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"THE WEATHERMAN"
(2005) (Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine) (R)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Moderate Mild Heavy Mild Mild
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Mild None None None Extreme
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Extreme Mild Extreme Heavy Moderate


QUICK TAKE:
Dramedy: A local TV weatherman tries to land a prestigious national TV gig all while dealing with a midlife crisis partially stemming from his life falling apart all around him.
PLOT:
David Spritz (NICOLAS CAGE) is the popular TV weatherman for Chicago's WCH6 who hopes to land a national TV gig with morning show "Hello America" in New York. Yet, while his professional aspirations are coming true, his personal life is falling apart. His marriage to Noreen (HOPE DAVIS) has ended -- she's now dating Russ (MICHAEL RISPOLI) -- and he has a hard time connecting with his kids, 12-year-old Shelly (GEMMENNE DE LA PENA) who has self-esteem issues, and 15-year-old Mike (NICHOLAS HOULT) who's been getting into troubled despite help from his counselor, Don Boden (GIL BELLOWS) who, unbeknownst to anyone, is a closet pedophile.

Then there's David's father, Robert Spritzel (MICHAEL CAINE), an acclaimed and famous novelist who fails to be impressed by David or his career. To make matters worse, he's dying from lymphoma, meaning David might not ever be able to prove himself in his father's eyes. As he prepares for his job interview and audition with "Hello America," David tries to come to grips with his midlife crisis and the various personal and familial issues that are fueling it.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Some older teens might be interested in it, especially if they're fans of someone in the cast.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For strong language and sexual content.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • NICOLAS CAGE plays a TV weatherman who's hoping to land a national TV gig but is going through a midlife crisis stemming from his failed marriage, inability to connect with his 12-year-old daughter, desire to impress his famous father and more. He drinks some, uses strong profanity and is seen having sex with a stranger.
  • MICHAEL CAINE plays his famous and erudite, novelist father who's dying of lymphoma and isn't impressed by his son's life. He uses strong profanity.
  • HOPE DAVIS plays David's estranged wife who's now dating Russ and uses strong profanity when in David's presence.
  • GEMMENNE DE LA PENA plays David's sullen and depressed 12-year-old daughter who isn't happy with her weight, life or parents' failed marriage. She uses strong profanity and briefly smokes.
  • NICHOLAS HOULT plays her 15-year-old brother who's out of drug rehab and finds himself the unwelcome recipient of Don's pedophilic advances.
  • GIL BELLOWS plays Mike's rehab counselor who uses strong profanity and turns out to be sexually interested in the boy.
  • MICHAEL RISPOLI plays Noreen's boyfriend who's now taken the place of David and briefly smokes.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated dramedy. Profanity consists of at least 52 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present (some of it graphic) as is a sexual encounter with nudity, movement and sounds. Various clothed views of women's crotches are seen in a montage of defining a term known as "camel toe."

    Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes including a pedophile after a teenage boy and a husband and wife toward each other during a failing marriage. That, estranged father/children relationships, a serious illness and a death represent the tense family material.

    A father beats up a pedophile (resulting in a bloody nose) while various people hit the protagonist with fast food in passing and a man nearly seems ready to shoot an arrow at another man, but that never occurs. Other potentially imitative behavior is present, while some characters smoke, others drink and a teenager is noted as having just left drug rehab.

