Okay, it looks like I beat Lori to the punch on The Weather Man. It's a must-see for voyeurs of the dysfunctional:
The title of this movie is part of its magic. Dave is a Weather Man, not just a Weatherman. Here's a guy who feels he is at the mercy of the winds, aimlessly blown about and emotionally befuddled by the life he's in.
Because of the nature of their jobs, weathermen are often full of shit, and as one character points out, people can sense that. Here's someone presenting information that's equal parts style and substance, when all you really want is the substance. They pretend it's a science (it's more art) when they're flat-out wrong 50% of the time.
In fairness to the trade, it is a difficult thing to predict. As the saying goes: If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes. If you want to know what the weather is like, just take a look outside.
But what's the weather like inside? The Weather Man knows.
The heart of the movie is Dave's struggle to let go of his past and finally grow up. He's self absorbed - but not in a narcissistic sense - to the detriment of those he loves. Dave isn't sure how to relate to his broken family, especially with his father, who is underplayed brilliantly by Michael Caine. All Dave wants is respect and happiness, but he tries to hard for perfection when all he needs is to settle for good enough.
I've seen 2 other movies (The Ring and Pirates of the Caribbean) by the director, Gore Verbinski, both of which I was reluctant to see, but was happy I did. Now I can't wait to see some more.
The barometer of a great movie is not only the mood it leaves me in, but how many memorable lines and scenes I can recall. There are many here that ring true, and it's also rife with symbolism; drive-by fast foodings, camel toes, and the art of target shooting. The subtle delivery is what keeps this all together, along with the performance of Nicolas Cage, who's at his best when playing the quietly desperate, trying futilely to overcome his reality.
My favorite fictional weatherman is Phil Connors, the shallow malcontent in Groundhog Day. Some find that movie tedious and repetitive, but that was part of the point of the plot, which was ultimately about Phil's emotional resurrection. Groundhog played well as a comedy, while The Weather Man is much more of a dramedy, but there are parallels between Bill Murray's weatherman and Mr. Cage's.
Someday, The Weather Man will sit on my shelf alongside American Beauty and Magnolia as one of the great depressing - but somehow uplifting - movies in recent film history. TWM is similar in dourness to Magnolia in that it stews and flounders around in the pathetic-ness of life's circumstanses, but its story line is also similar to American Beauty's depiction of suburbia's family struggles.
The Weather Man is not a masterpiece like American Beauty (though they share a similar soundtrack) because it wanders off course here and there. But the tone and delivery stay consistent, and eventually its characters do find the promise of bluer skies ahead.
