By THOMAS BOND
Any other actors in the lead role would have likely killed this film. Not nearly as charming or whimsical or comedic as the trailers would have you believe, Hope Springs is an all-too-safe examination of what marriage can look like after many, many, many years of being together. The direction is the culprit here, as scenes and dialogue that needed to linger…didn’t, and scenes that were unnecessarily cliche fluff went far too long. The story and characters therefore feel unbelievable at times, and situations arise without seemingly any conflict, or far too much. It’s all stop-starty, an annoying roller coaster ride toying with my emotions even though I know how it’s going to end, mostly. Opportunities to dig deeper were sorely missed, especially with such talents as Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep on board. Like I said before, they both do a fantastic job, especially Jones. I just wish they could have been given a chance to do more.
I disagree Mr Bond. This is a film with wonderful insight and sly presentation of what past midlife long marriages can be like. I predict this film will become a film used like “War of the Roses” as homework to view for couples in counseling.It does have a nicely wrapped happy ending.It is the turn people hope for when they go to a counselor usually.I have no doubt you will feel very differently about this film after many years with a wife. I hope all of yours are happy. Jones and Streep do justice by not trying to over act the script.I would have enjoyed a more comedic film. After seeing it ,I appreciate the point of the film was to move me to be more than amused.
I’m not disagreeing with you, I believe you’re absolutely right. The film will, and should, be used as homework. Because it is so clinical. To me that was the problem. It was too surfacey, even if it was very accurate (which I trust your opinion on). Even though I’m younger, I could still sense that we could have gone deeper, we could have explored more. Opportunities were missed to flesh out some of their problems that were never really addressed. (Why can’t he look at her, exactly? What ever came of the new “technique” she was trying?) I wanted to see more resolution, and at the end, after such tough sessions with the doc, the resolution seemed too quick and easy without enough questions answered, for me.
Thanks for reading Daniel!!