I have missed Tommy Lee Jones.
That's the first thing I learned from Hope Springs. The second thing was how much I liked it.
It's well-trod ground: an unhappy couple in a rut visits
couples' therapy and finds a deeper love than either had ever known. Being the
cynic I am, this was never supposed to be the movie for me. And yet for all its clichés and
over-used tropes, something in Hope Springs
resonated after I left the theater.
Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Jones) have been married for
30-something years and have a routine. He goes to work at an office and she
folds shirts at a Coldwater Creek. He falls asleep to talk shows about golf and
she wakes up early to cook Arnold two eggs and one strip of bacon. They have
grown up children who visit and stay in regular contact. They eat dinner at the
dining table. They sleep in separate rooms. And Kay is sad.
And when Kay is portrayed by Meryl Streep, that sadness
hurts. It's a sadness seen in Jones' Arnold as well. The two play off each
other so well, you leave the theater wishing Streep and Jones would marry each
other in real life. The chemistry between these two makes the cost of a ticket
well worth it. Toss in Steve Carell in the role of a compassionate couples'
therapist and you've got a film that will warrant many repeat viewings.
This movie has Meryl Streep, Steve Carell, and Tommy Lee
Jones. What more do you need?
