The Weather Man (Movie Review)

"I remember once imagining what my life would be like, what I'd be like. I pictured having all these qualities, strong positive qualities that people could pick up on from across the room. But as time passed, few ever became any qualities that I actually had. And all the possibilities I faced and the sorts of people I could be, all of them got reduced every year to fewer and fewer. Until finally they got reduced to one, to who I am. And that's who I am... the weather man." ~ David Spritz in The Weather Man

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This movie can't really decide if it wants to be the quentessential Indie film with a niche audience... or a blockbuster more becoming of its star (Nicholas Cage).

And so, it's not really either. The Weather Man certainly has quirky elements, including a sequence where a Chicago weather man walks through the streets with a bow and several arrows strapped to his chest. And there are some great shots of the city (for those of you unfamiliar with the Midwestern mecca) but overall, I'm unable to give it any more than a "slightly above average" review.

Essentially, it falls under the umbrella of films that I'm able to watch with a modicum of interest. In other words: it's not bad (at times even compelling), but it's no Adaptation. It has a similar (but slightly less compelling) story line as About Schmidt and Broken Flowers, but depicts a younger, divorced protagonist (Cage).

The humor in this film is also less dry than the aforementioned movies, though not to a detriment. Some of the most "touching" scenes are also the most comical, as when the lead character, David Spritz, talks to his 12-year-old daughter about schoolyard taunting (suffice it to say, the boys at school all have an offensive nickname for her). In scenes such as these, you grow to like Spritz, even sympathizing with his plight as a divorced father. He has a difficult time balancing his career with his personal life as a result, and is tormented by the fact that his exwife's boyfriend sees their children more often than he does.

Makes me wonder if there's a term that implies "bildungsroman," but works more for aging men. The downward spiral of growing up. The story that relies on past regret as a vehicle for present action. The middle-aged man still trying to impress his father. Etc.

But this isn't really just about a middle-aged man dealing with middle-aged man problems: this man is searching for meaning in his life. He's in his 40s, but still doesn't know who he wants to be.

I don't know of too many people, at any age, who can't relate to that.