Hope Springs

Directed by David Frankel, Hope Springs follows aging couple Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) as they decide to spice up their stale marriage by attending a series of counseling sessions with a renowned therapist named Dr. Feld (Steve Carell). It’s a lighthearted premise that’s initially employed to unexpectedly grim effect by Frankel, as the filmmaker, working from Vanessa Taylor’s script, emphasizes the central characters’ less-than-healthy marriage to an extent that is, at times, impressively uncomfortable. The authentic vibe is, of course, heightened by Streep and Jones’ strong work, and it’s worth noting that the film does lighten up substantially once the action shifts to Dr. Feld’s office. There is, as such, little doubt that Hope Springs is ultimately at its best during the therapy sessions between Dr. Feld and the protagonists, with the recurring emphasis on entertainingly awkward interludes (eg Arnold is forced to divulge his sexual fantasies) ensuring that the movie’s midsection possesses a bracingly comedic feel that proves impossible to resist. And although the film begins to demonstrably peter out as it passes the one-hour mark, particularly as Frankel increasingly stresses moments of an unreasonably silly nature (eg Kay almost fellates a banana for practice), Hope Springs, for the most part, comes off as a refreshingly adult endeavor that benefits from its honest sensibilities and from the stellar performances of its leads.

*** out of ****