Tagline: …Bring an umbrella.
Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage stars as popular Chicago TV weatherman David Spritz, who has a shot at the big time when “Hello America,” a national morning show, calls him for an audition. At the top of the world professionally, David is approaching disaster on a personal level as rapidly as the weather changes. His painful divorce, his dad’s illness, and trouble with his kids have David poised on the knife’s edge between stability and calamity. Trying to gain control of his situation, David slowly comes to realize that life, much like the weather, is completely unpredictable.
Film Forecast
Meet David Spritz (Nicolas Cage), Chicago’s local weatherman for WCH, Channel 6. For many, he’s more than just someone who forecasts sun, rain, sleet or snow – he’s a moving target. Pelted on a regular basis with soda pop, malts and fast food by jealous fans, many of whom have a curious love-hate relationship with him, David wants nothing more than respect…especially from his father, prize-winning author Robert Spritzel (Michael Caine).
He also wants his estranged wife Noreen (Hope Davis) to love him again, his daughter (Gemmenne De la Peña, “Erin Brockovich”) to be happy, and son (Nicholas Hoult, “About a Boy”) to stay out of trouble. On top of that, David wouldn’t mind mastering archery. But although David’s life is full of inner turmoil, on the outside the weatherman with the winning smile and onscreen charm appears to be pretty much under control. Even the producers of the prestigious New York-based “Hello America,” hosted by Bryant Gumbel (portraying himself), have noticed his work and want him to audition for their syndicated national morning show. Still, no amazing career opportunity seems to be stopping David’s personal life from going into a skid, and much like the tornadoes he predicts, he could be headed for a path of destruction.
For Nicolas Cage, it was the surprises in the script and how real the emotions were in all the characters that got his attention. “My first reaction after reading the script was how incredibly honest it is,” remembers Cage. “It has lots of twists and turns and it often surprised me to the extent that I didn’t know which way it was going to turn out. As for the character I portray, David Spritz gives me an opportunity to express some real emotional range and play someone I’ve never played before.”
Director Gore Verbinski, fresh off his success of “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” was eager to work with Cage, particularly because the screenplay called for subtle shifts in performance, perfect for an actor of his caliber.
“There’s no one better suited to play a guy like David Spritz than Nic Cage,” says Verbinski. “The role calls for someone who can bring both pathos and humor into his performance and Nic’s absolutely brilliant at that.”
Cage was equally as enthusiastic about working with Verbinski and called their collaboration a labor of love. “Gore and I had a terrific rapport on the set and we both saw an opportunity to do some experimenting with this film,” remembers Cage. “I really don’t want to reveal all the things we tried, but let’s just say that people will be happily surprised when they see this movie.”
While Cage found himself a little surprised by how difficult it is to play a weatherman, claiming that he was simply given a clicker one day and told to “figure out the geography,” he was even more taken aback by the magnetic presence of this co-star, two-time Academy Award winner Michael Caine.
“Michael definitely conveys an aura of intimidation, a rather stern presence, which is very appropriate for portraying David Spritz’s dad,” observes Cage. “Also, he’s one of those actors who is a master of not blinking and he’s got these ice blue eyes…so when my character is supposed to have trouble meeting his father’s gaze, it really comes across as real.”
Director Verbinski offers that Caine brings a magnitude to the role that no other actor could have. “Michael has the ability to carry nobility without being cold. Because of the nature of how brilliant his character is, that’s extremely important.”
For Caine, signing on to play David Spritz’s dad was a no-brainer, given the quality of the script, the director and the other actors with whom he’d be working. “Someone once said `a man is judged by the company he keeps,’ and this is very good company,” says Caine. “As for the script, it brought me from laughter to tears and back again. It’s one of those movies that’s not a comedy, a drama or a tragedy – it’s all those things, because that’s what real life is.”
Golden Globe nominee Hope Davis, who portrays Noreen, David Spritz’s ex-wife, couldn’t agree more. “This film is a very naked look at American culture that deals with some very real, sometimes painful issues, in a very humorous way. It’s actually quite a brave movie that tells a very moving story,” observes Davis. “And it’s got some really juicy moments that people are going to love.”
