Consider the existential plight of the meteorologist. Even with the latest Doppler technology, weather forecasters are at the mercy of nature. They get blamed when they forget to recommend umbrellas. And their shining moments come when they put on a parka, go up on a roof and get pelted by hurricane winds.
“The Weather Man” takes the hapless nature of this job to a tragic degree. Nicolas Cage plays David Spritz, the weather guy on a Chicago TV station. His pasted-on grin has made him a celebrity in the Windy City, and he’s even landed an audition with a network morning show.
But David’s life is a mess. He’s separated from his wife (Hope Davis) and nurses foolish notions of getting back with her. His kids (Nicholas Hoult and Gemmenne De la Pena) seem beyond his reach. And his brusque father (Michael Caine), a famous writer, has never masked his disdain for his son’s career.
Oh, and David has this ongoing problem with people throwing things at him. When he’s recognized on the street, people throw milkshakes and Big Gulps, for no apparent reason. This is a running joke that becomes strangely poignant as the film goes on.
In the world of writer Steven Conrad, angst and slapstick sit side by side. (Well, they do in real life, too, come to think of it.) One minute the film tries to cast an unflinchingly honest eye at the problems of children, then next it ponders how David’s dressing up as Abraham Lincoln might land him a groupie.
| Partly sunny: Nicolas Cage plays a Chicago TV weatherman who can’t predict his personal life any better than the climate. An uneven movie, but you end up rooting for Cage’s hapless goof.
Rated: R rating is for language, subject matter. on |
David Spritz doesn’t always do the right thing. His failings are some of the funniest bits in the picture, including his uproarious interior monologue as he tries to perform a simple task to please his ex and can’t stop thinking about the thousand distractions involved in walking down the block.
Conrad’s dialogue has a very “written” quality, as though David Mamet had decided to explore the trivial world of a weatherman. Director Gore Verbinski (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) has such a heavy touch that he may not be the best director for this kind of material.
As for Nicolas Cage, there’s a bit of deja vu about his performance, since it recalls other midlife crisis roles (“The Family Man”) and follows hard on his similarly charming rogue in “Lord of War.” Still, Cage does the life of quiet desperation well, and nobody freaks out quite like him.
The film isn’t agile enough to pull off the shifts in tone. But it’s a little like its protagonist – it tries hard, even when it fails, and ultimately you root for it.
Nicolas Cage stars in “The Weather Man.”
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