Hope Springs (2012)
2012
PG-13
100 Minutes
After thirty years of marriage, a middle-aged couple attends an intense, week-long counseling session to work on their relationship.
User Review
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Hope Springs is a nice Sunday afternoon flick. The kind of film that you don't need to pay too much attention to, and feels generally lighthearted and full of warmth. However, its audience is targeted towards the more mature range, a trend that is increasingly becoming a popular niche. An old married couple are having issues with their relationship, so much so that they sleep in separate rooms and do not touch each other. Reluctantly they seek the advice of a counsellor in an attempt to rekindle their sexual intimacy. Old people, marriage counselling and sexual frustrations, not exactly a blockbuster formula. In fact, it's rather rare to witness a film that explores mature relationships. Why? Because it's awkward to watch...and the target demographic is small. But mostly because it's awkward. So I appreciate the delicate and intricate depiction of those issues, but the major problem is that it was portrayed awkwardly. I understand it's a taboo subject for most people, but to convey its awkwardness constantly throughout the entire runtime felt slightly immature. It would've been more suitable for comedic purposes, but the authentic and natural approach prevented that and so I found myself feeling awkward. To the point where I was cringing at certain scenes. Not because of its contents, it could've been far more intellectually executed to create something fresh, but it falls down to the "Sunday afternoon" category. Tommy Lee Jones was excellently cast as the grumpy closed minded husband. Meryl Streep enhances the emotional frustration and innocence, although at times I found her to be overacting. There were moments where I felt the complexity of their relationship and related to them. Attempts made from both sides to save, not only their marriage, but themselves. The ending felt too neat and safe, the more realistic ending would've been far more poignant and memorable. Hope Springs does address a subject that isn't talked about much in an endearing way, it just felt too awkward and clichéd for my own personal taste.0 member like this review.
