WEATHER GIRL Review (LA Film Fest)

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Weather Girl is one of my favorite movies from the LA Film Festival so far. It tells the story of Sylvia (Tricia O’Kelley), a Seattle morning show weather girl, who, after finding out her boyfriend (Mark Harmon) is cheating on her with his co-host (Kaitlin Olson), has an on-air freak and is subsequently fired. She then moves in with her brother, Walt (Ryan Devlin), who seems to be quite the opposite of Sylvia. Where she is organized and likes to have a plan, he just goes with the flow. While living with Walt, Sylvia has to also deal with Byron (Patrick J. Adams), Walt’s best friend who lives across the hall. A friendship grows between the three of them (and more with Byron), as Sylvia tries to figure out what to do next. Turns out she committed career suicide at 35, and no one in television will hire her. But is that really such a bad thing?

I think the great thing about Weather Girl is that it was able to capture my attention from beginning to end by having very endearing, but real characters and a well-rounded story. Sylvia is flawed and kind of lost, and pretty messed up actually, but you can’t help but root for her.
Walt is a fun brother to have, but he’s not perfect, which makes him more real. And finally Byron… well, let’s just say that women will definitely fall in love with him. He just has that special thing. And I have to give it up to them for casting Patrick J. Adams in the part. He is just perfect.

I also have to mention Mark Harmon, who is quite the sleazy character (I didn’t even know that was possible coming from him). Really great character. And of course Kaitlin Olson (from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) is great as the dumb co-host. There is one scene of her drunk that I think is hilarious, and if you’re a “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” fan, you’re going to love it too.

The cast of course is key in making us care for these characters, and they do just that. I didn’t really know any of the main actors, but it really didn’t matter. Quite the contrary, it allowed me to discover these characters without any preconceptions. And now, I’m actually looking forward to seeing the actors in something new.

Another great thing about Weather Girl is that they were able to include a few great guest stars including Enrico Colantoni, Jane Lynch, and Blair Underwood. While most of them have small parts, turns out you end up remember them because they are so particular and of some importance to the development of the story. My favorite had to be Enrico’s Colantoni’s George, the guy behind the scenes, who gets a quick out of Sylvia’s breakdown. It’s pretty funny.

The story is very simple, but is explored in such a great way through the directing and the characters. You really find yourself caring for these characters and can’t wait to find out how it will all end.

Weather Girl is a mix of comedy, drama, and romance, with an independent feel to it, which is almost like they wrote it for me.

To put it simply, I loved it! You know you’re enjoying a movie when you’re sad it ends. That’s sort of how I felt by the end of Weather Girl.

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Title: Weather Girl
Director: Blayne Weaver
Cast:Tricia O’Kelley, Patrick J. Adams, Ryan Devlin, Mark Harmon, Kaitlin Olson, Enrico Colantoni, Jane Lynch, and Blair Underwood
Synopsis: After learning her boyfriend cheated on her with his co-host, a Seattle morning show weather girl freaks out on-air and is fired. Forced to move in with her little brother and deal with his best friend neighbor, she has to learn to cope with being 35, single, unemployed, and unfortunately famous for being the Sassy Weather Girl who lost it on live television.
Release Date: July 10, 2009 (Limited)