Hope Springs

Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones are very good in this comedy-drama that plays it totally straight up the middle with no irony, no cheep gags and no laughs. The film is good, but it’s about 15 years too late to be very relevant. There is a lot of truth in the situation of this older couple who have fallen into a sexless and joyless routine in their marriage and decide to do a week of intensive couples therapy, but at this time in our culture when everyone discusses their sex lives--yes, the elderly too--there’s nothing very eye-opening or insightful presented here. What is nice is that the film, which could have easily become a contrived melodrama or a raunchy, shock comedy, is played for honest emotion and frank, simple conversation instead. Steve Carell plays the therapist so straight, I actually think this is the first film he’s ever done where he’s actually comes off as a good actor. However, were it not for its two leads, there would be no reason to watch this movie.