A movie that has Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones playing a married couple trying to bring the spark back in their marriage? You have me sold. It’s a rare thing for a romantic comedy to capture my interest. I’m particularly harsh when it comes to rom-coms. But I was really hoping that Hope Springs wouldn’t disappoint. Fortunately, it didn’t. With great performances from Streep and Jones, Hope Springs is a hilarious and heartfelt love story.
After thirty years of marriage, Kay (Streep) is unhappy with her husband, Arnold (Jones). Arnold is clearly oblivious to Kay’s discontent. Hence, he’s surprised when she tells him that she bought a trip for them to go to Maine, in order to attend an intensive couples counseling session with Dr. Feld (Steve Carell). Arnold resists going, but when he sees how serious Kay is about this trip, he grudgingly obliges. Finally, face-to-face with Dr. Feld, the two begin to have some revelations and learn to love each other again.
Unsurprisingly, the acting is excellent. Streep captured Kay’s vulnerability so well. I truly felt for her when Arnold rejected or avoided being affectionate. I also appreciated how her character wasn’t the “strong woman” type. Not to say she wasn’t strong, but she wasn’t afraid to show weakness. She was just a normal woman who wanted to spend the rest of her life in a happy marriage. She wasn’t asking for more than that. As for Jones, he played Arnold to the T. Nailing the funny one-liners and the incessant complaining, Jones’ Arnold was the perfect opposite to Streep’s Kay. They had such great chemistry. Just watching them was a joy.
Watching the couple learn to interact with each other again was fascinating. It was filled with many serious and heartbreaking moments. Yet when the funny, awkward or sweet moments came along, it showed how dynamic a relationship or marriage can be, even after so many years. I absolutely recommend this movie to anyone: married, old, young, single, whatever. We all desire companionship and having that special person to personally connect with. That’s a notion that I related to Hope Springs, as a young single gal. Even regardless of how relatable it is, the film is just wonderfully entertaining.
Hope Springs is now playing in theaters.
Advertisement