    If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Talking about his son, David says he doesn't think Mike has a problem with pot and that it's just an overreaction on the part of others. We later hear Noreen call and say that Mike has finished rehab.
  • We see mini bottles of booze in a hotel fridge and then David guzzling down one while other empties are around him.
  • Some text from David's novel in progress includes a line about some scotch.
  • Noreen has wine and miscellaneous people have drinks at a living funeral. Later, people have wine with dinner.
  • We see a large beer ad in Times Square.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • Don has a bloody nose after David repeatedly punches him (while David has some bloody marks on his knuckles).
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • When David is reluctant to give a man in line his autograph, the guy turns nasty and belligerent.
  • We see Shelly buying cigarettes from a clerk who has no problem selling them to the 12-year-old (who seems like an old pro at doing so).
  • Various people throw fast food onto David in passing on the street.
  • We see that David may have cheated on his wife in the past (his sexual encounter with another woman is not temporally noted in relation to his marriage).
  • We learn that Don is a pedophile who's after Mike.
  • In a marriage counseling bit, David and Noreen are supposed to write down confessions about the other on paper, but not read what their partner wrote. David then breaks the rules and reads what she wrote.
  • We see a flashback to David and Noreen arguing over the former failing to get tartar sauce while out on an errand (and he lied about there not being any when he didn't check).
  • Some text from David's novel in progress includes a line about a "chink girl."
  • We David checking out a woman's butt in tight pants on the street. We then hear his inner voice train of thought, where he says he'd love to put his face in there (referring to the woman), that he likes eating "p*ssy" and then says that maybe that's just black guys who like that.
  • After Noreen announces to David that she's marrying Russ, David goes out into the park to do some tension-relieving archery. When he sees Russ come out for a smoke, David slowly arms his compound bow and pulls back on the string, aiming his shot at Russ who eventually sees this as do others (nothing happens).
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • After Noreen announces to David that she's marrying Russ, David goes out into the park to do some tension-relieving archery. When he sees Russ come out for a smoke, David slowly arms his compound bow and pulls back on the string, aiming his shot at Russ who eventually sees this as do others (nothing happens).
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • In a movie playing on the TV, we briefly see a car exploding after being hit by a rocket.
  • David slowly arms his compound bow and pulls back on the string, aiming his shot at Russ who eventually sees this as do others (nothing happens).
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "F*cking this, f*cking that," "F*ck that," "F*ck you," "Pork f*ck porker," "You're a real blue ribbon f*ck," "You f*cked it up," "How did I f*ck this up?" "Jerk f*ck," "F*cked up," "What the f*ck?" "Silly f*ck," "You f*cking asshole," "I f*cking wailed on him," "It's a bullsh*t name," "What is this sh*t?" "Other sh*t," "In this sh*t life, we must chuck some things," "You don't have to be a d*ck," "Little c*nt," "Dildo," "They call her camel toe," "That's why I lacked enthusiasm when your c*ck was in my mouth," "I wish I had two d*cks," "He was trying to suck him off," "Don't be suck a d*ck," "What up, dude?" "Bro," "He's an asshole," "Bitch," "Fat asshole," "Sucked," "You're an asshole," "It's crappy," "Jerk-off," "Chink girl" and "Cut your crap."
  • Various people throw fast food onto David in passing on the street.
  • A person gives "the finger" to David.
  • A kid pushes all of the buttons in an elevator.
  • David slowly arms his compound bow and pulls back on the string, aiming his shot at Russ who eventually sees this as do others (nothing happens).
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • None.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 52 "f" words, 12 "s" words, 5 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck" and "c*ck"), 3 using female ones ("c*nt" and "p*ssy"), 7 asses (all used with "hole"), 2 craps, 2 uses of "G-damn" and 1 use each of "God" and "Jesus."
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • We see a flashback to David dressed as President Lincoln (for a previous public appearance) having sex with a stranger who's dressed as a German bar maid. She's on top of him and we see her bare breasts and movement and hear sexual sounds. During this, we see a side view of the encounter as well as David's POV looking up at her.
  • Robert tells David that other kids call Shelly "camel toe." He then explains that as the crease in the vagina that can be discerned through her clothing. We then see flash images of the real thing on various women in different styles of clothing (in close-up).
  • We see David and Noreen in marital counseling where David suddenly blurts out that he had a thing with porn on the computer.
  • In a marriage counseling bit, David and Noreen are supposed to write down confessions about the other on paper, but not read what their partner wrote. David then breaks the rules and reads what she wrote. After she learns he did, she reads his that states her "BJs lacked in enthusiasm." She then tells him the reason why is that she hated him, adding "That's why I lacked enthusiasm when your c*ck was in my mouth."
  • Wanting to see Mike's muscles, Don has him take off his shirt and pose for several shirtless photos.
  • We David checking out a woman's butt in tight pants on the street. We then hear his inner voice train of thought, where he says he'd love to put his face in there (referring to the woman), that he likes eating "p*ssy" and then says that maybe that's just black guys who like that. He then adds that he wishes he had two "d*cks."
  • We briefly see a shot of Shelly's "camel toe" at her clothed crotch area and then a shot of a real camel's toe.
  • Robert reports that Mike trashed Don's car after the latter tried "to suck him off."
  • SMOKING
  • Russ smokes once, as does Shelly and her friend, while a miscellaneous person smokes.
  • We see Shelly buying cigarettes from a clerk who has no problem selling them to the 12-year-old (who seems like an old pro at doing so).
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • We see that David lives in Robert's constant shadow and is always trying to live up to his fame and accomplishments or simply impress his father, but that's a hard thing to do.
  • David asks Shelly, "How's your mom doing?" thus giving us the first sign of them being divorced/separated.
  • We hear that Robert has lymphoma and that the prognosis is not good. The news gets worse after that.
  • In a marriage counseling bit, David and Noreen are supposed to write down confessions about the other on paper, but not read what their partner wrote. David then breaks the rules and reads what she wrote. After she learns he did, she reads his that states her "BJs lacked in enthusiasm." She then tells him the reason why is that she hated him, adding "That's why I lacked enthusiasm when your c*ck was in my mouth."
  • Shelly overhears the above.
  • We see a flashback to David and Noreen arguing over the former failing to get tartar sauce while out on an errand (and he lied about there not being any when he didn't check).
  • In a flashback, the kids hear David and Noreen arguing.
  • Noreen announces to David that she's marrying Russ.
  • We see the procession of cars and then mourners out in the rain at a family funeral.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Midlife crises.
  • We see that David lives in Robert's constant shadow and is always trying to live up to his fame and accomplishments or simply impress his father, but that's a hard thing to do.
  • Divorce.
  • Pedophiles (Don is after Mike).
  • Girls who are overweight and how it affects their psyche and attitude.
  • Drug rehab.
  • Product placement in movies.
  • We hear that Robert has lymphoma and that the prognosis is not good.
  • Weathermen and meteorologists.
  • The comment that the hard thing and the right thing to do are usually the same.
  • The concept of a living funeral (where the dying person attends to see everyone).
  • David suddenly realizes "I'm fast food."
  • VIOLENCE
  • Trying to be playful, David throws a snowball at Noreen, but when she turns, it hits her in the face.
  • A person throws a Frosty (frozen dessert) onto David in passing from a car.
  • We see Shelly fall while skating with her dad and then hear that she tore something in her knee.
  • A person hits David with a Big Gulp in passing from a car.
  • In a movie playing on the TV, we briefly see a car exploding after being hit by a rocket, as well as a motorcyclist wiping out.
  • David smacks Russ with his gloves.
  • A person throws a fast food pie into David while passing by in a car. David then chases him down and smears the pie back in that man's face.
  • After learning that Don is a pedophile after Mike, David goes to set things straight. He first throws something at Don before hitting him. The two then tumble down the front steps where David punches him some more, bloodying Don's nose.
  • We see a montage of fast food hitting David on the street (as thrown by people passing by in cars).



  • Reviewed September 14, 2005 / Posted October 28, 2005

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