Agent Rutabaga sent in this look at HOPE FLOATS the new Sandra Bullock film that was shot in and around Austin. Hey, that's where I live. Anyway the person felt it had flaws but liked it, keep reading to learn more...
Finally I have a chance to contribute! I've seen nothing so far on your site for the Sandra Bullock, Harry Connnick Jr. movie HOPE FLOATS, which I got to see in a sneak preview yesterday.
Originally, my friend and I had a ticket to see THE AVENGERS, but it turns out that the guy who passed out the free passes had given out too many. We were offered free passes to any movie that evening as a consolation. I was really pissed (especially since I'm a college freshman at UCSD with a 12 page paper due Friday and HE GOT GAME didn't start until 9:00pm). After getting into the AMC multiplex, however, we noticed that there was another sneak preview playing. We soon successfully made a mad dash into what turned out to be HOPE FLOATS.
Here's a small spoiler---The movie starts with a great scene featuring a cameo by Kathy Najimy as a talk show host. Connie, a friend of Bertie's (played by Sandra Bullock), tells of how she has been sleeping with Bertie's husband for one year. Bertie then is invited on stage from backstage, thinking she is there for a make-over. This scene is a great commentary on the crap that occurs on the Jerry Springer Show etc. As with later scenes in the movie, this makes a great commentary how the people on those shows are real (occasionally) and have their personal lives ruined.
Bertie leaves her husband and takes her young daughter Bernice (played by the girl from ONE FINE DAY) and goes back to the small town in Texas where she came from. This is the small kind of town where everyone saw the talk show with her embarassment. Bertie stays in her Mom's house, with her mother (played by Gena Lee Rowlands who does a great job), and her sister's son Travis (played by the kid from LEAVE IT TO BEAVER).
The movie chronicles her growing relationship with Justin (a guy who had a crush on her since high school played by Harry Connick Jr.). It also portrays the difficulties that arise between mother and daughter as Bernice feels neglected and wants to go back to her father, and old prooblems between Bertie and her mom. Bertie also searches for a job which she has never had. The rest is for you to see.
The movie is somewhat cliché and one scene should have had a few in between it, but overall this movie had interesting and developed characters, great acting (especially from Sandra and the two kids), and a good pace. To give it a grade, I would have to say B-. At the end, the relationship seems a little forced, but there are genuine moments (and I nearly cried twice). It'll be a great date movie, escape from summer action flicks, and welcomes back Sandra Bullock to good movies (after a hiatus since SPEED 2).
I hope this is useful. Keep up the great work.....and now back to my paper,
Agent Rutabaga!
