Intermission

by Jim Wunderle

"Hope Floats"

Directed by: Forest Whitaker

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr., Gena Rowlands

Rated: PG-13

Actor-turned-director Forest Whitaker has had a brilliant, if somewhat under-heralded, career over the course of the past couple of decades. He made his film debut in the 1982 teenfest "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

His first memorable role was opposite Paul Newman in Martin Scorsese's "The Color of Money," and he put in a great turn, under Clint Eastwood's direction, as jazz legend Charley Parker in "Bird."

Whitaker works on a regular basis two dozen films in 16 years and most recently turned to directing with his "chick-flick" romantic drama "Waiting to Exhale."

For his latest outing as a director, he's stayed close to that genre, giving us another emotion-tugging romance, "Hope Floats." This film is a hard call for me, falling into the category of "Personally I Liked It, But Won't Really Defend It."

There are problems with plot nuances, and some of the quirky characters were a little too obviously quirky.

On the other hand, Whitaker has assembled a top-notch cast and (I suspect it's because he's an actor himself) gets great performances from each and every main character.

From the two kids making their film debuts, to established stars Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr., to seasoned pro Gena Rowlands, Whitaker gets the most out of every performer.

Even the small roles Kathy Najimy as a talk show host and an uncredited Rosanna Arquette as Bullock's best friend come across fairly flawlessly.

The story begins when Birdee Pruitt (Bullock) goes on a TV talk show with her best friend. Birdee thinks she's there for a total makeover. Instead she's confronted with the fact that her best friend has been having an affair with her husband, who also shows up to give the knife a little twist.

I think Whitaker's staging here, in light of the fact that "The Jerry Springer Show" just keeps getting more popular, is pretty clever and makes a nice set up for a typical jilted-lover-on-the-rebound tale.

Birdee packs up her precocious daughter Bernice (played not the least bit cloying by Mae Whitman) and heads for her mama's place in the small town of Smithville, Texas.

Smithville is where Birdee, and her soon to be ex, grew up. She was the town's undisputed beauty queen, winning Queen of Corn honors an unprecedented three years in a row, cheerleader and prom queen and he the quarterback of the football team ... you get the picture.

When Birdee comes back, a lot of the folks she went to school with are still around, working the businesses of Smithville. Everyone saw what happened on TV (one taped it, one saw it twice, "... Central and Mountain time," via satellite dish) and some take delight in reminding Birdee how she treated them in high school.

But now the tables have turned. We get the feeling that sweet Birdee may have been somewhat of a spoiled "witch" in high school, relying on her looks to get what she wanted.

There are few actresses more downright likable than Bullock, and that fact helps the character win our sympathy, regardless of her past.

As you might expect, Birdee goes into a depression, Bernice doesn't fit in at school and Birdee's eccentric mom (Rowlands) between bouts of taxidermy keeps meddling in everything.

Also added to the mix is Justin Matisse (Connick) who has been carrying a torch for Birdee since grade school.

In the end, things work out just about like you think they will, and everyone learns some kind of valuable lesson.

Corny? Maybe.

But seasoned with a cast this good, the corn is easier to swallow. One aspect of this story I found fascinating was the "perpetual high school" syndrome. We've all been to class reunions and run into people that still live and breathe the glory days of yesteryear.

There are a few folks in my class who think that rock music ended with the demise of Three Dog Night and Credence Clearwater Revival. Good bands, I'll admit, but life does go on. One of Birdee's biggest challenges in "Hope Floats" is trying to get people to disconnect from the past, or at least put it in perspective.

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)[[In-content Ad]]