Summary (Kooper took the lead to do a summary. So I follow. )
A man in his forties can’t quite figure out why he is in such a mess at every level of his life in terms of failing in merrage, despising his own current job, feeling ill-at-ease with his father, and so on. He comes a long way from the poor archery skill. The improvement of archery skill works as a metaphor to his mental progress in his life. In the end, he realizes that loving what he is doing and possessing and being mentally strong in his faith are the true meaning of life.
Expressing
01. 0:05:23.
I’m not a hill of beans. I have a plan.
A hill of beans (很沒用)
0:16:41
A shot in the dark. (an opportunity that still in in uncertain)
最後由 Just JJ 於 週日 8月 29, 2010 7:50 am 編輯，總共編輯了 1 次。
chiron 寫:
Besides, I have few questions for us to discuss tomorrow morning after the vocabulary part, as below:
1. What typical American spirits do you see in this movie? Analyze it from the cultural and social level, such as what defines a successful man, their high divorced rate, drug abuse, obese figure, problem teenagers?
2. What may the movie title , The Weather Man, imply?
3. Does Archery, floating (ice showing up in the beginning) in this movie have any overtone?
4. Why Dave always do not have enough money in his wallet, does that imply anything?
5. What part of this movie touch you or attract you to see it?
I will post my summary and words later.
One grammar question:
What must you think of me? ---> why they use "must" here?
1. ”This shit life... we must chuck some things. We must chuck them... in this shit life. There's always looking after.” 「苦悶的生活，你一定要有所取捨，因為生活就是這樣的屎坑，總是會有個照應的…」
2. “Do you know that the harder thing to do and the right thing to do are usually the same thing? Nothing that has meaning is easy. "Easy" doesn't enter into grown-up life.” 總之，腰桿子打直面對更多的屎吧﹗至死不變﹗梗在於你沒辦法掌控生命給你的安排，你只能去接受自己是個怎麼樣的人，然後關懷身邊的親人…)
3. ”I remember once imagining what my life would be like, what I'd be like. I pictured having all these qualities, strong positive qualities that people could pick up on from across the room. But as time passed, few ever became any qualities that I actually had. And all the possibilities I faced and the sorts of people I could be, all of them got reduced every year to fewer and fewer. Until finally they got reduced to one, to who I am. And that's who I am, the weatherman. “ 當人生發展到某個年歲，人必須接受自己的發展性逐漸減少並接受自己是個怎麼樣的人，如果持續地逃避或否認，就會變得自我而離群。
Kooper 寫:David Spritzel, middle-aged, was not happy with his career and his private life. Working as a weatherman in a regional TV station, he didn’t make a decent living. What further depressed him was that the job didn’t earn him the respect of his co-workers and of local residents. On the contrary, he was viewed by some of the locals as a bit of a clown and got hit on the street by fast food every now and then. David’s private life was no better. He divorced and was forced to live "along" - his ex-wife got the house and the custody of their offspring. He tried a couple of times in vain to restore his relationship with the ex-wife, which he is largely to blame for.
janet12tw 寫:1. ”This shit life... we must chuck some things. We must chuck them... in this shit life. There's always looking after.” 「苦悶的生活，你一定要有所取捨，因為生活就是這樣的屎坑，總是會有個照應的…」
2. “Do you know that the harder thing to do and the right thing to do are usually the same thing? Nothing that has meaning is easy. "Easy" doesn't enter into grown-up life.” 總之，腰桿子打直面對更多的屎吧﹗至死不變﹗梗在於你沒辦法掌控生命給你的安排，你只能去接受自己是個怎麼樣的人，然後關懷身邊的親人…)
3. ”I remember once imagining what my life would be like, what I'd be like. I pictured having all these qualities, strong positive qualities that people could pick up on from across the room. But as time passed, few ever became any qualities that I actually had. And all the possibilities I faced and the sorts of people I could be, all of them got reduced every year to fewer and fewer. Until finally they got reduced to one, to who I am. And that's who I am, the weatherman. “ 當人生發展到某個年歲，人必須接受自己的發展性逐漸減少並接受自己是個怎麼樣的人，如果持續地逃避或否認，就會變得自我而離群。
The Chinese translation is terrific....
