommend this picture.

Watchable but unimaginative writing with unappealing characters

[Camera-Obscura · 12 July 2006]

Why does Michael Caine keep popping up in small ungrateful roles as an American grandpa, unsuccessfully forging an American accent. Didn't he do the same thing in AROUND THE BEND (2004)? He's a great actor, I think he can afford it to pick his roles more carefully.

Nicolas Cage is David Spritz, "The Weatherman", from a local Chicago television station. He is a celebrity, he gets a big paycheck and he makes a chance of getting a job at a national TV-station in New York. Too bad his private life is a miserable failure. He's divorced, he has estranged himself from his children and his father (Caine) looks down on him. So (yawn), he tries to straighten his life and learns that taking a piece of the American Way or something, is the way to go after all, which is taking the job in New York and go for the money.

Admittedly, I've had a bit of an overdose of Nicolas Cage recently, he's everywhere. I reached a point where I cannot make a distinction anymore between his roles. Whether he plays a family man (in FAMILY MAN), an Ukranian arms dealer (in LORD OF WAR), or a con-man (in MATCHSTCK MEN), they all seem the same to me now. For some reason, there is a strange recent trend to shoot almost all Hollywood-movies in the same icy-cold blue lighting, which doesn't give this film any distinction in this department either.

The film definitely isn't the comedy it appears to be. Perhaps this was the maker's original intention, but the result is a dark, a very dark film. It definitely has it's moments with some of the most embarrassing scenes I've seen in a long time. David Spritz sometimes makes such a complete ass out of himself, I found it extremely painful to watch at times. Sadly, as mentioned, the other characters are flat and unappealing, most painful for Michael Caine who plays an especially unappealing character. The young Nicholas Hoult as David Spritz his son is a standout with a small but great part. Watch out for him, next teen idol and hopefully in acting, a harbor of things to come.

It was watchable, but maddeningly uneven. For a film with a "message", we've heard it all before, in better films.

Camera Obscura --- 5/10

A Yet Another Superb Performance by Nic Cage!

[namashi_1 · 7/10 · 19 November 2013]

Gore Verbinski's 'The Weather Man' is a moody, but consistently watchable comedy-drama, that benefits mostly due to its leading-man, Nicolas Cage, who pitches in a superb performance!

'The Weather Man' Synopsis: A Chicago weather man, separated from his wife and children, debates whether professional and personal success are mutually exclusive.

'The Weather Man' has its share of pros & cons. Some sequences are wonderful in the first-hour, but the second-hour isn't very convincing. Steven Conrad's Screenplay works very well, but only in parts. Gore Verbinski's Direction is note-worthy. Cinematography & Editing are functional.

Performance-Wise: Nic Cage can never be doubted. His performance here is just another example of his impeccable talent. He's the life of the film. Sir Michael Caine is ever-impressive. Hope Davis is adequate. Gemmenne de la Peña & Nicholas Hoult are passable.

On the whole, 'The Weather Man' is a throughly watchable film & Nic Cage tops himself!

"Easy" doesn't enter into grown-up life.

[Galina_movie_fan · 7/10 · 24 July 2007]

There is no other working actor out there who would better convince you that a guy with a lucrative job that only takes him 2hours a day, pays 240K a year , makes him some sort of local celebrity (which is quite big considering that locale is Chicago, IL) and gives him the prospect of even more spectacular job for the morning show "Hello America" in NYC, may be as depressed, self-loathing, and confused as Nicolas Cage in the role of David Spritz, the TV Weather Man, and the main character of Gore Verbinsky's 2005 often sad and dark but frank, insightful, and ultimately funny comedy.

I believe that the movie was grossly mis-advertised and its trailer pulled the clips out of the content to give a potential viewer the idea of the slapstick comedy with many laughs that come from Cage been thrown at all kinds of fast food by his anti-fans. What some viewers did not expect to see - a somber, dreary and gray looking film and the characters that match the film visual palette perfectly. We will follow David Sprith on the streets of Windy City of Chicago during one never-ending rainy and showy winter while he tries to reconnect with his estranged wife, to understand better his 12-years-old daughter and a teenager son and to get closer to his Pulitzer Prize winner father (Michael Caine), "the national treasure" by the words of President Carter, who is dying from lymphoma. The film explores aging, loneliness, longing, emotional crises, and self doubt and more than once brings to mind John Cheever's observation: "The main emotion of the adult American who has had all the advantages of wealth, education, and culture is disappointment." There are a lot of disappointments, regrets and unhappiness in the characters of "The Weather Man", especially its main character, David Spritz but the film is not depressing or hopeless thanks to the finesse and artistry of Cage's performance and to his very unique low key dry humor with which he provides the insights in his character's inner world. "The Weather Man" is one of the movies that use voice-over effectively and along with Cage, the writer Steve Conrad should be credited for providing the hilarious stream of thought. One of the David's silent monologues, "Tartar sauce", is so incredibly funny and masterful that James Joyce himself would've rejoiced had he heard it. Michael Caine deserves equal praise for depth, irony, and a lot of heart that he brings in the role of David's father whose approval David always craved. The last scene between Caine and Cage reminded me of the similar scene between Marlon Brando and Al Pacino in "The Godfather" - not because the characters were similar but by its emotional impact and perfect chemistry between two actors.

