Movie Monday: Hope Springs

On Saturday my mom asked me if I wanted to go see Hope Springs or The Campaign.  I want to see both, but I wasn't really in the mood for stupid humor.  (Turns out she was really surprised I wanted to see Hope Springs.  C'mon, it stars Meryl Streep!)  I think I was the youngest person in the theater - and my mom was the second youngest.

I thought the movie was often hilarious, sometimes sad, and always sincere.  Kay (Meryl Streep) is no longer content with the patterns her marriage to Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) has fallen into.  Thus she convinces him to go to intensive marriage counseling in Hope Springs, Maine with Dr. Feld (Steve Carell).  And yes, part of that counseling is reinvigorating their sex life.

I'm impressed by how well Hope Springs portrays intimacy.  Kay and Arnold still want each other, but they no longer know how to communicate their needs.  And it's all very tastefully done.  Kay and Arnold are obviously uncomfortable discussing their problems with a stranger.  Okay, the sex scenes are ridiculously clothed, but they're well shot and illuminate the progression of the relationship.

Did I mention that Hope Springs is hysterical?  Streep and Jones have great chemistry and the perfect expressions to sell every joke.  Carell is extremely restrained as their therapist and proves to be the perfect straight man.  His absence of energy is practically a joke in itself.  Not every comedian could rein themselves in for such an understated performance.  (Although I don't think I need to tell you that Streep is the standout, from her girlish voice to the trembles of her face as her husband unintentionally hurts her feelings.)

Steve Carell as Dr. Feld

Hope Springs does have two scenes in bookstores, for all the book lovers out there.  One is a Barnes & Noble, but the standout is the fictional independent Kay goes to in Maine.  Young adult paranormal TORMENT by Lauren Kate is shelved face out next to some nonfiction books and other such nonsensical shelving.  I enjoyed trying to find books I recognized and trying to figure out some rhyme or reason to the mise en scene.

My only complaint would be the soundtrack.  There was nothing awful about the songs themselves, but I never thought they quite worked with the action onscreen.  Maybe my theater had the balance off, but each song just seemed too loud and took me away from the scene instead of pulling me deeper into it.  I liked the music in director David Frankel's previous effort The Devil Wears Prada, so I'm not sure what was up with this one.

I definitely recommend Hope Springs.  It's rare to find a comedy the mature and honest.  It was slightly awkward to see with my mother, but not that bad since all the sexual content wasn't tawdry but about expressing your needs and being able to find comfort with another person.  It's a good message.