A couple of weeks ago I wrote that I was excited to see Nic Cage’s new movie The Weather Man. Long story short: I saw it this weekend, liked it, and figured I’d preview the film and share some thoughts on it (without giving it all away, in case you want to walk into the theater reasonably fresh).
The commercials and trailers show popular Chicago weather man Dave Spritz on the receiving end of shakes, burritos, and chicken nuggets from disgruntled viewers. We also see him walking through the city with bow and arrows on his back, and know that Michael Caine plays his dad. Funny stuff, but it doesn’t really give you a sense of what the movie is about. Groundhog Day it ain’t: director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring, The Mexican) gives us a film that is darker and more substantive than an hour and a half of fast food in flight. Dave’s personal life is on the fritz: he’s divorced but wants to patch things over with his wife, his kids have problems beyond that of typical teens, and he just can’t seem to win the approval of his Pullitzer Prize winning father. His lone area of success happens to be standing in front of a green screen pointing to low pressure and telling Chicagoans what day the “Spritz Nipper” of the week will be. Unfortunately for Dave, reading prompts for two hours a day in a television studio and making a ton of money for minimal effort doesn’t balance (or mend) the rest of life’s disappoinments. Curiously, Dave thinks that if he can just land that high-paying network morning weather gig in New York, he can make the most of the clean slate and finally get it all together.
I won’t say anymore about the movie, and I hope I haven’t given away too much. Some other thoughts: the cinematography was fantastic and accurately captures the beauty and gloom of Chicago’s harsh, grey, frozen winters. I especially liked the downtown scenes filmed from Dave’s apartment. I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the weather aspects of the film. I can’t speak for all of the weather personalities in Nashville, but I sure don’t make a quarter million bucks for two hours of work a day. As I wrote last week, my job involves very early hours and lots of preparation. I don’t read prompts and I make my own forecast and weather maps. That said, plenty of television meteorologists all over the country don’t have meteorology degrees and some rely solely on the National Weather Service for their forecast (rippers and readers, we call ‘em). But I don’t hold that against the movie: how often does someone make a movie about your job? Beggars can’t be choosers, and there’s much more to the movie than just the weather guessing.
By the way, there’s plenty of cursing in the film (it’s rated R, after all) and I wouldn’t take my kids to it. I don’t have any though, so no worries here. If you liked American Beauty and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I think The Weather Man willl treat you right.