Not everyone's idea of a film they'd want to see...and I think maybe I liked it...kind of.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 22 August 2012]

I am pretty sure when "The Weather Man" debuted, there were a lot of confused reactions among the theater patrons. After all, it's nothing like a typical Hollywood or Nicholas Cage movie. In fact, it's the sort of thing many would probably avoid! Now I am not saying it's a bad film...it's just not the sort of thing that would have a wide following. Looking at the gross for this film, it's pretty obvious the film came and went very quickly.

The film is about a man who exists. He should be happy, but he isn't and his life is a mess. This weather man from TV (Cage) makes good money, but his ex-wife hates him, his son has a drug problem and his daughter seems lost. Throughout all this, Cage WAY underplays his part--staring a lot and looking very vacant. The music and colors in the film further accentuate that. He obviously feels alienated and it only gets worse as the film progresses--with his father (Michael Caine) being diagnosed with cancer and MANY other problems arising. Yet, oddly, at the same time, his job is going very well. But what's it all for? Sure he makes money and is on TV but he also seems headed for a breakdown--and he has had enough. And, the film sure keeps you guessing as to where it will all end.

This film reminds me of Cage's "Leaving Las Vegas". It, too, is NOT a film for everyone. Seeing his character drink himself to death in all its vivid glory is hard for most folks to endure. And, after seeing it, I am not even sure if I liked "The Weather Man"--as, in a way, he plays a guy who is slowly killing himself. I respect this risk but just thought the film (and his performance) needed more life. Difficult to watch, that's for sure, and its very, very frank language (I sure heard a few interesting words I haven't heard in a long time in this one) will no doubt also alienate many. All in all, I just don't know what to make of this film--and, after almost 13,000 reviews, that's a first! I am sure it's about alienation in modern life and how empty life can be in the western world...odd topics for a corporately produced film stuffed with McDonald's product placement.

Very existential and confusing...like real life.

I've seen Cage in this role before but he does it so well

[juneebuggy · 7/10 · 13 October 2015]

I enjoyed this, it was pretty funny and although I've seen Nicholas Cage play the role of gloomy man re-examining and trying to stop his personal life from spinning out of control many times before I enjoy him as this character. He is frustrated, cumbersome and trying so hard he wrecks more than he mends. The movie is well written and while classified a comedy I would more call it a dramedy as its pretty dark with a dry sense of humour throughout.

Cage plays Dave Spritz, a frustrated TV weatherman in Chicago, where he makes good money for a job that demands little effort. In an ongoing voice-over Spritz describes his life and how viewers of his weather reports often throw things at him on the street, mostly food related.

He's divorced from his wife, has a strained relationship with his 2 children (which he's trying to repair) especially his daughter who is overweight, detached and the other kids call Cameltoe. His father is a respected author (although Dave failed at his own attempt to write a book) with ill heath so this is yet another relationship he is trying to mend. Throughout Dave is also trying to land a dream job at the network in New York, which the highs and (mostly) lows of his stormy personal life may impact his chances of getting.

I found some aspects of this story very unique, enjoyed the scenes with Dave and his daughter, the bow lessons, dress shopping and Michael Caine was a treat as Cage's disapproving, perfectionist father. 9/26/15

Looking inside your heart and predicting your future

[aharmas · 10/10 · 29 October 2005]

Thankfully Hollywood has made a movie that values our integrity and intelligence. Here is a film showing us that life is beautiful but challenging and requires a little bit of work to move through. Through its protagonist, we encounter daily frustrations of every type, from conjugal discord to simple dissatisfaction's with our everyday existence. Nicholas Cage might not have the extended range of performers like Penn or Brando, but he does competent work here. He earns our sympathy and our attention with some of the best work he has done recently.

