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Title: The Weather Man

Also translated: Mr. Weather

English title: The Weather Man

Director: Gore· Gore Verbinski

Screenwriter: Steve Conrad

Starring: Nicolas Cage

Michael Caine Michael Caine

Hope Davis

Gemmenne de la Pe?a

Gemmenne de la Pe?a

Nicholas Hoult

Michael Rispoli

Genre: Drama/Comedy

Rating: R (foul language and sexual content )

Length: 107 minutes

Distribution: Paramount Pictures

Release date: October 28, 2005

Official website: /

Plot synopsis: People have their fair share of ups and downs

As the old saying goes: "Life is like spinach soup, you have to taste it for yourself if it is bitter or astringent." This The words are most suitable for Chicago TV weather forecaster David Spritz (played by Nicolas Cage). His career is smooth and smooth. The weather forecast program he hosts has the support of many fans. Of course, Love Fans who deeply hate him will also express their anger at David when the weather is bad. Whether in a cafe or walking on the road, he is often attacked by hot dogs, hamburgers or mineral water bottles, but all this has no effect on him. It's just a side effect of the celebrity effect.

David on TV is lively and smiling, and he predicts rain, rain and snow in nature freely and easily. However, in real life, he cannot figure out which cloud above his head will rain. Although he is famous, Growing older, but further and further away from his family, family problems caught him off guard like unpredictable weather: he hopes to get his father, Robert Spritz (Michael Caine), a writer who is suffering from cancer. ), hoping that his increasingly estranged wife Noreen (Hope Davis) can change her mind, hoping that her overweight daughter can lose weight, and hoping that her drug-addicted son will get into less trouble, but every hope seems to be the same. out of reach. At the same time, New York's ace TV show "Good Morning America" ??sent David an invitation to audition, but the excellent career opportunity did not make his mood clear. A tornado of troubles had surrounded him. Among them, he began to examine his life. Where was the harmony and happiness? He gradually understood that life, like the weather, cannot be completely predicted accurately. Going through a mid-life crisis, he must face bigger choices in life.

Behind the Scenes: Focusing on the Midlife Crisis

Remember Budweiser’s TV advertising campaign featuring frogs? This slightly unorthodox commercial image of a frog meets the tastes and desires of young enthusiasts, so it has received high praise. Its weird frog-like humor also reflects the full American taste. This "Budweiser Frog" is the director Al Gore ?Verbinski's masterpiece of the year, for which he also won the Silver Lion Award for Advertising at Cannes. His business sense and funny ability are evident from this. Therefore, from the comedy "Ratfire" where a mouse caused chaos to "The Rat" "Big Mouth" Roberts and Brad Pitt's rival crime drama "The Mexican" has always been full of comedy and has the charm to attract both big-name stars and ordinary audiences.

After 2002, Verbinski's career entered a turning point. The American versions of "The Ring" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" achieved greater success at the box office, and he became a first-line commercial film director. The director successfully made it onto the Hollywood Power List in 2004.

With a prosperous career, Verbinski was no longer satisfied with commercial success, so he chose the more topical "Mr. Weather" and made a clear positioning: "When people reach middle age, undercurrents surge, Crisis is everywhere, just like the unpredictable weather changes, but life still has to go on, and we still have to watch the weather forecast every day. As for why the film is set in Chicago, screenwriter Steve Conrad has his own reasons: "Chicago." The weather changes obviously throughout the year. It is 30 degrees today, and it may be 80 degrees (Fahrenheit) tomorrow. People are particularly dependent on weather forecast programs. Almost everyone can name one or two weather forecasters. Forecasters Just like being a star, you have great responsibilities. If the forecast goes wrong, many people's work and mood will be disrupted throughout the day."

Production Highlights: Winter in Chicago

Initially. , it was the sincerity of the script that moved Nicolas Cage. It was a new experience for Cage to grasp the ambivalence of a middle-aged man. The performance must be subtle and expressive. The character must not only arouse pity and sympathy, but also be sympathetic. It has humorous features that make people smile. Verbinski and Cage have long admired each other, and both are eager for this opportunity to collaborate. But it is not easy to play a weather forecaster. Some meteorological terms and geographical features of various regions made Cage's mind go crazy. However, in order to make the preview vivid and natural, Cage had a heavy meal before shooting. Two-time Academy Award winner Michael Caine's majestic behavior on the set made Cage feel as if he had met his real father. He was so nervous that he often exchanged words. Moreover, Caine could not blink for a long time, and his piercing blue eyes made Cage I really dare not look at each other.

In addition to Cage, Kane and other big names in the film industry, some friendly guest appearances by real-life professionals add a lot of credibility to the film's rich atmosphere of life. In the film, "Good morning, The co-hosts Bryant Gamble and California chef Wolfgang Puck on the "USA" TV show both appear in their true colors, with their real names and professional identities. Tom Skilling, the chief meteorologist for the Chicago Tribune and the television station, also guest-starred in the film as a director and served as the film's technical consultant. Due to cost considerations, Paramount suggested that the film be shot in Canada, but Verbinski and Cage insisted on shooting on location in Chicago to ensure the authenticity of the film. When the film started shooting in winter, the weather in Chicago suddenly warmed up, and there was no sign of snow, so the prop master had no choice but to resort to artificial snowfall.

Comments: Serious comedy

Laughing with tears, laughing with tears, "Mr. Weather" covers the factors of plot and comedy, and the bitter, spicy and sour taste is all in it . It touches on a common issue in American culture from a humorous perspective. Regardless of whether it is a director or a starring actor, any topic involving the mid-life crisis may have an interesting subject matter, but it is quite difficult to explore and express it reasonably and effectively.

As David said helplessly in the film, "The most important thing to do and the most difficult thing to do are often the same thing." For Verbinski and Cage, "Mr. Weather" is a springboard. As for jumping higher, more beautifully, or falling harder, that is another matter. Anyway, the box office performance of the film after its release was too ordinary. Of course, the director can use the limited scale of 1,510 theaters as an excuse.

Some people think that "Mr. Weather" combines the essence of "American Beauty" and "About Schmidt". The author thinks that in terms of humor, this film is similar to the one directed by Alexander Payne. "About Schmidt" is relatively similar, showing social issues lightly and integrating sharp social satire into a light comedy atmosphere. In other words, comedies also have the possibility of showing serious themes, and they are not all toilet jokes that make people laugh.