"The Weather Man"

2005 * R * 1h 42m   I really like Nicolas Cage. Usually. I say that because he can be hit or miss. The guy puts out a ton of movies and it seems like half of them are great, and half are scratch-you-head bad. He must really need the money is about the only reason I can come up with to explain his inconsistent films. So it's a total crapshoot picking one to watch. In the case of The Weather Man, I lucked out. It's an excellent little film I'd never heard of. 

David Spritz (Cage) is a popular Chicago Weatherman. While his career trajectory is rising, his personal life is a mess. He's separated from his wifeNoreen (Hope Davis) and his two kids Mike (David Hoult) and Shelly (Gemmenne de la Pena) are struggling.  Mike is being preyed upon by his school counselor, which is difficult to watch. And 12-year old Shelly suffers from malaise. She's simply not interested in anything. There's a humorous scene where David tries to get her interested in archery. Her lack of enthusiasm is pretty comical. 

While all this is going on, David is dealing with his father, a famous author played by Michael Caine, who has been diagnosed with cancer. And as if that wasn't enough to cope with, he's being courted by the producers of "Hello America", a thinly veiled reference to the show."Good Morning America".

The film has plenty of funny parts along with some serious and tender moments as well. I was pleasantly surprised by it and thought it was a touching, well-written and acted film. 

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming for free with your library card on Kanopy.com and Hoopla.com. Also on Paramount+ and Prime Video.