Review of The Weather Man (2005) by Anthony L — 09 Dec 2015

Dave Spritz is a local weatherman in his home town of Chicago, where his career is going well while his personal life -- his relationship with his perfectionist writer father, his neurotic ex-wife, and his now-separated children -- is spiraling downward. Despite being both loathed and loved by the local masses, Dave is a guy who doesn't seem to have it all together, and in this film, he begins to feel it. An attractive job offer presents Dave with a major question: to pursue his career in New York City, or to remain at home with his family. [IMDb].

This is one of my favorite movies and I have no shame in saying that. The Weather Man is a top quality character study and easily my favorite Nicolas Cage performance. He's a National Treasure in this flick. Also, it's Gore Verbinski's finest film; The Ring and Mousehunt (Obviously) come close but this one takes the cake. The Weather Man is a completely underrated gem that has a special place in my heart. It's the best film of 2005, closely followed by Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and it bears that title for a few reasons.

The acting is a major highlight, Nicolas Cage gracefully carries this movie all the way to the finish with a restrained, committed performance as Dave Spritz. Michael Caine is a blessing, as usual. Hope Davis kills her role and it's always a delight to see Michael Rispoli. Plus, S/O to Gil Bellows, given his short amount of screen time, he nailed each scene he was in. Cage gives him a good beating too and it's one of the stand-out scenes in the film.

Gore Verbinski. This guy as a director is okay, but here, his direction is flawless. It's further complimented by the gorgeous, yet bleak cinematography by Phedon Papamichael. His shots are to die for and the cool color palette really makes you feel like its winter in Chicago. Someone I have to talk about here is the always pitch perfect Hans Zimmer. Hans is one of the world's greatest composers and I always listen to his End Credit theme from this movie during the winter. It's perfect for the winter and it ends the film on a perfect note.

I can't gush enough about how well written this script is - it's biting and brutally honest with a dash of perfectly executed pitch black humor. It covers a lot of relatable themes like family, divorce and aspirations. Also, there's so many times where I burst out laughing throughout, esp. the Camel Toe scene, Tartar Sauce, etc. This movie is my style of humor for sure. Steve Conrad, thank you. You're gold.

I love The Weather Man. I watch this movie about ten times a year and it never grows tiresome for me. Although, it's a very depressing movie, I don't mind. I get really depressed for most of each year and this movie brings me to the emotional crash I need. It's when the credits roll and I wipe the tears from my eyes. That's when I realize that I don't have it as bad as some people do. Dave Spritz is one of those people. One of the best. Highly recommended.