They can't all be good, but there's no reason any movie should be as bad as The Weatherman. The depressing saga of a shallow, stupid weatherman offers no redeeming value and isn't grounded in any kind of comic truth.
The music is so bad it's tempting to cover your ears. The performances sacrifice any credibility in favour of lame jokes that stretch these characters too thin. It tries to be some kind of smart, About Schmidt type of film, but lacks the intelligence. The writing seems like it was done by a high-school drama class, one plot element being recklessly jammed in on top of another.
Perhaps Nicholas Cage thought taking this role would cement his reputation as an actor's actor; it doesn't. Instead, you'll be checking your watch, wondering why Cage's career hasn't fizzled out quite yet. Duller audiences will take at least some satisfaction when the weatherman is frequently hit by fast-food delicacies, but why not stay home and watch America's Funniest Home Videos? You won't feel so dirty afterwards.
The story goes in about 20 different directions at once. Director Gore Verbinski doesn't know what to focus on: the weatherman's desperate need to succeed professionally, his difficult relationship with his Pulitzer-prize winning father, his fat daughter and her "camel-toe" or the son who is being sexually abused by his drug councillor?
If this sounds like a bunch of heavy drama, keep in mind that they try to pull the whole thing off with a wink and a nod, only becoming completely serious as they offer up one laughable platitude after another at the film's drawn-out conclusion. There are lines that smart audiences will be able to mouth along with the characters, because they are so predictably bad. (Paramount)