(USA, 100 min.)
Dir. David Frankel, Writ. Vanessa Taylor
Starring: Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell
Many people retire by sixty, but not Meryl Streep. My
favourite actress is truly in the midst of her golden years, and offering as
strong and prolific an output as she did in the 1980s. Streep reteams with
David Frankel, her Devil Wears Prada director,
and gives another winning performance in Hope
Springs. Nowhere near as lightweight as the trailer suggests it to be, Hope Springs is a smart and refreshing love
story for grown-ups. Perhaps the story of Kay and Arnold Soames (played by the
perfect onscreen couple of Streep and Tommy Lee Jones) is a glimpse at how life
would have turned out for Margot and Lou had they stayed together in Take This Waltz. Much like the 2009
Streep vehicle It’s Complicated, Hope Springs looks at how one can
rekindle ‘that old feeling’ when one is pushing retirement. Stronger and more
insightful film than the fun Nancy Meyers’ comedy, this year’s Streep sex-romp
is a surprisingly candid portrait of love and sexuality in the senior years.
Kay and Arnold Soames have entered that inevitable lull that
comes when a couple has spent so much time together. Hope Springs introduces viewers to Mr. and Mrs. Soames on the eve
of their 31st anniversary. Kay stands before the bathroom mirror as
she tousles her hair and gets a feel for her new nightie. She looks hesitant,
almost afraid. She then knocks on the door to her husband’s bedroom – separate
bedroom, one should note – and he looks up. Arnold takes no notice of his wife.
It’s no wonder that Kay is so shy when it comes to feeling sexy.
The next morning reveals the dullness of the couple’s
routine. Kay makes her husband bacon and eggs every day. He says “good morning”
and she replies with a pathetic little “hmmm”. It’s portrait of dull suburban
living to be sure.
Kay wants more from life, but all Arnold wants to do is read
the paper and fall asleep in front of the TV. To save her marriage from its
platonic funk, Kay registers herself and Arnold for a week of couple’s therapy with
renowned couple’s specialist Dr. Bernard Feld (played by a straight-laced and
subdued Steve Carell). It comes as no surprise that Arnold thinks that therapy
is a stupid idea and a waste of $4000. On the other hand, his reluctance to
admit that his marriage has a problem validates Kay’s concern. Arnold reveals himself
a teddy bear under his hard surface, though, and he and Kay soon find
themselves in the quaint seaside town of Great Hope Springs.
In the therapy, Dr. Feld explains that their sessions will
be like healing a nose: you have to break it before it can be repaired. The
sessions with Dr. Feld seem a little painful as Kay and Arnold hesitate to open
up. One can see that shyness and a lack of communication have led them to their
present predicament. However, Dr. Feld’s therapy prescribes exactly what Kay
has missed from the marriage: intimacy, touching, and closeness. Once the
therapy begins, Hope Springs blossoms
into a surprising and smart tale of how hard couples need to work to keep the
passion alive in a long-term commitment.
Hope Springs is a
mature dramedy with an edge of sex farce. The laughs help take the edge off
audiences so they can appreciate its helpful tonic. The film doesn’t play it
safe, either, and pits Streep and Jones in some awkward situations that are
sure to make mature audiences blush or shed some tears (from pain or laughter)
as witnessed by the response from the seasoned audience at the theatre. Hope Springs might be rated PG-13 (or
14A here in Ontario), but it doesn’t shy away from putting its stars in scenes
of a sexual nature. Meryl masturbates. Meryl goes down on Tommy Lee in a movie
theatre. It’s all done tastefully and with a spot of fun, and these scenes from
a marriage show what couples can do to keep the flame alive. The highlight of
the film, however, occurs in a romantic candlelight dinner in which Kay and
Arnold relive the memories that brought them together. It might be the only
scene in the film where they sit down and have an actual conversation. Hope Springs shows that intimacy goes
beyond the bedroom, and its approach to relationships is highly therapeutic.
Kay’s efforts are not in vain, and Streep is a great
seductress with the magic of Hope
Springs. If one needs further proof of Meryl Streep’s versatility and
range, one need not look any further than her recent double whammy. After her
masterfully calculated (and deservedly Oscar-winning) turn as Margaret Thatcher
in The Iron Lady, Streep gives one of
her most natural, down to earth performances as the downtrodden Kay Soames. It’s
odd to see Meryl look so withdrawn and dejected, and Kay is more of a Debbie
Downer than the iron ladies that Streep usually plays. On the other hand, Kay’s
wispy demeanour really lets Streep shine whenever something sparkles behind
Kay’s eyes or sneaks through the cracks. Although Tommy Lee Jones’s Arnold
appears more tough and crotchety, Kay is really the grumpy old man in the
Soames’ marriage.
Jones is every bit Streep’s equal in Hope Springs. Like Streep, he gives a natural, low-key performance,
but that Arnold keeps a lot bottled up inside and Jones is careful when to
expand his character. Arnold is a true old-school man’s man. He doesn’t talk
about anything and he hides he feelings, yet Jones shows the insecurity that
hides behind Arnold’s weathered old face. The casting of Jones as the crusty
old man is perfect: not only for his deadpan comedy, but also for the extra
layer he brings to his character. Streep and Jones surely give two of the
year’s best performances in Hope Springs.
Streep and Jones are magical as the troubled couple, but Hope Springs rejects a fairy-tale
approach to marriage even if they live happily ever after. The film is a
welcome alternative slice of summer moviegoing and gives mainstream audiences a
rare shot of intelligent comedy. Hope
Springs is a winner.
Rating: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
Rating: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
Hope Springs is currently playing in wide release.