The Weather Man (2005)
LIVING LIFE IN THE FORECAST
U.S. Release Date
Oct 28, 2005
Rotten Tomatoes
🍅 60%
Audience Score
🍿 56%
Official Synopsis
David Spritz (Nicolas Cage) is a successful Chicago weatherman who has a shot at the big time with a national morning show audition in New York. While his professional life is reaching a peak, his personal life is a disaster: he is struggling through a painful divorce from his wife Noreen (Hope Davis), dealing with his father Robert's (Michael Caine) terminal illness, and trying to reconnect with his troubled children. David finds that life, much like the weather, is completely unpredictable and often leaves him as the target of literal and metaphorical fast-food projectiles.
Production Dossier
Financials
Budget: $22 Million
Box Office: $19.1 Million
Opening Weekend: $4.2 Million
Technical Specs
Cinematography: Phedon Papamichael
Studio: Escape Artists / Paramount
Runtime: 102 Minutes
Cast & Crew
- Director: Gore Verbinski
- Writer: Steve Conrad
- Starring: Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine, Hope Davis, Nicholas Hoult, Gemmenne de la Peña, Michael Rispoli, Gil Bellows
Primary Filming Locations
• Chicago, Illinois: The primary setting, featuring iconic shots of Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue.
• WGN-TV Studios, Chicago: Used as the filming location for the "WCH6" news studio sets.
• Evanston, Illinois: Location of the home belonging to David's ex-wife, Noreen.
• Plainfield, Illinois: The archery range scenes were filmed at Glisson Archery & Pro Shop.
• WGN-TV Studios, Chicago: Used as the filming location for the "WCH6" news studio sets.
• Evanston, Illinois: Location of the home belonging to David's ex-wife, Noreen.
• Plainfield, Illinois: The archery range scenes were filmed at Glisson Archery & Pro Shop.
Fun Facts
- Faked Winter: Despite shooting in Chicago during February, there was no natural snow. The production team had to create artificial snow for the winter setting.
- Golden Arches: To emphasize the commercialized culture of David's life, the McDonald's logo appears prominently on-screen at least nine times throughout the film.
- Personal Cage: Nicolas Cage has stated that David Spritz is a reflection of his own life experiences, specifically his relationship with his father and his high-profile divorce.
- McConaughey Tie: Actor Nicholas Hoult, who plays David's son, later co-starred with Nicolas Cage again in the 2023 film *Renfield*.
Original Review (Feb 19, 2006)
There's a lot of reasons why people watch movies. They watch to be inspired, to laugh, to cry, for an emotional release, to see an interesting reflection of life. To witness art.
As I said, lots of reasons.
When I was watching The Weather Man, I went down my own personal list, to figure out what reasons this particular story fulfills in terms of my criteria for watching films.
I couldn't find one.
I guess a story like this might appeal to some people..... actually judging by the box office returns maybe not. The Weather Man is a movie that celebrates how life sucks and then ends. Doesn't that sound fun? Isn't that inspiring? Get in line now or miss the fun.
The story concerns David Spritz (Nicolas Cage) a successful Weather man who's personal life is falling apart. His kids are each in a different kind of social trouble. David is separated from his wife, who he is still in love with, and his father is dying. David plans to try, and pull his life together by excelling in his professional life in an attempt to save his family. But can he do it before it's too late?
The movie actually has a pretty standard, and unoriginal message. It argues that the American Dream of financial success doesn't guarantee a well rounded fulfilling life. In a way it wants to be like a rich man's Death of a Salesman. The problem is screenwriter Steve Conrad waters down the material by using dark comedy to express that point.
It doesn't work.
For one thing the stuff isn't funny. The material isn't nearly witty, or shocking enough to be darkly enjoyable. The situations in the move also don't ring true enough for the viewer to be affected emotionally. So what the viewer is left with, is a unfunny story about an unsympathetic character. Basically two hours of watching a guy we don't give a shit about fail at life.
