The Weather Man is a 2005 dramatic picture with dark humorous moments, directed by Gore Verbinski. Written by Steve Conrad, it casts Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine and Hope Davis and tells the story of a weatherman on a Chicago news program, who is a failure outside his vocation.

A successful weatherman at a Chicago news program, David Spritz is finely paid but realizes his career needs little more than speaking and pointing. He thinks most people like him only because he's on TV. For some reason, public occasionally throw fast food at him as they drive by. Just separated, his wife, Noreen, has custody of their two children. Dave is honestly antagonistic toward her new boyfriend, Russ.

Dave's 12-year-old daughter, Shelly, is a stout smoker, bullied by her classmates. Dave caters to his daughter's interest in activities even though she immediately drops them; archery for example. Dave's 15-year-old son, Mike, is befriended by his therapist, Don, an very charitable single man whose concern in Mike is upsetting.
Dave is inhibited by his extremely successful father, Robert Spritzel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. Robert is upset with Dave's evident incapability to grow up and deal with his children, while Dave is anxious to convert himself in his father's eyes. Robert is diagnosed with lymphoma and although given only a few months to live, he remains dignified.

Dave pursues a weatherman position with the national "Hello America" show. The work would nearly quadruple his salary, but means relocating to New York City. He sees this career as a chance to prove himself to his father and possibly reunite with his wife.Dave tries to reconnect with Noreen by attending group therapy. He stupidly ruins the effort by betraying Noreen's faith and initiates a heated quarrel.

As he becomes more and more frightened, Dave takes up archery, finding the pursuit a means to build his focus and calm his mental strain."Hello America" invites Dave to New York. He brings Shelly so he can talk to her. He skirts the topic by buying her a wardrobe of dresses and skirts. Dave's father also tours to NY to see a specialist. Dave learns that, his son assaulted his counselor. Robert claims that the therapist wanted to perform oral sex on Mike. Depressed over this and his father's expected demise, Dave stays up all night drinking, despite the "Hello America" interview the next morning. Surprisingly, all goes finely and he impresses his interviewers.

Dave returns to Chicago to find Noreen's boyfriend dealing with the Mike situation. Amazingly, Dave attacks Russ with his gloves in front of Noreen and Robert, who are surprised. Dave later confronts the therapist at his home and attacks him in a enraged mood. Dave is offered the "Hello America" career. He hesitates because it means being away from Noreen and the kids.
The family holds a living interment for Robert. Dave asks Noreen to reconcile and move to New York but she has decided to marry Russ. To calm his anxiety, he practices archery on the lawn. When Russ steps out, Dave draws the arrow on him and holds it, preparing to shoot. Russ, anxious, goes back inside.When Dave starts his formal speech to his father the light goes out. He starts crying telling his father that he was offered the job, but that his wife will tie knot with Russ. Robert consoles him by explaining that not all in life goes as we'd like, and that he is satisfied with his son for being able to land the "Hello America" position and also for Dave's defense of his son.

 Robert admitted to reading Dave's, admittedly poor, try at a novel. Robert explains that it takes years to be a good author and Dave spent all those years learning to be a good weatherman and that's an success, particularly highlighting his son's victory in landing such a rewarding position. Finally, Robert has a real funeral and at that time, Mike discloses to his father the aspirations to be a cameraman for Monday Night Football, which makes Dave  proud of him. Dave accepts the job. Dave's former resentment for his fans, an indication of his own low self-respect, has gone now that he has gained his father's support and learned to accept his life.

Released on October 28, 2005, the movie was a box office bomb, with a total gross of $19,039,770 worldwide. The Weather Man received mixed reviews, gaining an overall score of 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. It is similar to The Family Man  (2000, Brett Ratner).

There are no comments to this entry.