MovieChat Forums > Hope Floats (1998) Discussion > Things that totally ruined this movie!

Things that totally ruined this movie!

posted 17 years ago by sietz
29 replies | jump to latest

Hey guys,

First of all, I'd just like to say that I'm not a hater of this film. Basically, I think it's a 3/10 movie...but COULD have been a much stronger film is the director etc had changed things. Specifically,

1. The beginning. The beginning would have been o.k. for a comedy or something, but it just doesn't suit the rest of the film. The fact that this seemingly nmiddle-class couple would have appeared on a show to air out their dirty laundry is laughable. At least, Birdee's husband should have been more shocked to find himself there.

2. Harry Connick Jnr. Don't get me wrong, I think he's goodlooking etc but his part was very very odd. He just seemed like a 'special' stalker who just wanted to jump Sandra Bullock. I didn't feel any love between them, just an intense school-crush on his side. He didn't seem like he'd be able to care for her family.

3. The scene in the pickup truck at the drivein where Harry tries to kiss Sandra. This scene just felt forced, especially since it was quite obvious that Sandra wasn't ready for any action so to speak.

4. Sandra's mothers death. This was just sad and IMO, didn't belong in a movie that was marketed as a romatic comedy. I think the movie could have gotten away with it if there hadn't also been the whole divorce undertones. Bernice screaming and yelling at her father was quite heartbreaking. Definitely didn't make it much of a feel good film.

5. When Sandra and Harry sleep together. I don't know. This felt a little out of place. I think the directors should have restrained the romance element of this and left it until later. First of all, we didn't see anything tender...and it just felt a little awkward, almost like you weren't really sure you wanted them to be together. Afterall, they'd just danced a little together.

That being said I LOVE the little boy in this film. Sandra looks lovely as always, but I really think the script needed a lot of work. It was more of a drama than a romantic comedy...and perhaps because I watched it thinking it would be more of a romantic comedy I was disappointed.

Happy to see anyone else's perspective on this though!!!

[–] schimmi38 17 years ago

wh00_69,

have to agree to you.I like the movie,too,but it was at some scenes very weird and unrealistic,too.

To 1) and Bill's reaction.That was very silly.I can't imagine,that he was happy about that talk show confession.And to be honest,it was unrealistic,that Bill still loved Connie after she forced him to confess public.

To 2) and Harry Connick jr.He's a nice actor,but I think,too,he was the wrong guy for that role.I'm not sure,but I think Bullock herself didn't want him.She said,he was too handsome for that role.....And yes,I couldn't see any chemistry between them,too.

I think,it would have been better to see more often Birdee and Bill and talking about their problems.The few scenes after the funeral were so silly and weird and didn't explain anything.

And I think,one thing is very bad.The age of the characters.Look,we heard,that Bill and Birdee married immediately after school.So maybe she was 19 and he was 20-the movie plays ten years later.Nothing against Bullock or Paré,but they didn't look like 29 and 30 years.It would be have been better to let them both be in the mid 30's.

One other point is,what's with Birdee's sis Desireé?Why didn't she come,who is Travis dad etc.....?So many open questions.

The whole movie is full of open questions and so not as good as it could be.
I don't see it as a romance,too.I'm not sure,how to describe it.It's neither a romance nor a comedy.

I didn't like the ending,too.Birdee says to Bernice,that she won't marry again for a very long time.Sorry,but if she would actually love Justin,then she wouldn't say something like this.

I would love to see a sequel to the movie and in that one,I would love to see Birdee still not married and Bill should realize,what he lost and should fight for her love.Have to confess,I'm a fan of actor Michael Paré,too and so I didn't like it,that he was the bad guy!

[–] pianocellolove 17 years ago

I don't think this ruined the movie, but the way that Justin was smothering Birdee was a bit much, especially so soon after separating from her husband Bill. Justin was obviously living out remnants of some school age crush but as an adult, he should have realized her trauma and given her time to heal from such an awful event.

You both made some interesing observations!

You must do the thing you think you cannot do. Eleanor Roosevelt

[–] sietz 17 years ago

I also didn't really like the dancing with the father part. It also seemed a little out of place. Did anyone else think the pace of the movie was really inconsistent? We had fast (beginning) then awkward and slow (like the dancing with dad scene) then bizarre (the song to sung to cheer up bernice) then chopped (the non existent love scene.

