Settling down to watch the TV re-run of this movie that I missed a few years ago, I had the impression that I was going to be entertained by a comedy. As the story unfolds, I realised that comedy it isn't although there are light shades of grey (i.e. not quite black) humour. A depressing downer, many would call it. And yet, entertained I was, as I enjoyed the way everyday reality was captured.
The subject matter is the familiar mid-life crisis and dysfunctional family – divorced man clinging on when wife was planning to re-marry, twelve-year-old taciturn overweight daughter, vulnerable teenage son. One additional theme is a job with enviable financial reward (over 200 grand) and zero job-satisfaction: weather announce of a Chicago TV station. One recurring motif is having people throw junk food at the protagonist, probably because they cannot stand his good fortune. But they can eat their heart out because David Spritz is going to an interview with "Good Morning America" in New York, for essentially the same job but offering seven-figure remuneration. This is basically it, other than a subplot of an overshadowing father (Pulitzer Prize winner at early thirties) now diagnosed with a terminal disease and only a few months to live.
Michael Caine is excellent as the stern father that expresses his love not by words but by action. Hope Davis, who has had some good roles ("Synecdoche, New York", "Proof", "About Schmidt") did a good job in making more out of the role of the estranged wife than it offers. As the son, Nicholas Hoult who left quite an impression in "About a boy" three years before this movie shows that he can continue to deliver good performances as he grows. Particularly good is Gemmenne de la Pena who gives her somewhat unlovable role of the daughter a life and earns sympathy along the way. Nicholas Cage does the rest, leading the good cast in making this movie entertaining, though not in an orthodox manner.
The subject matter is the familiar mid-life crisis and dysfunctional family – divorced man clinging on when wife was planning to re-marry, twelve-year-old taciturn overweight daughter, vulnerable teenage son. One additional theme is a job with enviable financial reward (over 200 grand) and zero job-satisfaction: weather announce of a Chicago TV station. One recurring motif is having people throw junk food at the protagonist, probably because they cannot stand his good fortune. But they can eat their heart out because David Spritz is going to an interview with "Good Morning America" in New York, for essentially the same job but offering seven-figure remuneration. This is basically it, other than a subplot of an overshadowing father (Pulitzer Prize winner at early thirties) now diagnosed with a terminal disease and only a few months to live.
Michael Caine is excellent as the stern father that expresses his love not by words but by action. Hope Davis, who has had some good roles ("Synecdoche, New York", "Proof", "About Schmidt") did a good job in making more out of the role of the estranged wife than it offers. As the son, Nicholas Hoult who left quite an impression in "About a boy" three years before this movie shows that he can continue to deliver good performances as he grows. Particularly good is Gemmenne de la Pena who gives her somewhat unlovable role of the daughter a life and earns sympathy along the way. Nicholas Cage does the rest, leading the good cast in making this movie entertaining, though not in an orthodox manner.