His skeptical friend....
I like this film but I always have to laugh when Cage shows his friend (a scientist kinda guy I believe) the chart he has made with all the circled numbers that correspond to disasters and all his friend can say is that it is *beep* and Cage is seeing what he wants to see.
Ahem, anyone can see that chart shows something a little more than that, despite the numbers that are not yet explained!
That scene always struck me as being a little bit silly.