The Weather Man

Nicolas Cage has chosen so many risky characters of late to
play. From a gunrunner in Lord of War, to a NYC firefighter
in the upcoming movie World Trade Center - his roles
have been quite varied.

The quirky comedy/drama THE WEATHER MAN is directed
by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring),
and stars Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine and Hope Davis
(Proof, American Splendor, About Schmidt).

Nicolas Cage plays David Spritz, a Chicago weather man
in the middle of an existential crisis. His father,
Robert King Spritzel (Caine), is a famous Pulitzer prize
winning author, whose accomplishments are overwhelming
for David to live up to. Robert has been diagnosed with
Lymphoma.

David changed his name to Spritz for professional reasons,
because it's more "refreshing." He seeks validation
from his father, while trying to connect to his son
and daughter, even his estranged ex-wife Noreen (Davis).

David's teenage son Mike is in drug rehab, and is seeking
acceptance. Mike's drug counselor crosses the line preying
on his vulnerability.

Meanwhile, his younger, overweight daughter Shelly,
is smoking cigarettes on the sly and trying out different
hobbies with her dad's involvement. These include archery
and ice skating.

The moral of this movie is that life, similar to the
weather, is unpredictable and will variate and surprise
you. David finds this frustrating in the predictions
of the weather, done by qualified meteorologists, that
he reads off to the public on TV. Spritz's forecasting
often gets him pelted with Frosties, Big Gulps, KFC
chicken and a taco among other fast food items. Those
forecasts are affected by the random unpredictability
of wind direction and change.

My forecast says that it will be partly cloudy some
days, and partly sunny on others. You will like this
movie, because it's full of many great moments. Caine
and Cage's performances are fantastic, with wonderful
chemistry as father and son. You will laugh, think,
feel, and examine your place in this "fast food
culture" we all live in.