Hope Floats (1998)

Average rating

(56%)

Starring:	Sandra Bullock \| Harry Connick Jr. \| Gena Rowlands \| Mae Whitman
Director:	Forest Whitaker
Studio:	20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time:	110 mins
Genres:	Drama \| Romance
Languages:	English
Released:	April 16, 2004
Also available on:

Birdee (Sandra Bullock) is an unassuming housewife whose life is disrupted when her husband (Michael Pare) reveals his infidelity to her on a Jerry Springer style chat show. She goes home to her mother and the small town in which she grew up where everyone knows of her televised marital collapse. Things only get worse as a family tragedy brings her ex-husband back for an official divorce. Meanwhile an old friend, Justin (Harry Connick Jr.), has entered her life, sparking a romance. While Justin's intentions are clear and good, Birdee struggles with the decision to let him fully into her life. This 1998 sleeper of a film was a pet project of leading actress Bullock and became a surprise hit, touching the hearts of its viewers.

Rating of 2 stars out of 5

Sandra Bullock (who also executive-produced and had a hand in the casting of co-star Harry Connick Jr) stars as Birdee, who finds out via a Ricki Lake-style talk show that her husband has been unfaithful (the best scene in the film). So she decides to return to the small home town where she was once a beauty queen to get over the pain, with her mother (Gena Rowlands) and young daughter at her side. There's far too much moping and sobbing before she realises that the boy next door (Connick Jr) is now rather hunky. Bullock should have had the sense to change the title and reduce the wallowing, but Waiting to Exhale director Forest Whitaker makes the scenes of budding romance amusing. It's those nice touches of humour (plus the wonderful performance of Rowlands) that manage to save the film.

Highest rated reviews

2 out of 2 people found the following review helpful:

One of my 5 worst films

skeadugenga from , 30th May, 2008

I rented this on the basis that Sandra Bullock was in it. Well I suppose everyone is entitled to the occasional dud and this is certainly and spectacularly that. It is some achievement to make Ms Bullock an unsympathetic character, but this film manages to do so. She is surrounded by a cast of equally unlikeable people, who may have been intended to be endearingly eccentric, but who failed dismally. Even the children are ghastly - the daughter is a brat and presumably Travis was supposed to be cute but just ended up being sick cheese cutesy and very very annoying. The more I saw of Birdee's mother, the more nausea set in. Its not often I cheer at funerals, even fictional ones, but this was one of those occasions. Connick Jr is not a leading man and I'm surprised that Bullock was involved in his casting as the chemistry between them appeared to be several degrees short of zero. This film seems to think that capitulating to your stalker constitutes a happy ending. In short, this film stank so badly that I was compelled to return it to the postbox at 11pm in order to get it out of the house. Avoid as you would a rabid dog.

Read all highest rated reviews