Remember back when Hope Springs seemed like a sure fire Oscar contender? First of all, you've got Meryl Streep, who automatically brings Academy Award weight whatever she stars in, re-teaming with her The Devil Wears Prada director, David Frankel. Their last collaboration led to her winning the Best Supporting Actress award, and many suspected could be in store now. Plus, you've got Tommy Lee Jones, no stranger to Oscar nominations himself. Well, there might be some hope for Streep to take home another statue, but the film itself looks too light and fluffy to warrant serious consideration.
The story follows a Kay(Streep) and Arnold(Jones), a married couple who clearly love one another very much but are stuck in a rut thanks to decades of being together. She, in particular, wants to spice up their sex life, while he's perfectly happy and stuck in his ways. They turn to a renowned couples therapist played by Steve Carell, who attempts to show them how to loosen up and reignite the bedroom sparks.
Streep has worked wonders making the sex lives of the upper aged set fun and even a bit steamy with It's Complicated, and there's a good deal of boundary pushing going on here, as well. Meryl and that banana, for instance? She...probably wasn't meant to just take a bite out of it. Jones, who is currently looking miserable in every frame of Men in Black III, is finally back making something where he'll get to actually act. Basically, this looks like a feel good comedy and nothing more. That's perfectly okay.
Hope Springs opens on August 10th. Check out the trailer below....
