Movie Review

The Weather Man

"The Weather Man" is not a mid-life crisis movie at all; in fact you would think that the main character has been in crisis since birth, but he?s not about to cash in his pension for a Mercedes any time soon. He is an ordinary human being, easily coasting by and trying to avoid life?s hardships. And at the same time he is something more. He wants to be a superhero to his children and wife. He wants to be president of the United States just so he can make his father proud. He is the American male, and while on the subject of American males, this is the funniest and most poignant movie about them since "Fight Club.?

Dave Spritz (Nicholas Cage) is a Chicago weatherman. He is hated, so much so that people throw shakes and sodas at him from moving vehicles. The reason why is that he puts no effort into his job. He doesn?t even have a degree in meteorology. He just reads the weather as people tell him to say it. He also makes appearances as Abraham Lincoln during special events. Dave is a fake, a second-rate actor who people rely on for information. No wonder they hate him.

His job is the first of many roadblocks that make him feel inadequate. The second is his home life. His wife Noreen (Hope Davis) has divorced him. His daughter Shelly (Gemmenne de la Pena) is overweight and is teased by kids at school. And his son Mike (Nicholas Hoult) was on drugs, but is now in even more trouble because his drug counselor (Gil Bellows) just so happens to be a pedophile. He still feels that everything can be salvaged. He goes to marriage counseling with Noreen. Shelly says she wants to learn archery, which becomes a way for him to spend quality time with her. And he tells Mike that if he can keep himself out of trouble, he will get him a camera.

When the chips are down, we always feel like we can save something that may be too late to be saved. The dream of course is the quick fix. For Dave that would be a job on a big time Morning show in New York. He is one of the candidates for the new weatherman and he feels that more money and more fame will automatically change the way everyone views him.

Possibly, but right now he also has to deal with his father Robert (Michael Caine). Robert is a Pulitzer Prize winner, a man who has worked hard in his life and has no regrets. He is disappointed by Dave, but is too kindhearted to really criticize anything Dave does. Dave, on the other hand, has always felt worse having Robert as a father. His father is a prominent and accomplished figure, and as I said before, Dave is a second-rate actor. Now Robert is dying of lymphoma and Dave has yet to make his father proud of him. So Dave attempts to do the impossible-control his own life and make something of himself.

Dave is an interesting character study, but most importantly, a relate-able human being. He is not a slacker by any stretch of the imagination, but rather he falls into those psychological traps that plague us all. He gives up on things that are difficult. Trust and concentration issues also plague him. A flashback sequence in which Dave is told to go get tartar sauce is the funniest moment in the film, but also very truthful.

If they ever do decide to remake "It?s a Wonderful Life,? Nicholas Cage gets my vote. He has become very good at playing family men that feel inadequate about themselves, and here he perfects the role even more so. Cage charges the role with sadness, desperation, and confusion. The most compelling scenes feature Dave sitting in his car outside the house that now only contains his wife and children, thinking about how his whole life has gone wrong. Later, we see Noreen?s fianc? Russ (Michael Rispoli) comforting Michael after a traumatic event. The fact that Dave has lost the ability to comfort his own son leads him to take off his gloves and slap Russ with them. Cage?s performance is heartbreaking, funny, and real. He shows us that Dave does try, but that there is only so much he has the ability to control.

Michael Caine is also brilliant here. Robert is a man of professionalism and dignity, but also of understanding. He knows the hardships that life throws and at the same time has advice for Dave instead of criticism. "What?s hard and what?s right are usually the same things," he tells Dave. The two share many profound and heartfelt conversations with one another, the last one really affecting because Caine drives Robert?s words home with such intensity and force. This is the most powerful piece of work Caine has done in a long time, and it is also some of the funniest. Robert?s reaction to profanity and words like "camel toe" are hilarious.

Director Gore Verbinski, who has already become a sought-after director with his high style work in films like "The Ring" and "Pirates of the Carribean," now also proves to be among Hollywood?s most versatile directors as well. He proves excellent in crafting drama, casting a cold and dreary look to the whole film that he laces with sharp humor and insight. Verbinski is an odd choice for this film, but then again, so is a major studio like Paramount. "The Weather Man" has "indie" written all over it and some critics have even panned it for being a depressing mainstream film. They haven?t been paying close enough attention. Firstly, this is a thought-provoking piece of work about the intricacies and tribulations of life, and how the American male has become a much more fragile and multi-layered character. And secondly, many mainstream movies have been terrible this year, so hats off to Paramount for trying something new.

And hats off to "The Weather Man!? This is one of the year?s most brilliant and interesting pieces of work. It?s not nearly as depressing as some critics would lead you to believe, primarily because it?s balanced with funny, insightful, touching, and relate-able issues, and portrayed with perfectly pitched performances and direction. Like a weatherman who predicts a week full of sunny, 70-degree temperatures, "The Weather Man" feels and looks great.

Craig's Grade: A

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%