Kay Soames (Meryl Streep) and her husband Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) are at a crossroads. With their children gone the ‘empty-nest’ syndrome hits them hard. Wanting to rejuvenate their faltering marriage, Kay suggests they see marriage counsellor Dr. Bernie Field (Steve Carell) despite Arnold’s reluctance. With Field’s questions forcing them to examine their relationship, their lives take interesting turns making for a rocky path toward re-connecting.
Director David Frankel skilfully draws out the best from ‘Hope Springs’. With fine performers and strong writing it would have been difficult not to succeed. From the first moments in this essay on a fading marriage, we see a couple in serious decline. Kay’s determination to revive the fading passion against Arnold’s grumpy demeanour reveals much of their opposing views. Despite this the remnants of what initially made them a couple spurs them on. In lesser acting hands the characters could have been clichéd but Streep and Jones ensure they have genuine believability.
Their performances are matched by Carell who effectively under-plays his sympathetic role. His contribution aids in having the sometimes awkward and frank views delivered with little fanfare. The humour occurs naturally from the drama. None of the funnier moments feel forced adding to the film’s authentic atmosphere.
Fans of Streep and Jones should be pleased with ‘Hope Springs’. Amusing and insightful - adding another gold mark to their catalogue of fine performances.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 8
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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