The Weather Man is not a movie about the weather. Just a man.
We follow a man named David Spritz, a weatherman for a local Chicago news station. His life is spiraling downward and everything he does seems to make it worse. That is until the end of the movie where everything turns out "happily ever after," for lack of a better phrase. There are side stories within David's family, but the majority of the film focuses on him, and his life dilemma.
The movie itself is nothing special. It's just an average story line that has been done repeatedly in Hollywood movies. In an attempt to stand out, the film tries to push a few boundaries, which I don't think worked in its advantage. In other words, I don't ever want to think about a 12-year-old's "camel toe" again. By that, I mean, never again. The side stories with the children should have been very compelling and enhanced the story, but for the most part, they were dull and missed the mark.
Michael Caine plays one of the best roles in the movie, David Spritz's father Robert. Throughout much of the movie, the best parts were the ones where David and his father would interact. While his little daddy speech at the end seemed a bit rushed and forced, it fit the situation, so it is forgiven. The actors as a whole did excellent jobs. With all the complaints that could be made about this movie, none of them should be directed at the actors. Nicolas Cage nailed his role, the kids were great, Michael Caine is the man, and even the cameo characters were well received onscreen.
There weren't any special effects really, just some odd footage spliced in for extra "shock and awe" appeal. Did I mention I never want to think about a twelve year olds camel toe again?
Over all this was a decent film, but skip it in the theater. It's a rental at best. If you like movies about a man struggling with life, then comes out on top, this is the movie for you. Talk to me and I'll direct you to many that do it better, but this one isn't bad to catch on a movie channel if you happen to be channel surfing by it.
The movie tries hard to be an American classic, but falls short on quite a few key points. I left the theater thinking I missed some life experiences needed to fully understand and connect with the movie, so maybe the movie's lack of impact has more to do with my inability to relate to the intended audience. As it stands, the movie missed the mark by a large margin.
"The Weather Man" opens October 28, 2005 and is rated R. Comedy, Drama. Directed by Gore Verbinski. Written by Steve Conrad. Starring Hope Davis, Michael Caine, Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage.
