For the price of $4,000, Kay convinces money-conscious and skeptical husband Arnold to attend this week-long retreat in the charming town of Great Hope Springs, Maine, with reknown couples therapist Dr. Feld (Steve Carell) on the chance that the spark of love that brought them together can be rekindled. After peeling through several personal embarrassing and revealing layers of conversation, the specialist manages to get shy Kay and resistant Arnold to open-up about their love life, expectations, and fantasies. And, he prescribes arousal exercises to bring them through their reticence, and give them hope for their sexual partnership to not only survive, but to be satisfied and to rekindle that initial spark of love.
Kay is a woman vibrant with desire and reaching for greater intimacy with her husband. Her loneliness searches for something more in her marriage and she is determined not to stay silent any longer, but to take control of her marriage and life. Dr. Feld encourages them to move forward from their bleak, repetitive separate-bed lifestyle to one of sexual exploration and evolution. Arnold confesses that he gradually discontinued having sex with his wife, because he felt her reluctance and dissatisfaction; however, Kay interprets the reason sex was stopped was because Arnold became disenchanted with her looks, leaving her defensive and without self-esteem.
Dr. Feld suggests sexual exploration and this is enthusiastically pursued by Kay to fulfill her husband's desires. Since Kay has never ventured sexually beyond her vanilla lovemaking with Arnold, these repetitive acts are the only sexual thoughts that she entertains. Her only fantasy doesn't even include sex, but the renewing of their marriage vows. Arnold has become content in his life -- even without sex -- responsibly attending to his work and home, and usually goes to sleep each night in front of the TV watching golf on ESPN. When it comes to Arnold's suggestion to pursue his wife's sexual interests, he only has to rely on touch and tenderness to make her feel beautiful and loved. Dr. Feld admits that the people that come to him want him to discern whether their love will continue or end.
The therapy sessions end as Kay and Arnold employ playful lovemaking to fulfill their desire for touch, love and reassurance. They now are provided with the way to reach marital intimacy and with the tools to continue to maintain that intimacy throughout their life. Unfortunately, after they return home, the presence of routine once again masks their marriage and they fall back into the old patterns that caused singularity and loneliness in their partnership. Having moved toward reparation, it is just too difficult for Kay to continue in this ordinary type of marriage. Arnold discerns her dissatisfaction and takes the leap of hope as he joins her in the bedroom to renew that initial spark of love that will take them through the renewal of their vows and throughout an upbeat love life that will keep them on their toes forever.
Hope Springs special features includes Commentary with Director David Frankel who gives information on sets, locations, and directions with behind-the-scene comments on performances. There's a Gag Reel, an Alternate Takes Gallery, and a short interview with Streep and Jones entitled "Inside the Perfect Movie Marriage: Meryl Streep & Tommy Lee Jones."
Hope Springs seems to be more of an an instructional for those traditionally-minded marrieds who have not taken the time to explore the sensitivities of lovemaking. I find this movie way too slow for today's audience, and I believe even though some couples might be unwilling to approach sexual counseling, there's too much information out there on the internet to seek this type of advice from an expensive sex counselor, unless divorce is knocking at the door. However, there wasn't even an computer in this couple's home and the film just seemed unrealistic and not believable. I think there is a very small audience for this movie (the pull would be the popularity and experience of the actors), but even teenagers are more educated in sex today than this poor couple. They are seriously outdated, and unfortunately, I found this movie to be as dull as the Soames couple themselves.
