This romantic dramedy stars Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carrell. Kay (Streep) has been married to Arnold (Jones) for thirty-one years, and the suburban couple lives a simple, ordinary life. However, Kay is growing increasingly dissatisfied with the lack of passion in her marriage, and, defying her usually passive demeanor, decides to do something about it. She signs a reluctant Arnold and herself up for a week of intense marriage counseling from renowned therapist Dr. Feld, in the idyllic town of Great Hope Springs. What ensues is a week of awkward conversations, flaring tempers, and much soul-searching. Although the film features a very appealing cast, the script is not deserving of any of them. Streep, one of the best actresses in the history of film, plays a very uninteresting character who, even though takes a brave initiative to try to salvage the marriage, comes off as feeble, weak, and uninteresting. Jones' character is, for the lack of a better word, a jerk. His permanent frown and constant insults hurled at Kay made me wonder what it was that she ever saw in him. Steve Carrell, a brilliant comedian, plays an unfunny role, thus diminishing greatly almost all of his appeal. The characters were very artificial, and some of the situations they were put in seemed implausible. In the end, I left the theatre shaking my head, knowing that the calculated plot surely would never play out in "real life." This was a rare miss for three truly talented actors who deserve way better than these roles.
Should you see it: No
Grade: C
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