"Gloomy 'Weather'"
by Scott Mantz

"The Weather Man"
Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine
Directed by Gore Verbinski

Would you like fries with that?  Nicolas Cage gets pelted by a chocolate shake in "The Weather Man"

A dark cloud hangs over “The Weather Man,” director Gore Verbinski’s relentlessly depressing character study about a TV newscaster’s stormy mid-life crisis.  At the eye of the hurricane lies a committed performance from Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage, but otherwise, the forecast calls for chilly box office returns before strong winds blow this downer to DVD shelves for good.

Cage plays David Spritz, a TV weatherman in Chicago whose personal life is a mess.  Despite being poised to take the top spot at a national morning TV show, he can’t get over the pain of his recent divorce, he just found out that his father is terminally ill, and he can’t seem to make a connection with his estranged kids.  But just when David least expects it, he learns how to re-evaluate his priorities, which forces him to appreciate the fact that life is as unpredictable as the weather.

After the incredible success of blockbusters like “The Ring” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” director Gore Verbinski switches gears for something more personal and provocative.  But rather than successfully replicate the emotional impact, bittersweet sorrow and dark humor of other mid-life crisis-themed movies like “American Beauty” and “About Schmidt,” “The Weather Man” goes nowhere very slowly, and what little resolution there is doesn’t justify what it took to get there.

And just what is the cause of all this misery?  For starters, David still has feelings for his ex-wife (Hope Davis, who previously played Jack Nicholson’s daughter in “About Schmidt”), but she’s not receptive to any of his half-hearted attempts to win her back.  In addition, his plus-sized daughter (Gemmenne de la Pena) is extremely self-conscious about her weight, and his introverted son (Nicholas Hoult) has to contend with a shady counselor (Gil Bellows) who may be a pedophile.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, David can’t walk down the street without having people throw food at him.  And no matter how hard he tries, he still can’t please his Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist father (a chilly, judgmental Michael Caine).  It isn’t until he gets bad news from the doctor that they finally start to understand each other, but by then, it’s too late to lift the spirits of those who’ve weathered the storm.

Nicolas Cage has played likeable losers before, but in this case, there’s only so much self-pity that one can take.  That goes for the rest of “The Weather Man” as well.  Perhaps a warmer disposition would have made a stronger emotional impact, because let’s face it – the skies can only stay dark for so long before the sun has to peek through.

Back to Scott's New Movie Reviews

Review Archives