‘Hope Springs’ an Intriguing Movie for Mature Teens and Up
Yes, old married couples can still be in love. It’s not the typical storyline for a Hollywood movie, but then there are not many mature actors of the caliber of Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones who can generate the kind of appeal to make the story work. It’s also an unusual turn of events for a movie built so much around sex to be given a simple PG-13 rating. But as 14-year-old KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Victoria Burns points out in her review, below, the main concept is the love the husband and wife have for each other, and sex is intrinsically part of that love. “This movie makes me see the power in love and determination to sustain it,” observes Victoria, also sharing what the movie experience was like as a mother-daughter outing.
Hope Springs
Reviewed by Victoria Burns
I just watched Hope Springs and all I can say is, “Wow.”
I went to see this movie with my mom, and she was freaking out and covering my eyes in some parts. I thought it was funny and that she was overreacting. After the movie, I had to remind her that I am 14.
This movie is about a married couple of 31 years, Kay (played by Meryl Streep) and Arnold (played by Tommy Lee Jones), who love each other so much but have not been affectionate or intimate with each other in many years. They even sleep in separate rooms, and on anniversaries they get gifts not for each other but for the house.
Kay gets sad at the reality that she and her husband do not have a real relationship. So she gets a book about marriage and calls the couple’s counselor and schedules the intense therapy to fix her marriage. At first, Arnold refuses to go, but then reconsiders when Kate leaves without him, then reluctantly he goes with her because he does not want to lose her.
All throughout the movie, Arnold is uncomfortable with therapy, and especially the intimate tasks assigned by Dr. Fields (played by Steve Carell). While Kay really wants to have a “real” relationship, Arnold is tentative and they battle with this throughout the whole movie.
This movie is very sweet in a weird way because it is based around an older and very in love couple that struggles with intimacy, and I guess for a young audience that visual would gross them out.
The soundtrack in this movie reminded me of music in a silent film because music is included in most scenes, and it describes the scene even if the words are not there.
Tommy Lee Jones is very versatile as an actor. I have never seen him play a domestic character or anyone in a relationship; it is refreshing and he does a great job. 
This movie makes me see the power in love and determination to sustain it. My mother was shocked by some scenes but then laughed, so this would be a great movie for couples who are in a long relationship.
This is a very intriguing movie. I have not seen many with this concept, so I give it five out of five stars. I recommend this movie for mature 13-year-olds and up. This is a good movie for a mature crowd.
Photos: Hope Springs poster (top), Victoria Burns (bottom)
