Hope Springs (2012) * * *

 

Directed by:  David Frankel

Starring:  Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell, Jean Smart, Elisabeth Shue

Hope Springs is a romantic comedy with a light tone about a long-married couple seeking counseling in the scenic East Coast community of Hope Springs.  It's not that Arnold (Jones) and Kay (Streep) don't love each other, but they have settled into their routine and no longer sleep in the same bedroom.   Kay wants to break loose from this malaise, while stubborn Arnold thinks all is well and counseling is not needed. Dr. Bernie Feld (Carell) believes otherwise, and based on his manner and communication skills, it's no wonder clients come in from all over the country to see him. 

Kay is all-in on trying to repair her marriage, while Arnold doesn't want to fix what in his view isn't broken.   He's a tough nut to crack and only half-heartedly participates in the homework exercises Dr. Bernie prescribes.  In the most effective scene in the movie, Dr. Bernie, having exhausted all patience with Arnold, asks him whether he truly wants to save the marriage or let it die.  When Arnold arrives at his decision, is everything too far gone?  Would Kay even want him back?  

Jones and Streep have contrasting character and acting personas which makes them a perfect fit.  Arnold doesn't do a 180 and become Mr. Sensitive.  It takes a while for him to change, which gives Arnold realism.   Kay is hopeful and willing throughout, since it was her idea to fly across the country to see Dr. Bernie, but soon even she reaches the end of her rope with Arnold.  Carell is a likable marriage counselor with exceptional control over his emotions and his sessions.   We thoroughly believe Dr. Bernie knows what he's talking about and loves what he does, and the audience responds to that.  

Hope Springs isn't a deep film, just a perceptive one in which the stick-in-the-mud Arnold has to undergo changes which are uncomfortable, but Kay also has to transform into someone who draws a line in the sand because what is happening in her marriage is no longer tolerable.  And Dr. Bernie is there to guide them with a gentle, but firm hand.