Review of Hope Springs (2012) by Tvjerry — 17 Aug 2012

Meryl Streep gives a sweet, slightly-mannered performance as a woman who's in a 31-year marriage that's deteriorated into a remote, robotic relationship. Tommy Lee Jones, as her husband, is all bluster and gripes, especially when she insists on intensive counseling (provided by Steve Carell in a non-comedy role).

Basically, this is couples therapy on the big screen with all the predictable setbacks and breakthroughs. Although it's being billed as a comedy, there aren't a lot of big laughs, just knowing chuckles.

I kept waiting for the whole enterprise to rise above ho-hum, but it just plods along. The women around me LOVED this film, especially the ones "of a certain age," but I found it wimpy and disappointing.