"The Weather Man" is an extended metaphor for what goes on in our lives every day. The film apparently didn't charm the pants off a few members of the audience when I saw it. It didn't have the prepackaged bombs and special effects. It lacked enough vulgarity to appeal to those people;instead it had one of the most touching and intelligent scripts in the last year. Attendance might be down, and ironically quality is up in Hollywood. "The Weather Man" deals with real issues such as insecurity, love, and trust. It presents scenarios where the audience might become uncomfortable looking at an aspect of their lives they might not like. Here is a parent who is challenged by his inability to connect with his own children, who appears to have unsurmountable challenges dealing with a spouse, and who is now not very sure his job is truly what he always wanted.

Michael Caine once again shines in his supporting role as the father who can't communicate with his son, and has now pressing issues to deal with before it's too late. Hope Davis does a bit of against-type work with a woman who might be lacking in the warmth department. Both are impeccable and very effective in their performances.

Verbinsky keeps a leisured pace, allowing the audience to meditate and understand how critical this stage of his life is for Dave (Cage). This is a sink or swim situation, and he must do some careful reevaluation in order to succeed. Whether he is able or not, is one of the joys of the film. This movie will be remembered for its depth and quality, for its attention to detail, as well as its realistic approach. It's a 10!

Keeps Leading You On

[bob-rutzel · 6/10 · 27 February 2006]

David Spritz (Cage) is a successful TV weatherman, but has less success in his personal life.

There are several actors I really enjoy watching and Nicolas Cage is one of them. To me he is a natural as are the others I like to watch. Here he is a TV Weatherman who can sometimes get a forecast wrong and still keep his job and I guess we all understand that. But to get things wrong in life is another matter. Yet he continues to try to make things right. Well, it's one thing to get things wrong in life if all make an effort to correct things, but it's another thing when there is no forgiveness because there is no love. He is divorced from his wife (Davis),who shows no love at all and neither do his children. His father (Caine) barely puts up with him. Where did all this go wrong? The movie never really gives us an answer. David seems to be an okay, knowing, and hip kind of guy, but somewhere in the marriage something went very wrong. Maybe it was a long series of his not focusing in on family matters when he had the opportunity. Maybe.

This could have been funnier but it wasn't although it did have a few snickers like when David throws a snowball at his wife to lighten things up and hits her square in the face. Of course, she says: what the hell are you doing? And, he replies: you turned into it.

There is a lot of dirty talk by the children, and adults. Some of the sexual imagery and language were way too crude for the movie which calls itself a Comedy. I haven't heard some of those words for years and they will not be repeated here. Now to get rid of those images……

Michael Caine plays a part I am not used to seeing and it was excellent. But, my focus was on Cage and he can do no wrong in my eyes despite the script and director. But, somewhere there was a comedy in here, but it was never given a chance to come out to play, and I saw many possibilities. Still, this is an entertaining movie even though it keeps leading you on thinking the life forecast could be sunny with fair skies ahead.

Oh, the other actors I like to watch: Sean Connery, Jack Palance and Patrick McGoohan, of course.

Forecast: Cloudy and Abysmal

[proximo_sinister · 1/10 · 22 November 2005]

This film was a major disappointment. The previews made it appear as though it would have a dry witty sense of humor about it. However, what unfolds is a long depressing film with very little content. Even the brilliance of Michael Caine could not save this one. This is the sort of film that has you checking your watch after only 30 minutes. All of the humor in the preview is the sum of the humor in the movie - all the good lines are there. The one highlight in the film is the Spongebob Balloon drifting by the hotel window that cage is staying in. Not only is this film depressing, vulgar, and tasteless - it is also very long. There are at least two hours of my life that I will never get back.

An unexpected gem

[videokitty · 9/10 · 25 October 2005]

I saw a screening of this tonight, and I was very impressed. I expected a rather shallow comedy, but instead, received a well-thought out and delivered work which was insightful, quirky, funny and touching film which was far above my expectations. Cage delivers a great performance as usual, and the father-son relationship between Cage and Caine was authentic and balanced. This is not just a comedy, but is a study of the importance of family, and an overlying existential questioning of what our lives are all about. I highly recommend it for men and women alike. On a side note... Verbinski's works are diverse, fun, and interesting, and this is no exception.

Nicholas Cage as a modern-day everyman in a biting social commentary.

[prop03 · 7/10 · 8 October 2006]

This film will crystallize the stresses of modern life for many of its viewers.

