Director:Gore Verbinski
Writer (WGA):Steve Conrad (written by)
Release Date:28 October 2005 (USA)
Genre:Comedy | Drama
Cast : * Nicolas Cage as David Spritz, a weatherman, who is seen by his family and close friends as a failure.
* Michael Caine as Robert Spritzel, David's father, an Pulitzer Prize-winning author suffering from lymphoma.
* Hope Davis as Noreen, David's ex-wife.
* Gemmenne de la Peña as Shelly, David's daughter.
* Nicholas Hoult as Mike, David's son.
* Michael Rispoli as Russ, Noreen's new husband.
* Gil Bellows as Don, Mike's counselor.
* Judith McConnell as Lauren.
* Tom Skilling as WGN Assistant Director, the weatherman for WGN News Chicago.
Original Sound Track : 1. Pling Plong (3:19)
2. Monochrome (2:33)
3. You Should Carry More (0:49)
4. Visions Of SpongeBob (2:15)
5. Living Funeral (1:18)
6. Hot Apple Pie (1:16)
7. Melanchromy (3:15)
8. Who Knows? (1:54)
Plot / Synopsis :David Spritz is a successful weatherman at an Chicago news program. His job pays well, but he finds it unsatisfactory that it doesn't require much except to speak and point, and the weather forecasts he reads are often inaccurate. While he's a local celebrity, his fans are not kind to him; once every few months, people throw fast food at him. He also remarks that people don't like him because he has low self-esteem and people who do like him like him because he's on TV.
He is separated from his wife, Noreen, with the possibility of either reconciliation or divorce. He and her new lover, Russ have an openly antagonistic relationship.
Dave feels inferior to his father, Robert Spritzel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. He suffers from lymphoma and has only a short time to live; he deals with that in a quiet, dignified manner. Robert is concerned with Dave's apparent inability to grow up, while Dave is anxious to redeem himself in his father's eyes.
Dave has recently applied for a position as the weatherman on a national show called "Hello America", hosted by Bryant Gumbel, and represents a much more lucrative salary than the lucrative salary Dave has, but also would mean a relocation for himself and possibly his whole family, (provided he can reconcile with Noreen). Dave sees this job as a opportunity and a final chance to prove himself to his father and make him proud, before he passes away.
Dave's 12-year-old daughter, Shelly is a smoker and is obese and bullied by her classmates, calling her "cameltoe", because her genitals show through her tight clothing. While picking up Shelly from her ballet lessons, Spritz flashes back to a time, where he bought her expensive archery lessons, which his daughter quickly lost interest in. Dave also has a 15-year-old son Mike, who has had some trouble with the law concerning drug use. He is creepily befriended by his counselor, Don, who is very generous. However, it is suggested that Don has a sexual interest in Mike.
Dave attempts to reconnect with Noreen by going to a group therapy session for couples, performing tasks like catching the other when they fall backwards and the like in order to build trust. Dave ruins the entire ordeal, however, when a task comes up in which each person is told to write something about their partner that they always hated on a piece of note paper, give the note to their partner, and then never read the note they've received in order to show trust to one another. Dave sneaks into the bathroom during a break and reads Noreen's note about him, then later confronts her about it, infuriating her and initiating a very bad argument.
As he becomes more and more unnerved, Dave decides to use up the remaining archery lessons he purchased for his daughter by himself, finding it gives him peace and quiet and also an activity which builds his focus.
When "Hello America" invites Dave to interview with them in New York, he decides to bring along Shelly since he has not yet had a chance to talk with her about her classmates calling her "cameltoe." Also coming along is his father, seeking a second opinion on his lymphoma from a doctor in New York. While trying to talk to Shelley about the name-calling, Shelly reveals that she thinks her nickname is because of her strength, which a visibly moved Dave feigns agreement. He decides to remedy the problem by buying her a bunch of new clothing (mostly dresses). It is later revealed over the phone to Dave, however, that back in Chicago, Mike has punched Don in the face; Robert claims that Don wanted to perform oral sex on Mike, while Don claims that Mike wanted to steal his wallet. Compounding everything, Dave's father, Robert, tells him that the second opinion he sought turned out no different, and that he has only months to live. Sad and depressed, Dave stays up all night drinking, and appears in no shape to perform well on his "Hello America" interview the next morning. Surprisingly enough, however, he performs just fine and manages to really impress his interviewers.
When Dave returns to Chicago, he finds that because he was in New York City interviewing with "Hello America" and unable to help with Mike's problem, Russ has stepped in in his absence. Although Dave is interested in Mike's well-being, he slaps Russ, while talking, in his face with his gloves. Moments later, Dave beats Don up in a rage to try and rectify the situation. Mike is relieved to find out from his father that Don won't press charges, particularly after Dave's violent confrontation.
Meanwhile, Dave is offered a place on "Hello America", which requires him a move to New York. He hesitates, since he would be far away from Noreen and their children, unless the family is reunited, and they can also move to New York.
The family decides to hold a living funeral for Robert to give friends and family members a chance to say the things about him they'd like to while he is still around to hear it. Dave tells Noreen that he has been offered the job on "Hello America" and asks her for a final time if she will reconcile with him, only to find out she has decided to marry Russ. On top of all this, due to a power failure, Dave is forced to abort his speech to his father after only saying: "When I think of my dad, I think of Bob Seger's "Like a Rock," robbing him of what he perceived to be his last chance to say something that would make his father proud and happy.
Later, however, Robert flags Dave down in his car, plays the Bob Seger song he'd mentioned earlier, and asks Dave to explain his remark. Dave explains that he feels Robert has always been strong and stands "proud and tall, high above it all", as in the song. As the pressure has really gotten to Dave at this point, he breaks down in tears telling his father that he was offered the "Hello America" job, but that his wife will be marrying Russ. Robert consoles Dave, by telling him that not everything in life goes as we'd like, and that he really is proud of his son, especially for being able to land the "Hello America" position and also for Dave's defense of his son.
Soon afterwards, Dave accepts the job. Dave and his family later attend Robert's funeral, after it was revealed that he died. Mike reveals to his father his new career goal of being a cameraman for the NFL, which Dave is proud of. Dave's former resentment for his fans, a reflection of his own low self-esteem, has gone away now that he has gained his father's approval and learned to accept and be happy with his life. He does the weather during the weekdays, and goes back to Chicago on the weekends to visit Mike and Shelly. People do not throw things at him anymore, though he muses that this may be a pleasant side-effect of his archery hobby, for which he carries a bow around.
The film ends with a parade, in which Dave rides on a float with Gumbel and other morning show cast members. He notes how he's behind the NYC firemen, but ahead of SpongeBob SquarePants. He is satisfied with this and his "American accomplishment." The film ends with a close-up of Dave waving as he says, through narration, "Hello America."
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