Hope Springs (2003)

Colin's a sad-eyed British artist holed up in a rundown hotel in small-town Vermont after being dumped by his fiancée. The hotel owner plays matchmaker and introduces him to a local girl. ... See full summary »

Director:

Mark Herman

Writers:

Mark Herman (screenplay), Charles Webb (novel)

Stars:

Colin Firth, Heather Graham, Minnie Driver

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Colin Firth	...	Colin Ware
Heather Graham	...	Mandy
Minnie Driver	...	Vera Edwards
Mary Steenburgen	...	Joanie Fisher
Frank Collison	...	Mr. Fisher
Oliver Platt	...	Doug Reed
Mary Black	...	Mrs. Peterson
Ken Kramer	...	Harold Peterson
Chad Faust	...	Rob
Tony Alcantar	...	Webster
Bethoe Shirkoff	...	Martha
Alan Giles	...	Mr. West
Dolores Drake	...	Waitress
Howard Storey	...	Mr. Golfer
June B. Wilde	...	Mrs. Golfer

Storyline

Colin's a sad-eyed British artist holed up in a rundown hotel in small-town Vermont after being dumped by his fiancée. The hotel owner plays matchmaker and introduces him to a local girl. Romance ensues, though Colin's ex may be looking to reunite.

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Plot Keywords:

small town | matchmaker | fall | general store | massage therapist | 

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Taglines:

The problem every man dreams of... a choice.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 May 2003 (UK)

Also Known As:

New Cardiff

Filming Locations:

Fort Langley Community Hall, Fort Langley, Langley Township, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£366,352 (UK) (9 May 2003)

Gross:

£958,336 (UK) (23 May 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fragile Films, Mumbo Jumbo Productions, Prominent Features

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Minnie Driver replaced Helena Bonham Carter.

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Goofs

The film is set in Maine, however several vehicles are seen with British Columbia license plates.

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Quotes

Doug Reed: I'm sorry. I moved.

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Crazy Credits

A bottle of the mineral water "Hope Springs Eternal" mentioned in the movie by mayor Doug Red is depicted after the credits. It has a portrait of the Queen of Hope Vera on it. The slogan below reads: "Available at a stockist near this cinema."

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Connections

References Fatal Attraction (1987)

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Soundtracks

"I'm Not in Love"
Written by Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart
Performed by Fun Lovin' Criminals
Courtesy of EMI Records Limited

User Reviews

It's not without its charm

Colin Ware (Colin Firth) finds that his fiancé, Vera (Minnie Driver) is going to marry someone else. Distraught by the news he goes to the tiny town of hope in New England, where he meets a beautiful young nurse called Mandy (Heather Graham) and both their lives begin to get better. That is until Vera re-emerges with a little surprise for Colin.

There are better romantic comedies than this one, it's a little bit generic and struggles to do anything fresh or truly hilarious, but it was enjoyable and it certainly wasn't without its charm.

Firth, Graham and Driver all deliver fairly typical performances, playing character types that they have portrayed before; and the direction is perfectly OK for a film of this type, all in all its a decent film that is mildly amusing, entertaining and heartwarming enough.

6/10