It's convincing, but I have to say that I am not into such a philosophy. Maybe that's why I could not identify with the main characters when I watched this movie.
I once heard a saying (sorry I forgot who said it):
"Pessimists are always right, but only optimists change the world."
Maybe someday, maybe, I will stop all the efforts in vain and give in to the fact that I am not able to achieve those things that I really want to, and accept who I am. When that day comes finally, I will also accept the fact that I am old already.
The review underneath is answering Kooper's quesion in our meeting, "What kind of message that the director tries to deliver to audiences?"
by MerchantMan
This film isn't something light and healthy for the heart. The people who've attacked this movie (like an arrogant film critic from the Toronto Globe) and claim that it's horrible are the same kinds of movie-goers who believed "Phantom Menace" and "Attack of the Clones (Clowns)" represent the height of George Lucas' genius.
This isn't an easily digestible film. If you're looking for mindless, empty and meaningless entertainment, you're better off renting something like "Bewitched" or "Dude, Where's My Car?" on DVD.
There are moments in this film where it seemed disjointed and sloppy. In a word: Chaotic. But, what I initially believed to be flaws in the movie were likely put in there by design, rather than by accident. The ebb and flow of "The Weatherman" is a metaphor of the life of the protaganist, David Spritz. Like the weather he tries to predict, his life is full of variance and chaos.
We follow the stochastic and sometimes humorous wanderings of David Spritz as he struggles to anchor down his life in the maelstrom that is blowing around him. Nicholas Cage, while not being a top-notch actor (in my opinion), seems perfectly suited to these quirky types of roles. His performance, if you've never seen "Matchstick Men" or "The Rock", is extremely memorable. If you have seen the two other movies I've mentioned, you may have a strange feeling that you're seeing the same character all over again, but in a different movie. In stark constrast, Michael Caine superbly plays David Spritz's wise, stoic father. Watching Cage and Caine play out there scenes is a superlative Yin & Yang exhibition.
It's a difficult film to write a review for, without feeling like you're giving too much. I can't say much more without risking a spoiler. After all, the real treat with this movie is to replay it in your head, and put the scattered, billowing pieces of confetti together... And they you say to yourself, "Ah-HAH! Man, that was clever."
Unless you have the mental agility that far surpasses the norm, you probably won't get all the chewy bits of this movie digested in the first pass. It's only with hindsight that I was able to form a theory as to why things happened. Like the weather, it's open to interpretation, and I could be completely wrong. But, the personal interpretation I took away from this movie is relevent to me, and perhaps that was the producer and director's aim from the start.
No, "The Weatherman" is not easy to understand. Caine's character says something poignant about that, though. In a conversation he is having with Cage, he reminds his wayward son that nothing worth doing is ever easy; that easy accomplishments are meaningless.
"Easy... 'Easy' doesn't make it into adult life, son."
janet12tw 寫:1. ”This shit life... we must chuck some things. We must chuck them... in this shit life. There's always looking after.” 「苦悶的生活，你一定要有所取捨，因為生活就是這樣的屎坑，總是會有個照應的…」
2. “Do you know that the harder thing to do and the right thing to do are usually the same thing? Nothing that has meaning is easy. "Easy" doesn't enter into grown-up life.” 總之，腰桿子打直面對更多的屎吧﹗至死不變﹗梗在於你沒辦法掌控生命給你的安排，你只能去接受自己是個怎麼樣的人，然後關懷身邊的親人…)
3. ”I remember once imagining what my life would be like, what I'd be like. I pictured having all these qualities, strong positive qualities that people could pick up on from across the room. But as time passed, few ever became any qualities that I actually had. And all the possibilities I faced and the sorts of people I could be, all of them got reduced every year to fewer and fewer. Until finally they got reduced to one, to who I am. And that's who I am, the weatherman. “ 當人生發展到某個年歲，人必須接受自己的發展性逐漸減少並接受自己是個怎麼樣的人，如果持續地逃避或否認，就會變得自我而離群。
The Chinese translation is terrific....
