Hope Springs

A few weeks ago I went to a movie theater and two ladies sitting behind me were talking about their experiences computer dating. One of them said, “Oh no, I never put my correct age, I always put at least five years younger.” I resisted the urge to turn around but a couple of minutes later I practically spit out my soda when it was revealed that she was seventy-two. I thought to myself, I’ve seen the future and it’s very dark.

Hope Springs starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones demonstrates, like my illustration, that no matter how old we get, we never lose the desire to be wanted, admired and loved. Our bodies may wrinkle, crinkle and age, but inside our hearts remain young and hopeful.

In Hope Springs, Meryl Streep plays Kay, a housewife married to Arnold, played by Tommy Lee Jones. As a couple they have just celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary but Kay has become discontent. Her husband Arnold hasn’t touched her in years and sleeps in a separate bedroom. She is so unhappy that she is willing to risk it all. So, in a last ditch effort, she cashes in a CD and enrolls them in a couples counseling program. She realizes that with her children grown and out of the home there is nothing left to look forward to. All life’s milestones are behind her and all she has left is her marriage. If she can’t have the marriage she wants, she just as soon be alone.

Tommy Lee Jones, on the other hand, plays Arnold as a man who has carved himself a routine. He may have dreamed of more as a young man, but he has learned to be content with what he has. His demands are few and he is grateful for his lot. It’s a good life, but underneath he is afraid to desire more. Only the thought of losing what he has can spur the man to action.

There is a lot of humor in Hope Springs, but it comes from a delicate place. I really wouldn’t call it a comedy although it is being billed that way. This story is about two people who are in pain and it shows. When you see Meryl Streep as Kay look into a mirror you can imagine the young girl she once was. Now in the mirror she sees a woman who is lonely, disillusioned, and in need of being desired. All she wants is the marriage she once had.

Tommy Lee Jones as Arnold has become a man on auto-pilot. It is hard to know what he feels underneath that craggily face. His eyes are dead and he moves like a man on a track. One gentle bump and he would become derailed. No wonder Kay feels like she is not being seen.

Steve Carrell, who portrays Dr. Feld, plays his role completely straight and as he listens to these two miserable people who have grown so far apart, his face and demeanor shows so much empathy and compassion. This is not your typical Rom-com with a quick, pat solution that leads to a happy ending; it is a slow evolving character study about two people in love who have forgotten how to show it. I, myself became impatient just wanting their pain to be over.

As I was watching Hope Springs I couldn’t imagine anyone under thirty really enjoying this film. But anyone over fifty, especially those who are married, will recognize themselves completely. There is something transforming when you reach that age when your body starts to betray you. Meryl, who is one of our greatest actresses has the ability to appear young in spirit as we gaze at her sixty year old body. And Tommy, with his hang-dog eyes, will break your heart when he finally reveals what he carries inside. There is a symmetry here between these two fine actors. And Steve Carrell is the perfect counterpoint.

I’m afraid that the movie is being mis-marketed as a comedy and that people will go expecting something broad. It has its moments, but don’t expect it to be very light. Hope Springs will touch you, move you and weigh on your heart. No matter how old we get we never outgrow the need to be loved and hope does spring eternal.

Rating: Bargain Matinee Movie and lunch, keep away for the kiddies