Nicholas Cage plays Dave Spritz, a local TV weather man, whose life is almost dysfunctional on every level. Although he is handsomely paid, his job holds no satisfaction; he is separated from his wife and children; and his father (masterfully played by Michael Caine) has a crisis of his own.

Spritz seems to stumble through life with every one of his problems becoming too much to deal with, and indeed his pathetic attempts to address issues seem to make circumstances even worse. His desire to assist his children to have happy and fulfilling lives causes them all sorts of angst, and his attempts to reconcile with his wife are abject failures.

In the midst of these problems, which by now have snowballed into one massive dilemma, he receives a job offer which would take him to a national network with a much higher salary. He is tempted to take his family to New York and start afresh.

If you watch this movie wanting a schmaltzy feel-good ending, you'll wish you had taken out Mary Poppins. But if you want to take a look at the harried middle classes who seemingly have every material wealth but not much love or satisfaction in their lives, this could be for you.

Cage does a passable job as the hassled and inept protagonist David Spritz, but the movie takes a long time to get where it is going.

Who is getting paid to write the reviews for this movie?

[George2003 · 1/10 · 29 October 2005]

I am very disappointed that I wasted $10 and 2 hours of my life watching this movie. Has our society really reached the point where we can constantly accept mediocre garbage as a substitute for thought-provoking entertainment? Everything in this movie seemed flawed...from the writing to the casting. Can someone please explain to me how an American husband and wife raise two children...but one has a British accent? Oh and while I am complaining about the logistics of the movie: why was a plot point of Nicholas Cage's daughter being a smoker introduced? She buys cigarettes, the father sees them in her bag and the point is never touched on again. No resolution? Not even confrontation? Ohhhh I know what you avant-garde cinema heads are thinking...maybe that is the point, right? Maybe it isn't all about the resolution? Well I think it is pointless and boring. Back to logistics, how exactly do these people throwing things at the weatherman have such great accuracy? Not only can these villains recognize Dave Spritz by the back of his head and nail him with food (in a shameless effort to divert eyes away from looking at our watches), these villains are superhuman enough to see Spritz sitting in his car with the window down and accurately throw a big gulp through the window and hit him. Oh and here's something else that ticked me off...how can you cast someone as brilliant as Michael Caine into the role of a genius father figure and give him such horrible dialogue. This world-renowned author and genius father of David Spritz sits in the weatherman's car, picks up a cup and gives the line, "What's this?" ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! It is a cup that is most likely filled with residue from soda and it has the words BIG GULP printed so large on the side that Stevie Wonder could read it! The dialogue in this movie is just like the plot. It is weak, thin, very dry, and most of the time it DOES NOT MAKE SENSE! Gore Verbinski I hope you read this because the cut to a 12 year old girl's "cameltoe" and then the superimposed real life camel toe was absolutely ridiculous. It was just sooooo stupid! And Nick if you ever read this...just because Adaptation was a good movie doesn't mean you have to keep using voice-over in every movie you take! When a movie is driven by the main character being hit with food and a 12 year old girl's cameltoe you should definitely save your time and money and STEER CLEAR OF THIS MOVIE.

Excellent Blend Of Comedy And Drama

[RonellSowes · 17 March 2021]

Dave Spritz is the weather man for a local Chicago news channel. People occasionaly throw fast food at him on the street, he's out of touch with his ex-wife and kids and he fears his dying Pulitzer Prize winning father views him as a disappointment. The film is really Death Of A Salesman with a lot of comedy thrown in. Most of the jokes aren't the sort that seem to tell you that this is a joke and you should laugh. Some of it, like the random food assaults, could be considered slapstick but for the most part it's based off of observations. Comprised mostly of more subtle scenarios or conversations. Yet, despite all the comedy, the film is also very dramatic and poignant. Similar to Arthur Miller's Pulitzer Prize winning play, the film is about a man coming to terms with his failures and himself. Nicolas Cage is perfectly cast as the pathetic Dave Spritz, a guy who appears to be the butt of all the world's jokes. Cage conveys the emotions and state of mind of his character very authentically and proves he only seems like a bad actor because he's in a lot of bad pictures. The film also features the enduring Sir Michael Caine. His character only has a few deadpan comedic moments(which he maximizes) and mostly serves as a dramatic element to the story. He's the epitome of dignity and class and he brings both qualities to this role. But he also pulls off the more sensitive moments too.

The Weather Man is a(hopefully unrelatable)story of a guy who could be considered a loser and is just trying to make things work. And perhaps he can't. Maybe he needs to accept things for the way they are and press forward. As the film puts it he's behind the fire brigade but in front of Sponge Bob.