Also, I thought Sandra seemed a little too smart to pull off the dumb-beauty queen thing. Could have picked a (stereotypicial) blonde or someone?

[–] schimmi38 17 years ago

I think,the whole characters of Bill and Birdee were very weird described.She seemed to be still in her high school days and Bill's character was so superficial described-no deepness and very childish.Look,it was so weird to see him,when he left his daughter-on the one side he seemed to be very hard and cruel to her,but on the other hand his eyes were filled with tears!

[–] J_Jammer 11 years ago

Wrong. She did want him. She told a story about how she asked him to do the role.

[–] schimmi38 17 years ago

As a fan of Michael Paré,so I don't like your ideas of point 5).Of course,I would have liked to see him more often,but not in that way.

I would have prefered to see him at the end and telling Birdee,that he recognized,what silly and bad guy he was.......

[–] MillieD 17 years ago

whoo 69 I agree with your first two points entirely.

Point 1 - there is no way on Earth they would have gone on that talk show. It was a very feeble way IMO of informing the town of Birdee's marriage breakdown.

Point 2 - HCJ - I cannot stand his portrayal of Justin!

All in all it passes away a couple of hours on a rainy afternoon.

[–] its_a_Kristina_thing 17 years ago

I can't remember who said it, but someone said that if Sandra truly loved Justin she wouldn't have said she wasn't going to get married for a long time. That's not really true. Just because she doesn't want to get married right away doesn't mean she doesn't love him. It's just because she had such a terrible married life and doesn't want it to be like that again. She was with Bill for such a long time and never thought he would do something like that to her (if she had, she wouldn't have married him). She thought she knew him and he ended up cheating on her several times and eventually leaving her for her best friend on national television, abandoning their daughter, and asking for a divorce the day of her mothers funeral. Birdee just wants to be cautious.

Also, to the person who said that Birdee seemed too smart to play a small town beauty queen, I think she USED to be a ditsy mean girl (judging by her gosspiy friend from high school Suzy and how it was explained that she picked on Dot). She was a cheerleader, Queen of Corn three years in a row, and Prom Queen. If she got with a guy like Bill, I don't think she was the smartest/ nicest/ most mature level headed girl to begin with, but I think raising a daughter and going through her marraige problems with Bill matured her a lot and brought her to be a nicer person. I doubt she was always as down to earth and kind and smart as she was later in the film. It's kind of shown through her friend Suzy at the dance thing. She used to be just like Suzy, but when Suzy starts gossiping Birdee doesn't reply and looks away. She's not like that anymore because now she knows what it's like to be embarrassed and everything. NOw she's smart because of everything she went through, but she wasn't always that way.

Now as for what I didn't like about the movie, I just think there should have been more development in certain areas. I think there should have been more discussed about Bill and his mistress, and Bill and Birdee's problems, as was said before. Also I think Sandra should have been more in love with Justin. It was clear he liked her, but it kind of seemed like she just stuck with him because he was a nice guy unlike Bill and/or wouldn't leave her alone. Also there should have been more explaination on Travis's mother.

[–] schimmi38 17 years ago

>Now as for what I didn't like about the movie, I just think there should have been more development in certain areas. I think there should have been more discussed about Bill and his mistress, and Bill and Birdee's problems, as was said before. Also I think Sandra should have been more in love with Justin. It was clear he liked her, but it kind of seemed like she just stuck with him because he was a nice guy unlike Bill and/or wouldn't leave her alone. Also there should have been more explaination on Travis's mother.<

I absolutely agree with you in that point.I wished,there would have been more explanations.....Birdee herself said,that she felt,that something changed between her and Bill,but it would have been nice to hear more about their life.

And then to Travis and his mom.No more infos about her,the father of Travis!

[–] meme-29 17 years ago

Well, I guess Ill be the off kilter one here. I LOVED HCJ portrayal of Justin. He was one of the sexiest men I have ever seen in those tight jeans & boots and his cowboy hat. The way he looked at her everytinme he saw her, like his heart was melting. His soft tone of voice to comfort her when needed, then he made her see the funny side of moping, getting laughs out of her, and then when he HAD to, he let her have it like, "Snap out of it! Wake up! Bill did you HORRIBILY and it was NOT your fault! You DESERVE BETTER!!!!! I truly think even it it wasn't Justin she picked after Bill, he just wanted to her away from Bill so she would get off the pity pot and turn herself back into her old fun outgoing self who loved life. I think Justin loved her enough to just want her to be happy. (Now if it came along with loving HIM back, Hallalujia!

