SPOILERS THROUGH:
Hope Springs is a sweet, pretty movie, both a romance and a comedy and it takes place in New England. The movie's strongest points are the vivid beautifully photographed country scenes. The photography is vibrant and the movie is visually lovely throughout. Also a plus was the casting of Heather Graham as the down to earth Mandy. Graham sparkled as brightly as the many hills and trees seen throughout. Mandy is likable from the beginning and we want her to end up with Firth.
But the biggest problem with the movie as a whole is the lack of energy. Firth and Graham don't have a whole lot of chemistry and while there is an occasional funny line, the movie's not consistently funny enough as a whole, to be a serious comedy. Neither is it romantic enough to be a serious romance. It's definitely pretty and picturesque but there is something curiously flat about the movie as a whole.
I had heard this was originally a book and the funny thing is, I could really see this being a very fun and enjoyable book. But the story as a movie just didn't work as well as it could have. It wasn't as funny as it should have been. The wit that should have been there in the bantery back and forth scenes between various characters was not, for the most part, present and Minnie Driver's character just really got on my nerves. This movie is watchable but really not all that great and I'd rate it about average.
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