ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Clarissa Mora The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Davis P Okay I'll give the filmmakers this: they gave effort, they really did try, you can see that. But ultimately the end result just isn't all that satisfying. Sandra Bullock is good as always, she's one of favorite actresses, from the beginning to the end you can feel her pain through her performance. I also liked Gena Rowlands as the eccentric grandmother that bullock and her elementary aged daughter must move in with because of circumstances. Harry Connick Jr. is alright, I like him as a person, but I think his performance in this movie is pretty average, nothing that stands out, I didn't feel a lot of emotion in his performance, just kind of ive. Also another gripe I have with this film is the lack of believable romantic chemistry between Connick Jr. and Bullock. I loved Sandra here, but when you try to put her and Harry in a romance, I just can't buy it, the chemistry wasn't there for me. The writing is pretty stereotypical of rom coms, except for when Bullock had scenes with either her daughter or mother, or both. I really enjoyed those scenes because they were truly dramatic and you have the opportunity to witness the pain the characters are feeling. The ending is kind of bitter sweet, I won't spoil anything, but I did like the way the ending was handled. It's a film that has some things that work, but unfortunately the things that don't work outweigh the positives. 5/10.

longcooljolie What is up with that summary title? you might be thinking. There is a thrift store that sells VHS tapes for $0.25 apiece and this movie was in their collection and now it's in my cheap entertainment collection.The reviews on IMDb for this movie are very polarized: people either seem to really hate it or really love it. For me there were equal parts of things to like and not like about it. Sandra Bullock, who was producing for the first time in her new movie, comes across as aimless and wispy in this. Harry Connick as her former schoolmate and potential love interest comes across as stiff and insincere. At the time there was a push toward getting him more highly visible roles, but he was much better as a ing player (Will Smith's jet fighter buddy in Independence Day a couple of years before).The musical score really helps the movie. There are very nice musical compositions from Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Cheryl Crow, Bryan Adams, and others. It turns out that Patrick Swayze choreographed the dancing in this, which shows up in a very nice scene at a Texas dance hall where couples are doing the Texas two-step.Acting-wise, the best thing was Mae Whitman, who was about 10 at the time and is the centerpiece for the movie's most stirring scene, which happens near the end. She has gone on to build an impressive list of credits and at first glance seems to have transitioned from child actress to viable adult performer very well.The set design is also nice and there are pretty images of the Texas countryside in a few scenes. Overall though, the movie is kind of dreary and a good example of one of Sandra Bullock's career growing pains. Forrest Whitaker directed, and he has also gone on to bigger and better things.

Wuchak Released in 1998, "Hope Floats" is a likable drama about Birdee Pruitt (Sandra Bullock) who flees with her daughter (Mae Whitman) back to her small home town in Texas to live in her mother's mansion while her father is in a nursing home (Gene Rowlands plays the mother). Birdee is disillusioned because her husband (Michael Paré) left her for her best friend in Chicago. Both she and her daughter have to come to grips with what's happened while a cowboy carpenter takes interest in Birdee (Harry Connick Jr.). A peripheral issue is that Birdee was the beloved prom queen in high school and her husband the popular quarterback.I was expecting a great drama with "Hope Floats" but it wasn't to be. The film was directed by amiable Forest Whitaker (Cuffey in "North & South") and written by Steven Rogers. There's nothing wrong with the cast, soundtrack, direction or locations; the problem lies with the screenplay. It's just too by-the-numbers. I'd give obvious examples but I don't want to give away the story for those who haven't seen it, although I wouldn't actually be giving anything away because the script's so predictable.Nevertheless, it's worth checking out for those who like dramas, the cast and country music. It was a mild hit at the box office in 1998.The film runs 114 minutes and was shot in Smithville, La Grange and Austin, Texas, with opening scenes in Chicago.GRADE: C

susana1027 I can't help but wonder if we were all watching the same film. The opinions are so different. I guess people either like it a lot, or hate it. Me - I loved it! It's worth watching just to see the scene between Berdie and Romana in the bathroom when Berdie comes home drunk and tells just how her husband leaving her makes her feel. Perhaps those who didn't like and couldn't relate to this movie never had an experience like that. Good for them. But, trust me, those of us who have had this experience understand exactly how Berdie felt - she expressed our feelings for us - perhaps better than we could have. To watch her character's development gives hope to many of us. And Harry Connick as Justin - well - one review said we'd all probably like to have our own Justin. I totally agree! I particularly like Berdie's speech to her husband after the funeral when she told him that she had already gotten the best part of him, their daughter, and that what's left over didn't look so good. This film helps us to understand the deeper feelings of people in various situations. And does a good job of it. Great movie!