I would love to be that couple, Birdie & Justin, mmmmmm.

[–] auteur_theory 16 years ago

JUST THE FACT THAT MAMA (GENA ROWLANDS) DIED MAKES THIS MOVIE BAD. I DONT SEE HOW THE HECK SHE DIED ANYWAY!. SHE JUST FINE MOST THE MOVIE THEN JUST DROPPED THE TEA CUP AND DIED. weird and sad.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mistresszaddeh 17 years ago

I actually just saw the movie today, didnt see the 1st 15 mins or so, but wasnt that hard to caught up with.
But yea, i was thinking basically the same things that you pointed out, i mean i still enjoyed the movie but there was certain things that i would have left out or actually go into a bit more.

I think that the most disappointing things were the death of the mother and the whole pushing the romance so fast and all.. wish they worked around that differently..

and yes! loved the little guys role.

I'll be your devil if you'll admit you're mine

[–] brainybrailler 17 years ago

Well, maybe Bill was aware that Connie would try to confess the whole thing to his life, so wasn't as surprised as everyone would expect...or maybe he was good at hiding it. And the death scene was very sad, but that was where Birdee found she was strong enough to get through her husband's asking for a divorce and dealing with her mother's loss by filling in her shoes of picking up where she left off. It was supposed to make the ending more meaningful; we already knew not all of this would be a feel-good movie from beginning to end; this really isn't so much a romantic "comedy".
I'll give you that the love scene didn't make much sense as far as her, and won't argue about Harry Connick - to each his own taste, and you're not the only one to say it so at least you've got a reason (too many don't).

[–] Prncss2082 17 years ago

I adore this movie and pretty much disagree completely with the original post. Everyone is different of course and I don't expect everyone to see it as I do. But anyway, here's why:

This movie IMO is raw and very realistic... in life things like this happen, people get lost, confused, betrayed... and things do not just go on merrily in a way that you would expect. That's life. Life is choppy and people have issues... And I think thats part of what I love so much about this film, it is emotional and extremely honest.

It shows Birdee going through denial, depression, anger... all the things that really do happen when someone is betrayed or their life goes in a tail spin. You see this with Bernice as well. And even with Travis. This movie is about lost souls, about growth, about life and the twists and turns it can take and the consequences that come about but also that... well... Hope Floats. The title says it all. The dancing with the father scene is one of my favorites actually. Birdee is lost. She is also losing her father, and one of the storylines is that she was always a Daddy's girl. This in turn is touched on with her mother... you see where some of Birdee's issues come from, and then she finds that "she's a momma's girl too"...among other things. This can also be linked to the way that Bernice is with her father and with Birdee. Sometimes you don't see or understand where others are coming from, or how they truly feel (birdee thinking one thing about the way her mother felt... bernice blaming her mother for her father leaving, etc...) As for Justin and Birdee in the truck scene... it shows how stuck Birdee is... that even though she has been so very hurt and betrayed... she is in denial about her husband. And she is not ready to move on, though really...she needs to. And of course it also shows the affection that Justin still has for her after all of these years. The movie ends up really showing how he sees the "real" Birdee and how beautiful she is(which they mention later as well after you get your subtle hints through out). The scene where they sleep together... Birdee is reluctant to admit that there is something there... she is wallowing in her Bill stuff... but she lets down her guard a bit... and the connection between Birdee and Justin comes through. Then of course she's even more confused and would rather hide in her depression and denial instead of dealing with moving on and allowing it to happen. There are so many different angles and so many different emotions running through out this film that it's hard to even get it all down here! Birdee's mothers death... so very heartbreaking. They had finally come to an honest, understanding point in their relationship. But at the same time, it's beautiful that they finally did, and just in time. This is life... Birdee is constantly forced through out the movie to no longer "be pleasing" and to face up to the not so easy parts of life. She is forced to accept and deal and find herself really. She was very dependent on Bill and was terrified of being alone and without him. It is all a shock to her... but it makes her stronger (the scene after the funeral, etc). I still see it as a bit of a romantic comedy in some ways (there are definitely some funny and extremely cute parts...) thrown together in a heartfelt drama.

