(That. Fucking. Bitch.)
CAST: Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr., Gena Rowlands, Mae Whitman, Michael Pare, Cameron Finley, Rosanna Arquette.
DIRECTOR: Forest Whitaker
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and one really messed-up way of discovering of your husband’s infidelity - straight ahead…
IT’S LIKE THIS: The, uh, “fucking bitch” I refer to in the caption above is most definitely NOT our heroine Birdee Pruitt. Nope, Birdee is sweet and winsome and looks an awful lot like Sandra Bullock. No, sir… the “fucking bitch” is her “best friend” Connie (Rosanna Arquette). See, Connie is having an affair with Birdee’s husband Bill (Michael Pare). Then, as if that was not heinous enough, Connie decides to do the classy thing… and break it to Birdee on national television. Yes, folks, very classy is our bitch Connie. Anyhow, as you can imagine, Birdee hightails it back to her hometown in Texas with daughter Bernice (Mae Whitman) in tow, until they can get back on their feet. Birdee’s “recuperation” is complicated by her eccentric (read: crazy) mother (Gena Rowlands), and attractive (read: fucking hot) high school friend, Justin Matisse (Harry Connick Jr.) I’m sorry… Bill who?
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: Mom, who proves the sanest person under the roof. When Justin isn’t visiting, that is. He’s like Yoda - in Harry Connick Jr.’s fine-ass bod.
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: Harry. Connick. Junior. He’s like the gardener who you just want to invite in for a lemonade - and a game of Nekkid Twister. My girl Sandy B. is also at her most gorgeous here. Now them’s some cheekbones, yo!
MOST INTENTIONALLY EXCITING SCENE: Birdee getting drunk at a local bar - and putting on a “truth-telling” show. Watch out, townspeople…
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY EXCITING SCENE: Anytime Harry Connick Jr. is on screen. I kept thinking, “Damn, why is he wearing so many clothes, like that T-shirt and blue jeans, when it looks so warm outside. Take that shit off!”
HOTTEST SCENE: Justin saying to Birdy, “You used to be so audacious! People used to stop just to watch you come down the street. You think you’ve lost that! I can still see it!” Come on Justin… I’ll show you audacious. You bring your swagger, and we’ll have ourselves a party.
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: Will Birdee divorce Bill? Or will she continue to expect him to come crawling home? Is Justin right when he says there’s a greater chance of Texas enforcing harsh gun control laws than that happening? Will Birdee listen to her mom’s counsel and just drain Justin’s nuts already? What the hell is the hold up? Get busy, girl!
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “HOPE FLOATS”: If you don’t mind female-centric films that deal with relationships, characters, and, you know, emotions - and not explosions, chase scenes, dirty monkey sex, and stunt doubles.
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “HOPE FLOATS”: If your favorite movie is ARMAGEDDON and TRANSFORMERS. In which case, what the fuck are you doing reading this review?
BUT, SERIOUSLY: In past reviews, we’ve discussed how certain films are the equivalent of wrapping a warm blanket around yourself. Essentially, these films are like “comfort movies” that celebrate friendship, family, and relationships - often in a winningly quirky and crazy way. Examples include MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, SWEET HOME ALABAMA, JUNEBUG, A GOOD YEAR, KISS ME GUIDO, MY LIFE IN RUINS, and THE UPSIDE OF ANGER - just to name a few. HOPE FLOATS is another such movie.
This film has a very languid and relaxed pace that may challenge anyone who’s used to a more kinetic and linear plot line. Indeed, there really isn’t much plot to HOPE FLOATS - it sort of moseys along as we follow Birdee slowly regain her footing in the wake of Bill and Connie’s devastating betrayal. Someone once said that friends and family are like buffers in times of crisis. That’s never more apparent than in this film. Birdee’s mom, her equally quirky nephew (Cameron Finley), Bernice, and even Justin form a new family unit for her as she recovers.
The film also tracks Bernice’s reaction to the whole situation. There’s a scene late in the film that is almost difficult to watch because it’s played with a reasonable degree of realism: when Bill definitively walks out on Bernice and Birdee. Birdee takes it in a very cool, almost detached manner. Bernice, on the other hand, is destroyed by it. Mae Whitman plays this scene and the whole role in a very moving way, and she’s matched by Sandra Bullock.
Bullock should also get kudos for basically making what is essentially an internal (or closed off) character appear transparent. As I’ve always said, certain characters need very expressive actors so that we can read them without them ever saying a word. Birdee is such a character: she hides her emotions and pain. It’s her business and no one else’s. The danger with that kind of character is they can come off as chilly and distant. The trick is to have an actor who can use little non-verbal gestures and expressions to reveal these hidden levels. And Bullock is one such actor. She ably shows us Birdee’s seamless journey from passive, emotionally-damaged victim, all the way to confident, assertive heroine.
Gena Rowlands is a nice, earthy presence as Birdee’s mother, who quirkiness lends much color to the proceedings. Some of the nuggets of wisdom she impresses upon Birdee are ultimately helpful in getting the latter out of her funk. Especially the ones about being true to yourself no matter what anyone else says. Rowlands and Bullock also have a nice mother-daugher rapport, just like Bullock and Whitman.
Finally, there’s my favorite member of the cast, Harry Connick Jr. He’s essentially playing a slightly idealized character, and it would’ve been great to have explored some of Justin’s backstory to give him some added dimension and imperfections. But Connick takes what he’s given and delivers an engaging turn, nonetheless. He’s the kind of guy I imagine every divorcee would like to start over with: smart, funny, tough, sexy, and unpredictable. With this film, Connick basically proves his leading man mettle by taking a character that might’ve been a little underwritten on paper - and making him appear vibrant and alive onscreen.
In the end, HOPE FLOATS is the cinematic equivalent of a nice hot cup of cocoa on a winter night. It gets you all warm inside…
