The Weather Man

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"Weather man" and "Weather Man" redirect here. For other uses see weatherman.
The Weather Man

The international promotional poster for The Weather Man
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Produced by Todd Black
Jason Blumenthal
Steve Tisch
Written by Steven Conrad
Starring Nicolas Cage
Michael Caine
Hope Davis
Music by Hans Zimmer
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) October 28, 2005 (Theatres)
February 21, 2006 (DVD)
Running time 101 mins
Language English
IMDb profile

The Weather Man is a 2005 American comedy-drama film, starring Nicolas Cage and Michael Caine. The film revolves around David Spritz (Cage), a successful weatherman on a Chicago news program, who is seen by both others and himself as a failure in all areas of life outside his career. The film was directed by Gore Verbinski and written by Steven Conrad.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Chicago weatherman David Spritz (Nicolas Cage) spends his time in a daze. His job pays well, but he finds it unsatisfactory that it doesn't require much except to speak and point, and the weather forecasts he reads are often inaccurate. While he's a local celebrity, his fans are not kind to him; once every few months people throw fast food at him. He also remarks that people don't like him because he has low self-esteem and people who do like him like him because he's on TV.

He is separated from his wife Noreen (Hope Davis) with the possibility of either reconciliation or divorce. He and her new lover Russ (Michael Rispoli) have an openly antagonistic relationship.

Dave feels inferior to his father Robert Spritzel (Michael Caine), a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Robert has lymphoma and only a few months to live; he deals with that in a quiet, dignified manner. Robert is concerned with Dave's apparent inability to grow up, while Dave is anxious to redeem himself in his father's eyes.

Dave has a 12-year-old daughter Shelly (Gemmenne de la Peña) who smokes and is obese and teased by her classmates, who call her "camel toe" because her genitals show through her tight clothing. For this reason Dave buys dresses for her. While picking up Shelly from her dance lessons, Spritz flashes back to expensive archery lessons, which his daughter quickly lost interest in. Dave also has a 15-year-old son Mike (Nicholas Hoult) who has had some trouble with the law concerning drug use. Mike is creepily befriended by his rehab counselor Don (Gil Bellows), who is very generous. However, it is suggested that Don has a sexual interest in Mike. Don suggests that he makes photos of Mike from time to time to document his progress in bodybuilding. Mike agrees, and allows Don to take photos of him shirtless.

Eventually, however, Mike punches Don in the face; Robert claims that Don wanted to perform oral sex on Mike, while Don claims that Mike wanted to steal his wallet. Dave is in New York City interviewing with Hello America (A nationwide morning television show starring Bryant Gumbel) and unable to help, so Russ steps in. Although Dave is interested in Mike's well-being, he does not even let Russ finish his account, and slaps him in the face with his gloves, apparently because he cannot stand that Russ is now the person dealing with Mike's problems. Later Dave beats Don up. Mike is relieved to find out from his father that Don won't press charges, particularly after Dave's violent confrontation. Robert also approves of Dave's defense of his son.

There is a living funeral for Robert. Due to a power failure Dave's speech is aborted after only saying: "When I think of my dad, I think of Bob Seger's "Like a Rock". Later Robert plays the song and asks Dave to explain his remark. Dave explains that Robert has always been strong and stands "proud and tall, high above it all", as in the song.

Dave is offered a place on Hello America that requires a move to New York. He hesitates, since he would be far away from Noreen and their children, unless the family is reunited, and they also move to New York. However, Noreen tells him she is going to marry Russ, so Dave accepts the job. Soon afterward, Robert dies.

Dave's former resentment for his fans, a reflection of his own low self-esteem, has gone away now that he has gained his father's approval and learned to accept and be happy with his life. People do not throw things at him anymore. He assumes this may be a pleasant side-effect of his archery hobby, for which he carries a bow around.

The film ends with a parade, in which Dave rides on a float with Gumbel and other morning show castmembers. He notes how he's behind the NYC firemen, but ahead of SpongeBob Squarepants. He is satisfied with this and his "American accomplishment." The film ends with a close-up of Dave waving as he says, through narration, "Hello America."

[edit] Cast

Tom Skilling, the actual weatherman for WGN News from Chicago, has a cameo.

[edit] Reception

The Weather Man received mixed reviews gaining an overall score of 58 on Rotten Tomatoes and 60 on Metacritic.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Films directed by Gore Verbinski

The Ritual (1996) • Mousehunt (1997) • The Mexican (2001) • The Ring (2002) • Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) • The Weather Man (2005) • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) • Bioshock (2010)