Hope Floats

One of the things that truly irks me are some people's rapid willingness to typecast actors and actresses, and dump on them when they try something new. While it has to be said that Sandra Bullock does not avoid exploding buses, or have to hunt down any cryogenically frozen bad guys in this picture, "Hope Floats" is a better movie than most give it credit, and Ms. Bullock and the supporting cast put in fine performances of their own to make a very touching and poignant film.

Forest Whitaker (acting in such films as "Blown Away" and "Phenomenon" sits in the Director's chair on this one and crafts a tale that deals with many different emotional themes, carried earnestly by sensitive and character revealing performances from his leading lady and the supporting cast.

While it must be said that Ms. Bullock provides some very memorable scenes in this film (especially when drunk) the casting of Gena Rowlands, Harry Connick Jr, and Michael Pare provide more ballast with fine performances delivered from all.

But the highlight for me in this film - young Mae Whitman and her performance as Ms. Bullock's on-screen daughter. At the conclusion of one very moving scene near the end of the film I could only watch her and wonder at just how bright this young actress' future will be.

So, if blood, bombs and action is your scene, then "Hope Floats" may not be your scene, but if you are into drama with solidly acted and well crafted characters by very fine actors, then "Hope Floats" is for you. It will leave you very satisfied that you took the time to see this very finely made and acted film.

I actually liked this movie. Neither because of the slow development nor of the fair acting of Bullock/Connick Jr. The brilliant performance of Mae Whitman as Bernice made this whole movie worthwhile. I've never seen a child outperform her "co-stars" like that. She sure would deserve the Academy Award for best supporting actress. So if you want to see a slow love story with a very good child performance (German magazine "cinema" wrote: "...she has the potential of Oscar winning Kathy Bates ("Misery")...") this is yours. If you are a fan of high paced action movies, don't bother to see this, you wouldn't like it anyway.

I'll admit from the off, I love Sandra Bullock. With her gorgeous girl next door looks, I adore her, and will usually give anything she is in a chance. she remains one of the most talented and beautiful women in movies, and her ladylike sexiness is in rare supply. Any movie becomes promising just by having her name in it's cast.

Plot In A Paragraph: Birdee Pruitt (Bullock) is an housewife whose life is turned upside when her husband Bill (Michael Pare) reveals his infidelity (with her best friend Connie) to her on a talk show. She goes to live with her mother (Rowlands) in the small town in which she grew up, where everyone knows of her television appearance. It's not long before an old friend, Justin (Connick, Jr.), has entered her life, sparking a potential romance.

The film was choreographed by Patsy Swayze. Harry Connick, Jr. Is OK (if a little bland) as Justin Whilst Kathy Najimy has a small role as Talk Show host Toni Post as does Rosanna Arquette as Connie and Bill Cobbs also pops up as a Nurse. As for Sandra Bullock she is as watchable as always, but these are not ninety of her better minutes.

I went into this movie last night expecting nothing but mush, and maybe a few laughs. Which I got. I did not expect the pure corny-ness of it. It was like it was following a set guideline for the cliche of this type of movie. Everything happened in the places you'd expect it to. People dying, people breaking up, bad things happening, lahdy dah, no surprises. It started off really well but when downhill from there and dragged. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it for what it was. Just don't be expecting anything more than mush. Powerful? Huh? Were we watching the same flick? Worth crying over? Hardly.

Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick, Jr., and Gena Rowlands star in "Hope Floats," a 1998 film directed by Forest Whitaker.

Bullock, who 13 years ago looks exactly as she does now, plays Birdee Pruitt, a small town beauty queen and cheerleader who married the star of the football team, Bill (Michael Pare) and left for the big city. They have a daughter, Bernice (Mae Whitman).

When Birdee is invited on a talk show, she is led to believe it's for a makeover. However, it's a Jerry Springer type show, and when she gets there, her best friend tells her that she's been having an affair with Birdee's husband - and they're in love. Bill verifies it.

Angry and hurt, Birdee packs up her daughter and moves back to Texas with her outspoken taxidermist mother (Gena Rowlands). An old flame (Harry Connick Jr.) reappears, but Birdee is unable to move forward. She's in love with her husband and wants him back.

This film seems to have low scores on IMDb, giving validation to my theory that a) reviewers on IMDb are mostly men; and b) young men; who c) like action, special effects, futuristic, and science fiction films.

"Hope Floats" is actually a very sweet movie with lovely performances from everyone involved. Bullock is warm and likable as a depressed woman who comes back to town in disgrace and has to face up to people she wasn't particularly nice to in high school. Connick is handsome and charming.

Rowlands does a terrific job as Birdee's confident and sometimes overbearing mother who deeply loves her daughter and granddaughter. Mae Whitman as the child Bernice is fantastic as a hurt little girl waiting for her daddy to take her home.

Some of the best scenes occur when Birdee visits her demented father in a nursing home.

I thought this was an effective film. No bombs, no violence, just some poignant real life - a single mom, a father with dementia, and what it's like to go home and start over.

I love films like "Speed," "Inception," "Salt" and films of the classic era. There's room for all kinds of films, and there is room for an actress with the warmth and charm of Sandra Bullock. If you're not a fan, skip it. If you are, you'll love it.