It's convincing, but I have to say that I am not into such a philosophy. Maybe that's why I could not identify with the main characters when I watched this movie.
I once heard a saying (sorry I forgot who said it):
"Pessimists are always right, but only optimists change the world."
Maybe someday, maybe, I will stop all the efforts in vain and give in to the fact that I am not able to achieve those things that I really want to, and accept who I am. When that day comes finally, I will also accept the fact that I am old already.
God, we msut stop contacting such kind of pessimistic source.
The review underneath is answer Kooper's quesion in our meeting, "What kind of message that the director tries to deliver to audiences?"
by MerchantMan
This film isn't something light and healthy for the heart.(-->Totally agree.) The people who've attacked this movie (like an arrogant film critic from the Toronto Globe) and claim that it's horrible are the same kinds of movie-goers who believed "Phantom Menace" and "Attack of the Clones (Clowns)" represent the height of George Lucas' genius.
This isn't an easily digestible film. If you're looking for mindless, empty and meaningless entertainment, you're better off renting something like "Bewitched" or "Dude, Where's My Car?" on DVD.
There are moments in this film where it seemed disjointed and sloppy. In a word: Chaotic. But, what I initially believed to be flaws in the movie were likely put in there by design, rather than by accident. The ebb and flow of "The Weatherman" is a metaphor of the life of the protaganist, David Spritz. Like the weather he tries to predict, his life is full of variance and chaos. (-->The same as our discussion!!)
We follow the stochastic and sometimes humorous wanderings of David Spritz as he struggles to anchor down his life in the maelstrom that is blowing around him. Nicholas Cage, while not being a top-notch actor (in my opinion), seems perfectly suited to these quirky types of roles. His performance, if you've never seen "Matchstick Men" or "The Rock", is extremely memorable. If you have seen the two other movies I've mentioned, you may have a strange feeling that you're seeing the same character all over again, but in a different movie.(-->Told you.) In stark constrast, Michael Caine superbly plays David Spritz's wise (-->What does “play one’s wise” mean? Any idea??) , stoic father. Watching Cage and Caine play out there scenes is a superlative Yin & Yang exhibition.(-->Well said.)
It's a difficult film to write a review for, without feeling like you're giving too much. I can't say much more without risking a spoiler. After all, the real treat with this movie is to replay it in your head, and put the scattered, billowing pieces of confetti together... And they you say to yourself, "Ah-HAH! Man, that was clever." (-->I can’t agree anymore.)
Unless you have the mental agility that far surpasses the norm, you probably won't get all the chewy bits of this movie digested in the first pass. It's only with hindsight that I was able to form a theory as to why things happened. (-->Man, what an arrogant reviewer.) Like the weather, it's open to interpretation, and I could be completely wrong. But, the personal interpretation I took away from this movie is relevent to me, and perhaps that was the producer and director's aim from the start.
No, "The Weatherman" is not easy to understand. Caine's character says something poignant about that, though. In a conversation he is having with Cage, he reminds his wayward son that nothing worth doing is ever easy; that easy accomplishments are meaningless.
"Easy... 'Easy' doesn't make it into adult life, son."
Well, the review is tricky. From the start to the end, the reviewer didn't really reveal what he had found out about the meaning of the movie which the director is trying to convey. He just said he interpreted it his own way and related it to his own personal experience. But what on earth had he found out? ( )
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Sorry.... you have to figure it out yourself.
It's a difficult film to write a review for, without feeling like you're giving too much. I can't say much more without risking a spoiler. After all, the real treat with this movie is to replay it in your head, and put the scattered, billowing pieces of confetti together... And they you say to yourself, "Ah-HAH! Man, that was clever." (-->I can’t agree anymore.)
)
