The Weather Man puts Nicolas Cage in role of a self-centered whiner

Like Joe Btfsplk, that perpetually jinxed schmo in Al Capp's old "Li'l Abner" comic strip, Nicolas Cage tramps around in The Weather Man with a dark rain cloud constantly thundering over his head.

His character, successful Chicago TV weatherman David Spritz, seems by all rights a guy who should be walking on Cloud Nine.

He makes $240,000 a year for standing in front of a blue screen and reading the weather from a teleprompter. He supplements that income with big fees for personal appearances at civic clubs and social events around town, a perk that often pays off in one-night stands with adoring female fans.

His family is a bit fractured, but on the whole they're a loving, concerned and supportive bunch. And to top it off, he's just made the short list for the weather spot on a network morning show from New York hosted by Bryant Gumbel, a gig that will earn him the national spotlight and a seven-figure salary.

But in keeping with The Weather Man's relentlessly gloomy outlook, Spritz manages to see the dark side of every cloud. In short, he's a pampered, self-centered whiner.

Despite his best efforts, Cage faces an impossible task in making us like or even sympathize with this guy.