Hope Floats (1998)

A former beauty queen (Bullock, The Net) learns of her husband’s infidelity with her best friend on a talk show, and runs off to her small hometown in Texas to live with her mother after sinking into a state of depression. She tries to rebuild her life, but finds that after being a wife and mother for all her adult life, she has no work skills nor any knowledge of where to begin in getting back on her feet. Bullock’s mother thinks she needs another man to help her, and tries to set up handyman and former boyfriend Connick (Independence Day) up with her, but she still holds out in getting her old life back somehow.

A nice and sympathetic portrayal by Bullock, and good performances help bolster this thoughtful tale of a woman finding out that there’s more than one road to happiness. Actor/director Forest Whitaker (First Daughter) shows he’s very good at handling this kind of woman’s picture (he also directed the successful Waiting to Exhale), and the cinematography is quite good. It’s funny and sad in parts, and even though there are a few scenes that were ill-advised, it still maintains a charm that is hard to resist even during its flaws.

Qwipster’s rating: A-

MPAA Rated: PG-13 for thematic elements
Running Time: 114 min. 

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr., Gena Rowlands, Mae Whitman, Michael Pare 
Director: Forest Whitaker
Screenplay: Steven Rogers