The Weather Man (2005)

Director:

Gore Verbinski

Writer (WGA):

Steve Conrad (written by)

Release Date:

28 October 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

In life, accuracy counts.

Plot:

A Chicago weather man, separated from his wife and children, debates whether professional and personal success are mutually exclusive.

Plot Keywords:

Box Office Flop | New York City New York | Camel Toe | Overweight Child | Ephebophile

Cast

Nicolas Cage	...	David Spritz
Michael Caine	...	Robert Spritzel
Hope Davis	...	Noreen
Gemmenne de la Peña	...	Shelly
Nicholas Hoult	...	Mike
Michael Rispoli	...	Russ
Gil Bellows	...	Don
Judith McConnell	...	Lauren
Chris Marrs	...	DMV Guy
Dina Facklis	...	Andrea
DeAnna N.J. Brooks	...	Clerk
Sia A. Moody	...	Nurse (as Sia Moody)
Guy Van Swearingen	...	Nipper Guy
Alejandro Pina	...	Fast Food Employee
Jackson Bubala	...	Fast Food Child

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and sexual content.

Runtime:

101 min | Argentina:102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Québec) | New Zealand:R16 | Brazil:14 | France:U | Hungary:16 | South Korea:15 | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Finland:K-15 | Sweden:7 | Ireland:16 | UK:15 | Spain:18 | Iceland:12 | Denmark:15 | Germany:6 | Malaysia:U (DVD) | USA:R CORRECT: REPLACE WITH: (certificate #41144) | Canada:14A CORRECT: (British Columbia) REPLACE WITH: (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Norway:11 | Australia:MA | Netherlands:MG6 | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Singapore:M18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The Naperville Central High School marching band was asked to be in that parade, and the song they are playing is their school's fight song.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dave puts the new tag on his license plate, the first set of three numbers is separated from the second set of three numbers. But a moment later, a front shot of his car shows all six numbers in a row with no separation.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dave Spritz: That was refreshing. I'm refreshed. I'm refreshing.

Movie Connections:

References "SpongeBob SquarePants" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Sweet Lorraine

Looking inside your heart and predicting your future

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!