The acting in the film is solid, yet unremarkable. The direction is competent, yet not interesting. The writing is not especially bad.....or especially good. In short the movie is unimpressive, and forgettable.
It's not surprising that the studio had trouble marketing the film, because it doesn't really appeal to a movie paying audience. I don't think anyone wants to see this story, much less spend money to watch it. The whole time I kept thinking why am I watching a mega star actor in Nicolas Cage whine about the troubles of life. I don't care how much he says life sucks. This is a guy who was born into the Coppola family, was married to Patricia Arquette, and the daughter of Elvis, screwed Paris Hilton and Angelina Jolie makes at least 10 million a movie and has won an Oscar. Shouldn't this guy be playing a character that's won the lotto, or a hero that saves San Francisco from Military terrorists. I don't want to see him whine about how his overweight child gets teased by her classmates, or his naive son gets hit on by a gay drug counselor. I don't want to see any star play that role.
I can watch Jerry Springer for that.
I guess if one is in the mood to watch a movie about a guy whining about how life is hard, they can check out this DVD on Tuesday.
As I said, lots of reasons.
When I was watching The Weather Man, I went down my own personal list, to figure out what reasons this particular story fulfills in terms of my criteria for watching films.
I couldn't find one.
I guess a story like this might appeal to some people..... actually judging by the box office returns maybe not. The Weather Man is a movie that celebrates how life sucks and then ends. Doesn't that sound fun? Isn't that inspiring? Get in line now or miss the fun.
The story concerns David Spritz (Nicolas Cage) a successful Weather man who's personal life is falling apart. His kids are each in a different kind of social trouble. David is separated from his wife, who he is still in love with, and his father is dying. David plans to try, and pull his life together by excelling in his professional life in an attempt to save his family. But can he do it before it's too late?
The movie actually has a pretty standard, and unoriginal message. It argues that the American Dream of financial success doesn't guarantee a well rounded fulfilling life. In a way it wants to be like a rich man's Death of a Salesman. The problem is screenwriter Steve Conrad waters down the material by using dark comedy to express that point.
It doesn't work.
For one thing the stuff isn't funny. The material isn't nearly witty, or shocking enough to be darkly enjoyable. The situations in the move also don't ring true enough for the viewer to be affected emotionally. So what the viewer is left with, is a unfunny story about an unsympathetic character. Basically two hours of watching a guy we don't give a shit about fail at life.
The acting in the film is solid, yet unremarkable. The direction is competent, yet not interesting. The writing is not especially bad.....or especially good. In short the movie is unimpressive, and forgettable.
It's not surprising that the studio had trouble marketing the film, because it doesn't really appeal to a movie paying audience. I don't think anyone wants to see this story, much less spend money to watch it. The whole time I kept thinking why am I watching a mega star actor in Nicolas Cage whine about the troubles of life. I don't care how much he says life sucks. This is a guy who was born into the Coppola family, was married to Patricia Arquette, and the daughter of Elvis, screwed Paris Hilton and Angelina Jolie makes at least 10 million a movie and has won an Oscar. Shouldn't this guy be playing a character that's won the lotto, or a hero that saves San Francisco from Military terrorists. I don't want to see him whine about how his overweight child gets teased by her classmates, or his naive son gets hit on by a gay drug counselor. I don't want to see any star play that role.
I can watch Jerry Springer for that.
I guess if one is in the mood to watch a movie about a guy whining about how life is hard, they can check out this DVD on Tuesday.
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I'm trying to think of the reason I didn't see this movie...hmmm...oh wait, thats right, nicolas cage was in it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why they cast him as ghost rider...hmmm we need to cast a daredevil who sells his soul to the devil...I know, lets get a middle aged guy with a receding hairline!
Your analysis of the movie is ridiculous. Weather Man was a remarkable depiction of the consequences of the self-absorbed. However, the ending was optimistic. But perhaps you prefer a Cinderella ending. Check out August Rush; You may be feel a bit more cozy.
ReplyDelete