20th Century Fox, Rated PG-13
Directed by Forest Whitaker
Written by Steven Rogers

The good news is it's better than "Speed II: Cruise Control." After that fiasco Sandra Bullock desperately needs a hit and from the looks of the opening weekend box office, she has it. But I doubt it's the kind of date movie that will get return business (i.e. "City of Angels" and some other film I can't quite remember, I know there was a boat and a guy who looked like a young Matt Damon in it). The movie is woven together with some great moments and cinematography, but it doesn't flow well enough or have enough of them to be a great movie. And then there's Harry Connick, Jr. But before we get into all that, let's discuss the plot. A woman (Bullock) finds out on a "Ricki Lake"-esque talk show that her best friend has been having an affair with her husband and we see how she deals with the aftermath of that revelation. Too bad the movie soon becomes very derivative and predictable. I wonder if Steven Rogers isn't really a made-up name for a computer program that threw together many romantic "chick flicks" of the past and copied elements from them all to come up with this script. You'd have to be a moron not to predict that Bullock's character Birdee Pruitt won't meet up with some other guy (Harry Connick, Jr.) who will eventually win her heart. You can also figure out quite easily from the first scene that her mother (Gena Rowlands) will play a big role in helping her get back on her feet through somewhat "unconventional" means. Birdee's mother is the kind of character that's supposed to be charming but soon becomes annoying. Birdee also has her daughter in tow, a child who doesn't come anywhere near being likable. She whines endlessly about missing her father. And, as mentioned before, Connick was a disastrous choice for the role of Bullock's love interest. Stick to the music, buddy. You're an amazing musician, but you're not an actor. Not here, anyway. As a matter of fact, Connick's character has much less screen time than most "love interests" in a romantic movie, so we never really care about their relationship. Certain scenes, and a plot twist towards the end are right out of the romantic tear-jerker handbook, and what's worse, there's no real reason for them to be used in this film. Despite all this, the film has its moments. One scene in particular where Birdee visits her grandfather is so understated and heart-tugging that it's one of the best "emotional" scenes in recent memory. A subtle dissolve showing Birdee and her father when she was a child is a brilliant addition to the scene. There are also some beautiful shots and nice camera effects, as well as some genuinely funny moments. But there is so much wrong with this movie that I recommend you catch the matinee if you have to see it. It's strange, but the "Hope Floats'" main competition, "Godzilla," is a movie that doesn't even try to have any emotional impact or plot, yet it succeeds in being just as entertaining as this film, which tries so hard to be a powerful movie, but falls short so many times. **