WEATHER OR NOT | Omeleto

A New York author meets an Uber driver.

Benjamin is a New York author on a book tour, which brings him to a small town far from the cosmopolitan cities he's used to. He's picked up at his latest stop by a chatty, friendly Uber driver, who greets him warmly and then engages him in polite small talk about the weather. Benjamin is annoyed by these platitudes, being interested only in "real talk."

His persnickety demeanor and dismissive attitude permeate his entire stay and event, making it clear he's annoyed by the small-town ethos of forced friendliness and cheer. The nail in the coffin in his experience is his ride back to the airport with the same Uber driver who picked him up. But she's cannier than he thinks and turns the table on him in a way that punctures the bubble of his superiority complex.

Co-directed by Eddie Grey and Alyssa Carter from a script written by Grey, who also plays the co-lead role of Benjamin, this short comedy works as both a snapshot of one man's hubris brought back down to earth and a lightly satirical portrait of dueling visions of American society, each convinced it's the superior "real" one. The storytelling combines elements of a travelogue with a "fish out of water" story -- though this particular fish has very strong opinions about the water and makes it clear to everyone around him.

Both the character's work and the story overall revolve around observation, woven here with clear, bright cinematography, acute attention to small detail and an ear for the regional and social nuances of dialogue. The narrative is bookended by two major conversations between Benjamin and his driver, the first of which reveals his blase, dismissive attitude towards the setting and event, which seems to disappoint his driver.

As an actor, Grey balances Benjamin's sharp intelligence with a curt refusal to engage with people outside the strict parameters of his perspective. Even at an event focused on celebrating his work, we observe Benjamin at the event and see how his attitude keeps him from being fully present and appreciative of his audience and the opportunity.

Yet, having written it all off as shallow and superficial, he's unaware of how he's cordoned himself off from the world around him. His second conversation with his driver on the way home reveals that he actually may even be more entrenched in his attitude, and the driver observes how little Benjamin has taken in. The great trick of WEATHER OR NOT is how it flips Benjamin's narrow worldview and myopia on him, revealing the driver to have an observational intelligence, understanding of human behavior and facility with communication that's akin to Benjamin's own. Hers may be folksy and down-home; his may be clipped with city sophistication. But he gets the tables turned on him, no thanks to his short-sightedness.

[mirandac]

Uploading amazing varieties of short films and showing them to a big audience who can experience them as well (when they likely wouldn’t have ever seen or found them otherwise), love to see it!

[fyruiii]

By "meets his match", you meant something else.
Decent twist. Wasn't expecting that one. Well done.

[neilthomaswallin]

Reading the comments I don't think people realized that he tipped well not because he believed her story but because she provided something interesting and different than the usual routine pleseantries.

[rebeccadixon]

If only HUBBY would have called like FIVE MINUTES earlier!😂

[maroulio]

I thought she was playing him when she said the baby's name is Simba, but I didn't think she would go that far. He did deserve it just for the lousy way he was signing those books and dissing his 'customers, ' while the locals are trying to be friendly to theirs.

[missabbyelizabeth]

I did NOT see that ending coming! Loved it.

[MrHeat]

Wow the "my husband died and I have 3 kids" script really sells LOL.

[CelestialWolf]

This guy's mindset is like every English teacher's mindset. love it

[continental]

Been driving for 14 years. I always tell my clients that they are well verbed and very smart. I get good tips.

[HoaxTalks]

always a good day when omeleto uploads

[glennparker]

Great job cast and crew. He's fighting the drown effect. True Lies prevail.

[jshelton]

Great! Now every Uber driver is going to do this. 😂

[viktorwolfe]

If you're famous in any distinct way and give a bad tip, you'll be lambasted on social media as such. There's really no way to win this one.

[Miamiflow]

Been funny if her husband called right after she said he was dead haha

[charlie]

What an ending. Very funny just when I was feeling sorry for her. Another scammer at her best.

[youbetyourwrasse]

"Tears, Beers and Big Ears." A must read! But not quite the jolt of Mr Darius' prequel, "Tears, Beers and Hidden Fears."

[dandeliondreamer]

😂 love the ending, he definitely had it coming

[MisterG]

Moral: Always maintain a legible signature, and pay attention, Simba, when people are working you for a pity tip.

[margo]

That he knew she was making up the story seems unreal to me. I’m more gullible than that I suppose; I take people at face value.

[lordrobert]

I have never disliked a character so much as him!!