To me, it shows the struggles that a lot of us can face... how one situation like this can affect so many lives and how people work through things, come together... really, I think it's a beautiful story. Yes, I am gushing...

Anyway! That's my rambling, all over the place opinion!

[–] missingink 16 years ago

First, I agree with a lot of what you said - life is choppy and messy. That made a lot of the movie work for me. But there were things that had the opposite effect:

1. HCJ was great for the part, IMO, except for the pressure he put on her to be physical. The whole time you got the feeling that he was just waiting to jump her bones. That said, the scenes where he showed his kind/tender side, especially the one with the abandoned little boy. really got me.

2. Sandra Bullock was too smart for this role. But if we'd had someone dumber, the character would have been much more difficult to sympathize with. I don't think marital problems (someone mentioned earlier) make people smarter, wiser hopefully, but not smarter.

3. The 'love scene' between Justin and Birdee. Yuck. Well he finally got what he was after. She was obviously not ready for that and it had a negative emotional impact on her (and her daughter). It would have been so much more beautiful to me if he had been the gentlemanly sort and more concerned about her feelings, knowing what she was going through. Ditto for the moves he made on her in the truck. The movie did a terrible job of developing Birdee's feelings for Justin, IMO.

Jena Rowlands stole the show, the mother no one would want, but the grandmother everyone adores. The father's part was sweet and heartbreaking at the same time. A lot of people were bothered by Bernice - I thought that was well done and very realistic. Kids see things differently than adults and I really felt for the kids in this movie.

[–] patricialeat 16 years ago

Well said! From the time Grandma died until the time Bill drove away was heartbreaking, and I thought the writing and acting was beautiful. How Birdee, on the day of her mother's funeral had to deal with her husband asking for a divorce while listening to his contempt for her and love for he friend to Birdee watching Berniece try to escape, patiently watching until she wore herself out. I was choked up.

[–] JaxLum 13 years ago

Agree, Prncss2082 -- I love this movie.

[–] royalkma 16 years ago

Some of these things I liked the most:

1) Eliminate the talk show subplot. It's just too unrealistic.
-the talk show was interesting to watch, I would have liked them to go further with it; maybe have her storm off or the husband get slapped.

2) Don't have Sandra wait through the entire movie for her husband. Inject some PRINCE OF TIDES and have a sex scene between her and Harry.
-I agree with this, she was silly to wait for that loser

3) Omit the silly elements such as the school bully and the musical number.
-I really liked these parts, it shows how people change and how school affected them.

4) The grandmother's funeral has got to go.

5) The scene where Sandra's husband asks for a divorce should be longer. Also, instead of the husband bawling like a little baby when his daughter begs to go with him, make him lose his temper and strike her.
-I thought this scene was well done, it is prob what this man would do cause he can't be bothered to take on the resposibility of raising his own kid after he's cheated on her mother and he darn well knows he's in the wrong. And his lover wouldn't have her around anyway. He's crying cause he knows he's a scumbag.

6) Develop the husband and his mistress. They just walk in and out of the movie.
-I think it was good they weren't in it too much. The story was about Birdy's family not his affair.

Cindy

Cindy

[–] zsillyz 16 years ago

I loved this movie, from start to finish.

The death of the mother/grandmother ends up revealing a scene that is one of the memorable ones for me. When she is standing in the closet trying to find something to wear and she grabs the dress and smells it. There is something about the smelling that gets to me. I had a nightgown I kept of my grandmothers to take out and remember her smell with until it faded.

someone else mentioned the dance with the father. Dealing with alzheimers - you live for those little moments of recognition.

I just truly loved this movie so it is hard for me to say anything bad about it.

[–] horrorfanaticgirl 16 years ago

I think H.C. Jr was miscast and really didn't look that attractive in this movie....don't get me wrong I absolutely think he is 9/10, but in this movie it looked like he was either hung over or had no sleep during the entire movie. Plus, the two just didn't have the chemistry needed, seemed more like it would be a fling between the two.

The patient's screaming disturbing me, performed removal of vocal chords. ~Zombie Holocaust

[–] DeuxLumieres 16 years ago

I still think the confrontation between Bill and Birdie was so disappointing. You wait through the whole movie to see how she's gonna demolish him, and THAT was the best she had? Weakly pointing out that she is the better person? She seemed so pathetic! And he still got the last word in.

"Would you like to see a long arm, Otis?"