The Weather Man (2005)
(dir. Gore Verbinski)
Revisited with Facets Chicago
By: Tarek Fayoumi
The Weather Man, Life is not Easy:
At Facets Cinema in Chicago, I had the opportunity to revisit the 2005 classic The Weather Man. Directed by Gore Verbinski (The Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean), the film carries lots of heavy emotions, yet never maintains a level of cinematic excellence. The main character Dave Spritz is played by Nicolas Cage (Con Air, National Treasure), a weather forecaster trying to navigate the many ups and downs in his life. The film has a form of hurdles that feels humanistic. With the rich landscape of Chicago weather, the reality of challenges is real in The Weather Man.
Darker than what Many Expected:
When the film opened, it had a mixed reception. That is because it was advertised as an adult-themed comedy. Verbinski’s film includes many humorous and dark moments. Overall, the film itself is truly a nailbiter of sadness and it displays how much life can hurt. However, it also thrives to find the aspects of what is right. Cage is that man navigating all those hurdles. The ones with fame, his family, and also his own inner demons. I love The Weather Man because the portrait that is painted is clear as crystal. Fame and money do not buy happiness. However, there are other ways to remind those around us that we do our best.
Worth the Time?
This revisit of The Weather Man was certainly worth the time. Although, the event has passed. The Weather Man is available to purchase on Blu-ray, and also Facets Chicago does many events that correlate to Chicago. They are also in the works to bring more community movie events back. Ones that range from new releases to Chicago classics. More information is at the link below. Facets Chicago is the ultimate escape.