Davis also has tremendous admiration for Cage, whose performance she says is not only amazing but could not have been achieved by any other actor. “Nic created such a sympathetic character and portrayed him in such a funny way!” exclaims Davis. “I mean, poor David Spritz tries to do everything right and he just doesn’t have a clue!”
Director Verbinski points out that Davis’ portrayal of Noreen is crucial to the depiction of family and what the loss of it means to David Spritz. “As David’s ex-wife, Hope has to play both sides of their disintegrating relationship,” says Verbinski. “On the one hand, she makes the audience want them to get back together, but at the same time, she shows us that it could never work. Hope is an immensely talented actress, and the unique nuances she brings to her character provide infinite support to Nic’s performance throughout the film.”
Cage agrees, adding that the flaws in his character, as brought out by how hard he tries to win back Noreen, all stem from a deep love for his family. “In David’s failures and mistakes, you see a man who is really trying to do his best, and it all comes from a good place – from love,” observes Cage. “I think this film depicts a very realistic portrayal of what a lot of families go through – the good and the bad.”
Predicting A Great Production
When producer Todd Black (“A Knight’s Tale,” “Antwone Fisher”) read “The Weather Man” by screenwriter Steven Conrad (“Wrestling Ernest Hemingway”) he immediately recognized brilliant writing. “Steve’s screenplay was one of the funniest, most unique, touching scripts I’ve read in my career as a producer,” says Black. “It’s a very telling story about a man’s life with his family, his career and his inner, very personal, thoughts that we all can relate to. It’s very honest and in your face, which is to say that it doesn’t sugarcoat or shy away from anything, and I think audiences will appreciate that.”
Screenwriter Steven Conrad says his vision for the film is being fully realized and he couldn’t think of any director, stars or producers more suited to bringing “The Weather Man” to its greatest potential. “Everyone involved with this project has been terrific and has brought something different to making what was on the page into what I believe is a very human, very engaging film. It’s just a fun look at the serious things we all have in our lives.”
Proving that even though life can be a struggle, it doesn’t hurt to laugh at it, “The Weather Man” attracted not only critically acclaimed actors but also real-life personalities who appeared in key cameo roles. For example, well-known morning show co-host Bryant Gumbel and renowned Californian Cuisine chef Wolfgang Puck appeared to add the authenticity to the fictionalized morning program, “Hello America.” In addition, Tom Skilling, chief meteorologist for a Chicago television station and the Chicago Tribune, had a small part in the film and served as the movie’s technical advisor.
“I was very impressed by the attention to detail by the director, the stars and the entire production crew,” says Skilling, who taught Nicolas Cage how to read the chroma key and how to perform in front of the green screen. “Computer graphics are superimposed in front of this crazy screen that looks completely different to the audience, and I taught Nic how to interact with it. Truthfully, I was amazed at how quickly he took to working with the screen because it can be tricky, but he seemed so natural it was as though he’d been doing it for years!”
Just as the script called for, filmmakers chose to set the film in Chicago for one big reason – weather. “There’s some serious weather going on in Chicago for most of the year, and people really do plug into the forecasts to find out what they have to face that day,” says screenwriter Steven Conrad. “In Chicago, people often know their weather people by name since they check in to learn about the latest conditions throughout the day. In fact, the weather people establish this kind of `we’re-all-in-this-together’ vibe,” which gives them the kind of celebrity that David Spritz has.”
Nicolas Cage agrees: “Chicago weathermen are very important because everyone in the city relies on them so much. If they get it wrong, it really can ruin their day because the weather here is so intense. It can be thirty degrees one day and eighty degrees another day. A Chicago weatherman is a whole different animal than a Los Angeles weatherman,” Cage jokingly points out. “A Los Angeles weatherman doesn’t really have any seasons to forecast. There are earthquakes and fires, but weather? Not really.”
These production notes provided by Paramount Pictures.
The Weather Man
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine, Hope Davis, Gemmenne De la Pena, Nicholas Hoult
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Screenplay by: Steve Conrad
Release Date: October 26, 2005
MPAA Rating: R for strong language and sexual content.
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $12,482,775 (65.6%)
Foreign: $6,556,995 (34.4%)
Total: $19,039,770 (Worldwide)