Hope Springs (2003)

Yes, hope springs eternal that a chick flick with Colin Firth and Minnie Driver would be mildly entertaining. I was eating a bowl full of buttered noodles while watching this, and I'm not sure which -- the noodles or the film -- was more bland.It's only been the last decade that I've begun to appreciate British cinema. This film set that back a decade.But let's begin with what's good about this film. Well, let me think. Ah -- it's filmed in New England in autumn, so it's pretty. Frank Collison who runs the local motel with Mary Steenbergen is mildly humorous, but this is a step down for Steenbergen. And, let's see...well, that's about it.Colin Firth is a fine action...who was wasted here. I always enjoy Minnie Driver...well, almost always. Heather Graham...sorry, not impressed. Oliver Platt, who's usually a fairly entertaining actor, has a nothing role here.And then there's the plot. Oddly enough, I kept thinking that maybe Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr could have saved this. But then I decided that just dusting off my DVD of "An Affair To Remember" would be better than watching this affair to be forgotten.Thumbs down. You can do better.

(warning: mild spoilers)take a simple but cute idea, the desperate guy abandoned by his fiancée, flies from the UK to the US (supposed to be Maine, but actually filmed in British Columbia), chooses his destination because the town is called "Hope", and on day two meets the cutest sweetest girl in the whole region, but also with a wild fun side so you don't get bored.add some pretty solid names in acting: Colin Firth (sure he was less famous then), Minnie Driver. Add a cute blonde who can act namely Heather Graham. In the "supporting" roles put actors of such caliber that they can do much better than just "support": Mary Steenburgen, Frank Collison, and of course Oliver Platt (who was nicely leaner back then).so, in theory, you could have done something bordering on the very good, cute, touching, powerful, and so on.but, unfortunately, the script lacks power, the direction lacks power, the whole plot logic could have been made both better and denser.so at the end of the day, we're left with a film which is fine to watch on a lazy evening with the wife, and has its cute moments - but could have been seriously better. Maybe it was too ambitious, too big budget a film, to good a crew of actors, for director Mark Hermann. Too bad.

This is a charming movie. It is in places very funny. Minnie Driver, as always, is excellent, a joy to watch. Colin Firth does his agreeable Colin Firth impersonation and the American girl is fluffy and sweet. I loved Mary Steenburgen doing a vulgar part and Oliver Platt always adds vim. I rather think this is a movie for bookish people with a night off, but there aren't enough of those about. It doesn't fill the screen quite, but it is certainly a feature rather than a TV movie. I like the Anglo-American tint to it: there seem to be no glaring cultural gaffes. We even get Marks and Spencers mentioned. Intelligent, engaging and funny. 7 out of 10 because only God gets 10 and only The Third Man and Casablanca get 9.

This film is about an English artist who goes to Hope in America to forget his sorrow after discovering that his fiancée is about to marry someone else."Hope Springs" is a light-hearted, bubbly, energetic and fun comedy. The story is vibrantly fun and engaging. It successfully balances between the typically English polite long-winded dialog and vibrant fun. These polar opposites clash together and create great chemistry. The main characters, Mandy and Colin are likable and sweet, which is essential in an enjoyable romantic comedy. I enjoyed watching "Hope Springs" a lot, I think it deserved to be a commercial success.