Review: Hope Floats (1998)
DeWyNGaLe
Sandra Bullock was once a great, well-known actress. For a while, she was one
of the best ones around. Lately, she hasn't been doing all that well. The
only movie she has done in awhile is Speed 2: Cruise Control, which was a huge
mistake for her career. Now, she shapes up with Hope Floats, the story of a
woman and the many problems she goes through. Harry Connick Jr, Gena Rowlands,
and Mae Whitman co-star as the people closest to Birdee, played by Sandra
Bullock. Birdee was the most popular girl at her school. She was prom queen,
everyone looked up to her, and she was truly happy. A few years after high
school, she got married to a friend from high school, Bill Pruitt, played by
Michael Pare. On a national talk show, Birdee's best friend Connie, played by
Rosanna Arquette, reveals that she has been having an affair with Bill,
Birdee's husband. They have been having the affair for over a year. Bill
wants to marry Connie now.
Birdee and her daughter Bernice, played by Mae Whitman, are extremely saddened.
They move to Smithville, Texas, where Birdee went to high school. They go to
live with Birdee's mother, Ramona Calvert, played by Gena Rowlands. Ramona is
there to help Birdee with her feelings and the problems she is going through.
It is kind of nice for Birdee to be back in the town that she grew up in. She
is greeted by many people that she has no idea who they are as she walks along
the streets of Smithville. She goes to the employment agency to get a job, and
runs into two more people that she knew in high school. She gets a job as a
worker at a one hour photo store. She runs into even more people there as they
come in and out of the store to get their pictures developed. She messes up a
lot of pictures, and she almost loses her job.
Justin Matisse, played by Harry Connick Jr, was very close to Birdee in high
school. Justin has been helping out Ramona around the house for a number of
years. Birdee and Justin are reunited at the house. At first, Birdee is
uncomfortable seeing him, but she gets used to him and they become close
friends once again. Bernice does not like Justin at all, and is determined to
get back with her real dad. Bernice is now starting school, and everyone makes
fun of her because of her glasses. She even gets beaten up. She is extremely
upset by the whole thing, and wants to go back to leaving with her dad.
Justin and Birdee become closer throughout the movie, and they start to date.
Ramona hooks them up as good as she can, and she succeeds. Birdee is still
very upset about the entire episode with Bill, and isn't quite ready to start a
new relationship. Justin is becoming frustrated with Birdee, because she is
not willing to move on from the man that betrayed her. She is finally willing
to move on, and for once things are starting to go right in her life. She is
becoming very happy with Justin, but there is a problem. Bernice is not very
pleasant any more due to Justin. She is extremely angry at her mother for the
break up with Bill. Bernice blames the entire thing on Birdee.
Hope Floats is a realistic tale of what one can go through throughout their
lives. Birdee goes through tragedy after tragedy, and finally becomes happy
because she keeps her hopes high. Sandra Bullock does a great job of acting,
and you could really believe the pain that she was going through. Gena
Rowlands does an outstanding job as her mother, and deserves on Oscar
nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Mae Whitman gives a powerful
performance. She was stuck in a tough spot, and didn't know how to deal with
it. Harry Connick Jr. is the movie's only problem. He makes it so it is more
of a fairy tale than a real life experience. The film is still good with him,
but the role of Justin Matisse could have beem cut down a little bit. All in
all, hope still floats for Sandra Bullock's career after this film.