Hope Springs ** (2003, Colin Firth, Heather Graham, Minnie Driver, Mary Steenburgen) – Classic Movie Review 1982

Director Mark Herman’s funny-in-places 2003 comedy stars Colin Firth as sad, lovelorn British artist Colin Ware who, after being dumped by his fiancée in the UK, goes to start over in the USA where he holes up in a rundown hotel in small-town Hope, Vermont.

The hotel owner Joanie Fisher (Mary Steenburgen) plays matchmaker and introduces him to a local girl, the simple but sweet nurse Mandy (Heather Graham) and Colin soon falls for her. So, hope springs, but then his bitchy old English flame Vera (Minnie Driver) arrives on the scene to reclaim him.

As you’d expect from this quality cast, the acting’s expert and appealing enough in a happy but oh-so-soppy Brit rom-com that’s pretty much as flat as last night’s bubbly. Firth proves a class act, as usual, and Graham is charming, though they’re not necessarily the ideal romcom couple. Driver over-eggs the comedy pudding.

The source novel New Cardiff is written by Charles Webb, the author of The Graduate, but this is nowhere in that class of story. Top players Steenburgen and Oliver Platt help but they are largely are wasted.

From writer- director Mark Herman, the maker of Brassed Off, Purely Belter and Little Voice.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1982

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